ECHO OF BIG STRIKE

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2511, 12 July 1915, Page 9

ECHO OF BIG STRIKE

ALLEGED VICTIMISATION

ANTI-FEDERATION UNIONS

The alleged systematic victimisation of certain waterside workers by the ( existing Watorside Workers' Unions at Auckland and Greymouth was brought before the Prime Minister as Minister of Labour on Saturday by a deputation, from tho Labour Congress. Mr. A. H. Hindmarsh, M.P. for Wellington South, introduced the deputation, and other members of the House of Representatives present were Messrs. A. E. Glover (Auckland Central), J. G. Coates (Kaipara), H. Poland (Ohinemuri), and L. M. Isitt (Christchurch "iferth).

The spokesmen appointed by tho deputation were Messrs. E. Kennedy, sec-' retary of tho Wellington Labourers' Union, and G. Bruce, secretary of the Wellington Wliarf Labourers' Union; The position as represented by them as having- arisen out of the . strike .of 1913. has already been stated in print on numerous occasions. It was pointed out that the rules of the present Waterside Workers' . Union in Auckland provide that membership of the union shall be open to any person of good character who is a bona-fido wharf- labourer or waterside worker at Auckland, provided that he satisfies the union ,or its Committee of Management; that lie is not connected with or subject to the control of the Federation of -Labour or any similar organisation opposed to. tho registration of .unions under the Arbitration Act. This was one of the conditions upon which preference to unionists was granted in' the agreement between the ■unions-and the employers at Auckland. It was : alleged, however, that several inen who fulfilled the required conditions and : who tendered the entrance feo. had been refused admission to tlie Auckland Union by the Election Committee of that union because they had taken part in the late strike, notwithstanding tlio.fact that they .signified their support of the Arbitration Act. In one case in Auckland, it was stated, a man.who, applied for admission on June 3 last, and tendered tlie entrance- fee, was kept waiting till June 23 pending ,a. meeting of tho Election Committee, at which after lie had'been called upon to answer, a series of questions his application was' refused. This man had been a-member of the Strike Committee, and although not in favour of tlie strike had gone on strike out of sympathy with, liis fellow workers. ' Mr. '-Kennedy said that the rule whereby an Election Committee of. the union was the deciding - factor. in regard to. admission .to membership had been held by the Court to bo ultra vires. Tlie Auckland agreement bad not been converted into an award, aiid jJiils it had never beeir reviewed' by' the Court. In many cases employers wero willing to employ the men in question, but they were denied the right to work, and several'had had to leave Auckland a.nd | se'elc work elsewhere/ " .' .

Messrs. H. Green (of New Lynn) and J. Allington, '• now working ,in AVellington, made statements in support of the. allegations, and urged that tho strike, 'hatchet should be buried. -

Tho : Right ; Hon. W: . F.' ; Massey said that the deputation had put its case beI fere him very well.-'. He was not infiivour of victimisation or anything of the sort; (Hear, hear,) Ho agreed that it. was time tlie hatchet was buried in connection" with strike (Hear,'hear.) The question, however, was a difficult one to deal with, and like all other questions it was one with two sides to it. The .'Auckland agreement contained a clause preventing any member of _ the_ Federation of Labour from becoming a membor of; the union. That appeared to be the sTumbling«block. Rightly or wrongly . the clause was there. The .law permitted it, there was no doubt about'that. Tho matter had been referred: to the' Crown Law Officers some time" ago,', and what was being done was in accordance with the Act. Whetlior it was in accordance with the spirit of the Act was another matter. - He doubted whether the "open door" for which they'asked could be secured without legislation.- He proposed, to confer with : the president of the' Arbitration Court, Justice Stringer .011 tho matter.' "I think," ho added! -'that_Mr. Justice Stringer and' I will be able to arrange some way. out of. the unfortunato difficulty ;that has (Hear, hear.) I'.jvill that." . Mr. Kennedy: We ; are prepared ,to abide by the opinion of.'Mr. Justice Stringer on the whole matter. :