HELD TO BE DOMESTIC MATTER

Dominion, Volume 33, Issue 186, 3 May 1940, Page 11

HELD TO BE DOMESTIC MATTER

Unfinancial Waterside

Unionists

EMPLOYERS’ ATTITUDE OUTLINED The view that it was unfortunate that the secretary of tbe Wellington branch of the New Zealand Waterside Workers’ Union had not approached the employers before action was taken was expressed yesterday by the manager of the Wellington Co-operative Waterside Labour Employment Association, Mr. W. H. G. Bennett, iu commenting in an interview on the position created by the union in removing from the register the names of a number of members who have failed to make payment of the £1 levy toward the Labour daily newspaper fund. Mr. Bennett, said the manager oi the Waterside Labour Bureau, Captain Vanden-Bergh, had received a letter from the secretary of the Wellington branch of tbe union, Mr, J. O. Johnson, together with seven sheets of names of men said to lie unfinancial members and who could not be employed by the bureau. “I have replied to tjm effect that under tbe current award, which is still iu existence, clause 50 (preference) provides that the employer mtist employ members of tho union who are willing to undertake the work before employing non-unionists,” said Mr. Bennett. “As the secretary’s letter states that these are unfinancial members, it is evident that tbe men concerned are still members of the union. "Tbe question of their being unfiuanCiitl is a domestic matter and is no concern of the employers. Therefore, any of the men named in the list who are required tomorrow for work that they usually undertake will be engaged by the bureau in the normal manner. “Regarding the men who have been taken from their jobs by the union, the responsibility fol’ any elallhs by these men is a matter for the union to deal with.”

AUCKLAND POSITION

(By Telegraph—Press Association.) AUCKLAND, May 2. There has been no necessity for the Auckland branch of the Waterside Workers’ Union to adopt the course taken by the Wellington branch in regard to men who fail to pay the levy of £1 to the Labour daily fund. The Ailckland secretary, Mr. Culthbert, said that the ftill Auckland allocation on the basis of £1 for each member had been paid at the end of last, year.