WATERSIDE UNION LEVY

Press, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22512, 21 September 1938, Page 4

WATERSIDE UNION LEVY

—"♦"^ — ■.. DENIAL OF COMPULSION ■; DISPUTED . , 1 " ~ ■ k /'. , MINISTER'S STATEMENT"; 1 CHALLENGED . ""- \ The denial given in • statement to the House by the Hon. H. T, Armstrong (Minister for Labour) that compulsionwas used on members of lew Lyttelton Waterside Workers* Union to contribute a levy of £1 each to the «utu» of the Labour newspaper was chat lenged yesterday by Mr «K Donnolley, Alter disputing f*», the union the legality ■"•/"J executive's decision to voting papers from members whsj-'hao - not paid the levy, Mr Oonneltaf *•*. "The Minister's statement musr •>■ disputed by me," said, Mr SonMOej"l would like to know on whs* e»£ dence he bases bis denial. The ftea. were contained in the article peared in The Press* and were embraced by the question asked in ]««„ House by Mr S. G. Holland, MP. Some* weeks ago an officer of the Labour l»e--partment called at my home and f*** 1 " for some evidence about the ali«*ai tions. I told him that I could give_him 1 no information additional to that wf*cn • | appeared in The Press." I have since ■ found that further inquiries were n*o* ■ 'at Lyttelton." J Ballot Papers Refused ' Intimidation, Mr Donnolley sw* was mentioned at Lyttelton by a ni*®" ber of 'the union executive, acting-, without its authority. He had been *■ member of unions for 50 years till ne retired, and he was always financial* yet ballot papers were refused funi; and 200 other members at -Lyttelton because they had not paid the-ltvy-For three months the payment of-'to* levy was voluntary. It was thenfouna.--that the money was not coming ' nV and Mr J. Roberts (the national «****" tary) suggested that a special -meeting, should be held to make the payment compulsory. "The rules require the holding * ballot, but the motion to compel pay; ment was decided by a show of-hands.. _ said Mr Donnolley. "I have been «*""' stepped by the union, which decline" - to give a satisfactory answer to tfifiquestion why I was deprived of unfranchise.*-* ** ■ Although he has ceased working en the waterfront, Mr Donnolley *•»*£";- a member of the union until.October 27, when the required three wo* l !*™ notice of resignation expires. "And if * levy is made in a constitutional way before October 27, I will pay it*".n| said. "1 have been informed that ot the 700 members, 15 have still not pain the levy. The others have placed thai* work before principles."