CARPENTERS' LEADER ATTACKS FEDERATION

Chronicle (Levin), 1 April 1949, Page 7

CARPENTERS' LEADER ATTACKS FEDERATION

WELLINGTON, March 3i. \. To ask the Federation of ' Labour about its attitude to the proposeu registration of the breakaway carpeiF ters ' uuion in Auckland, the natiOiiai secretary of the New Zeaiand Carpeh Lers' and Joiners ' Union "(Mr. it. Htan ley) met. the federation today.. Mi;. dtanley subsequeutiy stated- that>hc had been told the Federation wouh! iiave to refer the matter. to the Auck iand Trades Council. Mr. Btanley said: "The preseut situ ation ciosely resembles that whicb existed du-ring the Waihi strike when genuine workers led by some of the present Caoinet Ministers . fesisted the . ormation of a uuion set up under the protection of the employers." "This organisation, set up in oppo sitiou to the properiy constituted uhion representing the carpenters and joiners .11 the Auckland area, cannot l>e recog uised by the National Carpenters' ano joiners' Union beeause it does noi spealt for the majority of carpenters and joiners in the area. It is incon oeivable that it will reeeive recogrtition f roin the trade uuion niovemenl smce trade union tradition has alwav's opposed eiupioyer-sp'onsored uiuons. "The meeting. at whieh the break avvay union was iuitiated was heid with uiie assistauce of the euiplpy.ers wL-. provided trucks to take the ulen f>n ] cheir jobs and aiso acted as picke.ti at ihe doors to cheek on those euter uig. The employers further pifere'd^tu provide £13UU to launcli the organisa tion. "No decent unionist could couuteli ance such an orgapiisation. The preseui leaders of it .had ,.ainpie opportunity ai; Llie previous meeting to pnt forwaru ^lieir so-calied moderate policy, but thi> >vas rejected by the great. majority Oi members of the uniou. Haviug faileo iO convince their fellow membe1'1} tflejt 110 w. try to circuiuveht th'e will of-'tlh majority by trying to oust the legaiiyconstituted machiuery of the uuior.r with the conuivance of the employers "If the Minister of Labour conseiits to register tlie nunority group he is acting in direct opposition to thc majority decisions of their fellow trad«unionists and would be prociaiming'; nimself openly as opposed to the higli tradition of the trade union inovement. "In view of the fact that this is au employer-spousored union I am astounded, as no doubt the rest of the Nen Zeaiand trade union movement will be, that the national executive of the Fed eration of Labour would not give an answer immediately. "