Retirement Of Prominent Union Secretary

Chronicle (Levin), 19 December 1949, Page 4

Retirement Of Prominent Union Secretary

Press AssociationJ

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INVERCARGILL, Dee. 17. A prominent trades union secretary in Southland, the Hon. T. F. O'Byrne, M.L.C., is preparing to retire from his last remaining secretarysliip, that of the Southland branch of the Timbcr VV orkers ' Union. Mr. O'Byrne has m-. formed members of his intention, but he is prepared to reinain with the uuiou. during the coming year in an advisory capacity in order to assist his succossor. I Mr. O'Byrne was appointed secreta'-y of the Timber Workers' Union in Jifn"', 1906, so that ho has completed 43$ years in the position. Before that he was president for two or three years, and his term as president and his long term as secretray together practicaily cover the entire life of the uniou, which was formed on December 19, 190G. The union has gained for its members great advanees in wages and marked improvements in working eonditions, and Mr. O'Byrne 's proudest boast is that these beuehts have been secured solely by negotiations and that never once has the uaion resorted to direct action, not even a stop-work meeting. The claims made by the union for its first award iucluded au eight-hour day and a 40-hour week, h minimuin was of £3 a week for ail nfen employed to operate uiachinery, a minitnum of £3 14s for such workers, -as shoemen, trolleymen and bullock drivers, a minimum of £2 8s for unskilled workers, and a mi-nimum of £1 10s for boys. The men did not get all they sought On that oceasion. Average wages in the first award, for example, ranged frotn £2 2s to £2 14s a week, but at the time this first award was regarded as fairly satisfactory. ,Tbe union in its 49 years of existence has had only two secretaries. The first was the late Mr. A. A. Paape, who in later years was proprietor of the Grand Hotel, Dunedin.