UNION'S PENALTY.

Press, Volume LXI, Issue 18420, 29 June 1925, Page 9

UNION'S PENALTY.

WHARF LABOURER FINED. (BT CABLE—PBF.9S ASSOCIATION"—COriRIGHT.) (AU6TBALIA.\" AM) N.z. CABLE ASBOCIATIOX.) MELBOUKXE. Juno 27. A oaso bearing importantly on the question of whether unions arc entitled to inflict penalties on members for alleged disobedience of rules is proceeding. F. Phillips is seeking to recover £IOOO damages from the Workers' Federation of Australia and the "Wharf Labourers' Union, of which he- is a member, on the "ground that tho two bodies mentioned wrongfully refused to recognise him as a member, whereby ho lost employment. Phillips's case is that in February last year ho was helping to unload sugar from a steamer when the foreman ' called him down a hatch to fill up the slings. He obeyed the order. Tho union's vigilance officer thereupon camo along and called down the hold, "fitop that gp.me! You aro puttingtoo much on the slings!'' Phillips was subsequently fined 10s by the union for alleged breach of the rules. Ho denied liability and was consequently set aside as unfinancial. He could get no work except small jobs and was. unable to join any other union without a financial clearance.