LABOUR CRISIS LIKELY ?

Chronicle (Levin), 12 August 1947, Page 5

LABOUR CRISIS LIKELY ?

-press. Asso'ciation

Talk 01 Demonstrations Ovef Secret Ballot

By Telegrwph-

'WELLINGTON, -August II. Since the iiatioiia] ^aj.ci'1 of the New Z'eal'aiTd Hed'eration of'Lab our 'called oi) the Gover'lTment ti feittove fl'offi thc Iudusti'ial -Ooh-■ciliat-ion and Arbitrution "A'et Amendment. Bill the requiremqiit for secr'et bal'l'ots before strikes -oa lo'cb-'outs, -mtveh speeidajti'on a'boM : imminent events'ha"s developed. If, the . Government refuses t'o yield to the demand by the indus- ' trial Labour ■ movement, sonre trade union officiais believe that a highly critical situation will re STllt. c. It was reported today that trade unioils are expected to .orgahise on th'e assumption that Ihe Government will stand firm, and, in the absence of an uhdertakiiig satisfactory to the industrial labour movement, 'Jlarg-e-scak protests are to be expected very shortly. Within the next fortnight, 51 was said, trade union demonstrations against the measnre may occur in Auckland, Christchurch, ; and Dunedin. . It was said also fhat Wellington may be slightly later than the other main eentres. because organisation in the capi tal has not advanced so qu-ickly. What form the protests would takf-a-as not made clear, but mass nre'eting of unionists and large parades were re'larded as a decided possibility. These would eertainly have an upsetting effect upon industry. Should it he necessary to repeat them, the result.jouid be enormotrs. However, it is not thought likely that the organisers of any seetional or general protests will .announee theit plans in advance. Surprise is likely to be a factor, and, as one trade union •oHieial said, the Governmeitt itself haset an examj)le by the surprise introduction of the secret ballot proposal. There was the further precedeol o! demonstrations in the past for Labou: Party purposes, it was commented There had been such affairs as May Day parades. On the eve of the last General Election, Wellington unionists Left their employment to engage in a demonstration of welcome to the Priine Minister (Mr. Fraser). One trade union offieial expressed the opinion that an imminent period oi erisig confronted the Government nnless it heeded the demands of the industrial Labour movement, which, after all, represented the backbone of pol'itieal Labour. Ile expected that individual trades councils would eonsider rneans of protcsting in their own districts, but there was no doubt that the movement, nnless it could be avoided by a last-minute reconsideration by the Government,. would become natioual in scope. In his view, mere declarations of oppositidn to the measure would be futile. An interesting, almost a phenomenai aspect of the situation is that the merit or otherwlse of secret ballots has been virtually obliterated. The driving force in the trade union resentment of the Government measure is that it was introduced without reference to the industrial Labour movement. Militant unionism, with the aid of « Communist outcry, quickly opposed the Government measure, hut the Federa-; tioii of Labour conference had the effect of consolidating on the particular question, hoth moderate unionism and militant unionism. The consolidating factor has been resentment of the procedure followed hy the Government, and the resentment has displaced, for the time being, opinion in favour of the secret ballot which undoubtedlv exists in the industrial Lahour movement. The cohtroverSy has served to favour militant unionism. Attempts to rally trade unionists generally in opposition to the Govern inent measure would almost eertainly emphasise the procedure followed Dy tho Government, the alleged political interference with trade union affairs, and the alleged resemblanee to the labour laws recently introduced in the United States of America. The merits of secret ballots would almost as eertainly be thrust into the background. These cireuuistances .could mean a severe contest between Parliamentary Labour and industrial Labour, without benefit or an objective and dispassionate evaluation of secret ballots, and with Parliamentary Labour lacking mnch moderate unionist support which it would othenvise have commanded. ■ • t