MR. FRASER DEFENDS SECRET STRIKE BALLOT

Chronicle (Levin), 25 August 1947, Page 7

MR. FRASER DEFENDS SECRET STRIKE BALLOT

AUCKLAND, August 21. "There is 'Obviously considerabie misimderstanding among some trade unionists, part of which has been almost striaently if mistakenly vocal, concerning the secret ballot clauses of the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Amendment Bill at present before the Labour Bills Committee," said the Prime Minister (hlr. Fraser) in an interview in Auckland. Continuing tlie Prime Minister said: "There has been a ccrtain amount of iuisrepresentation, particularly in regard to ccrtain clauses 011 which the JJiijister at' Labour (Mr. McLagan) has intiniated that lio would be pleased to receivc and consider anv suggested amendment. Indeed he invited the council of the Federation of Labour to let him have any draft amendments they thought desirable and he would guaran tee for theiu his tuost favourabJe con sideration provided the principle of the secret ballot was uot prejudiced. "As far as i am aware no proposals for an amendment of the measure were sent in by the Council. The Minister informs me, however, that probably the Bill will be auiended in the Labour Bills Committee. This is the norma] cour.se. I expect that the readjustuients will be gencrally accivptable. After discussiou with Mr. McLagan 1 anticipate that the principle of the secret ballot will be maiutained and even strengthened whilo the remote possibLlitv of undeserved penalties will be eliminated. " It is necessary that both the iutention and the provisions of tlie Bill for the taking of a secret ballot sliould be thoroughly undcTstood. All strikes under existing legislation are Ulegal. The law is embodied in the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act, iii the Labour Uisputes Investigation Act aud in the Strike and Lockout Emergeney Regulatons, and penalties tor infringenient are substautial and even heavy in sotne instances. "Men who are called out on strike without a ballot, which to be genuine and properly represenlativc must be secret aud free from any possibility of pressure, are compelled to be lawlireakers and subject to heavy peual t ies without being consuited. This is an intolerable position and the element arv jirinciples of demoeracy crv out agaiust such a practice. ' ' The fear of being described as dis loyal to one's fellow workers has fre,. quently and hopelessly distorted the actual position and has compelled reluctant acquieseence in stupid strike action harmful to those immediatelv involved and to the country as a whole. "The Bill proposes that this deplor able state of affairs sliould ccase and that befoTt; men are forced into the position of becoming law-breakers tliej sliould at least be consuited and given an opportunity of g'iviug or withholding their consont ro becoming partios to law-breaking. ''The proposal of the Government is

to ensure that all industrial workers should have this opportunity, -surely an elementary liunian right established in law and be.yond dispute. This is what the Bill will provide. It is-just; it deinocratic; it is common sense. I be lieve that tlie Bill, which provides. foi a secret ballot being embo'clied in all union rules, has the suppor't'of the'vast majority of trade unionists, very many of whom have a similar conditioh in their ovvn rules. Only those who are determined enemies of industrial as well a»s social aud economic democrafey will be in opposition to th'e ""Governmeivt 's proposal for esfcablishing tlie right of the industrial worker-J'tor eyercise ^his vote where h'is own empTovment and tlie incoine,, welfare ad happines of his home and family'.are eoh'cel'hed'.^ 1 1 •