BUILDERS’ LABOURERS.

Evening Star, Issue 22451, 23 September 1936, Page 13

BUILDERS’ LABOURERS.

TO THE EDITOR. Sir, —The tone of your correspondent’s letter (“ Wide Awake ”) seems to indicate that he is more asleep than wide awake. He states that the general feeling amongst the builders’ labourers is that I have failed in my duty and betrayed the men, and that I should have paid a visit to the different jobs and explained the position. 1 wonder what there is to explain. Every intelligent builder’s labourer knows that there is no award or agreement, and that he is compelled to work under any conditions his employer feels inclined to offer. Last week I received a letter from a group of 18 men who stated that they were anxious to join the union. On Friday last 1 paid them a visit during the lunch hour and explained the position. With one excuse and in the most unparliamentary language they arrived at the decision that it was useless to join the union whilst there was no award. However, one of the men upon whom Nature had been more lavish with intelligence than the rest declared himself ready and willing to join the union. One other intelligent worker recently openly declared that there was now no need for industrial organisations, as they had voted for the Labour Government, who would provide all the conditions the workers required. I anticipated that this worker had developed

the idea himself and made no attempt to disturb it, as I am hoping it will grow; thus does experience prove that there is no need for me to explain the position. My duty consists of rendering service to those men who employ me and are members of the union, and I fail to see how a non-unionist can reasonably claim that I am_ under any obligation whatsoever to him. Your correspondent openly declares that he is not a member of the union, but that he has received the information that we held a belated meeting a fortnight ago. Such a confession refutes the statement that he is keenly interested in industrial matters from a builder’s labourer’s viewpoint. Any worker who has taken the slightest interest in trying to improve his working conditions has a general knowledge of the amount of work entailed therein. Builders’ labourers who proved themselves ready and willing to respond to the duty which circumstances called upon them to perform met together months ago and held special meetings both in the Trades Hail and their homes for the purpose of drafting out proposals relating to their working conditions. They put them into concrete form and sent them to the employers, who refused them. They then made the necessary arrangements to have their proposals discussed in _ a constitutional manner, and gave their services, whilst your correspondent no doubt revelled in other pursuits on a par with the scorn he attempts to pour upon their efforts by stating that they have “ missed the bus.” Your correspondent apparently belongs to that type of worker who remains in the background and enjoys the fruits of the sacrifices made by the advance guard. It is possible that he will join the union when circumstances overwhelm him into submission. Then no doubt he will attempt to join with those workers who have proved themselves heroes in the strife.—l am, etc., R. Harrison. September 22.