UNION'S EXPLANATION

Evening Post, Volume CXXVIII, Issue 117, 14 November 1939, Page 11

UNION'S EXPLANATION

The secretary ,of , the Wellington Labourers' Union (Mr. P. M. Butler), commenting on the above case today, said:— ~ -. . "It would appear from the report in the Press "that th& union, was a heartless rpgre^ih :: ruthlessly1 J dismissing- =>a xmri,'.iiie father df? ;seveni- children, frpni ;hi£i employment simply because he had not paid his "Union contributions. The position 'is that the man concerned has 1 been enjoying the-privi-leges atid-:benefits of the'-awards-of the uttiph since-the beginning 0fx1938 arid has never yei paid' his' fulL contributions^ He has' accepted -all -in-: creasW irf wages and holiday benefits which his fellow members in the union obtained, and has' made very. little effort' to play the game with them. > paid "nothing at all for the full period; 0f'"1939. "-The union :wasr'extremely"l lenient with him and;. gave him''every opportunity to'make, paym'ejits to- suit his > convenience, :but he. disregarded ;every a,nd treated the union, and his, wPrkxnates with'-contempt. At the commencement' of the present ticket year he was twelve months in arrears, and in view of the opportunities given him to improve the position, he automatically placed himself outside the scope of the; awards. His employers consequently informed him that he could no longer.be employed. APPROACH TO MINISTER "He then went ta the Minister of Letbour (the Hon. P." C. Webb) ■ and told him part of the story, but did not Ml the Minister that the union had given him every- opportunity ,Over a period of-twelve months -to make" a payment of 255. The Minister was extremely 'sympathetic' with - him and offered to pay his'contributions. .On representations beittg - made by the Minister- to US, we again allowed ."an extended - period," the^nian- promising to mdet his commitments -:by ; small payments each week. Again ihe. did nbt keep his promised and, .furthermore, made inaccurate, ■ to ; the vnion ..representativesf ••• and.;,: over : a period ..of almost three months.: paid only ss. In view of these -circumstances, the union had no- option, yin fairness ;to financial members^: but .to enforce the;provisions of the award. •:.

; "Our union is not out to inflict hardships;, pur job,is*,to.remove hardships, and this-man is not the only one,with seven children. Our object is to protect all. The" man concerned has been in steady employment under the provisions of,the award; averaging not less than £4 10s-per week; and in addition has^ received family allowance of 24s per'week, which again is met to a 4arge-extent by hiscmates pn the job." V *; ■■"■'■

INTEIRCHANGEABLE TICKET,

:-.- On the-question of workers holding: ..union,tickets that would] enable, them to. work under . different unions, Mr.' Butler "said that '■ an "interchahgeable ticket ;had been considered by theconfei^ence pf the Federation of Labour last, April, and a resolution had been; carried fixing the maximum and mini-1 mum rates.for such a ticket and"ask- '--\ ing. fdr.payment in.advance.in accord-! anee with tKe'-provisions'"of the-I.G.i :and.-A..'.Act.'-. .'.■:•;■.'.','■'-.■•..'.•■.'.'!■.. ~ ".//->.' •} .'.-■'. Tlie; 'matter';, had''been discussed ,at: the Labourers' Federation conference '■■ I last week ahcVthe decision . reached in! I April was; endorsed. A l^esplution, was carried that interchange arrangements1 '.should be made only ' with . unions'l having a minimum fee of 255, and dele-i •gates .expressed the -opinion, that.inter-! change should be made: wherever an-,' other, union was willing, to adopt the! schemei-'" '...'• ■,--.v 4 ;.; 1 . -\.: ; ;^ r •