WOMEN WORKEES IN MEN'S UNIONS

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 186, 26 April 1918, Page 4

WOMEN WORKEES IN MEN'S UNIONS

QUESTION DISCUSSED BEFOEE CONCILIATION COUNCIL. By Telegraph—Frees Association. Christchurch, April 25. . A conference was held here this week between representatives of the employers and employees in the printing, bookbinding, and Allied trades of tho Dominion. Mr. Hngger, Conciliation Commissioner, presided. Considerable discussion took place- with regard to the advisability of women workers belonging to the men's unions, and eventually, after a number of adjournmente, the employers issued tho following statement: "The representatives of tho employers in the printing, bookbinding, and Allied trades of the Dominion wish to piace on record their views in connection with the presont conference—(l) As tho proposals placed before them on behalf of the employees concerned only women vorkors, and thelatter's representatives present (with the exception of Auckland) are delegates of the men's unions, to which women have only just been admitted, without the necessary alterations of their rules having been legally mado, and (2) as no vote of the women on the specific proposals placed before us has apparently been taken, we rogret to have to state we are not prepared to consider tho submitted by tho workers' representatives, unless tho latter arp prepared to pledgo themselves to form separate unions of women workers, ns has been dono in Auckland, before any attempt is made to bring any such proposals into force." Tho representatives of Hie female workers declined to pledge themselves to form n separate union of women workers, and the proceedings terminated.