NEW EMERGENCY REGULATIONS.

Evening Star, Issue 23696, 2 October 1940, Page 2

NEW EMERGENCY REGULATIONS.

TO TUB EDITOR. Sir, —As a trades unionist I am moved to comment strongly on the new Emergency Regulations amendment which, according to a report in to-night’s ‘ Star,’ has just been gazetted. ■ As a trades unionist 1 deny any man or body of men who are not members, of a union the right to interfere in either the internal organisation or policy of that union. The new regulation gives the Attorney-General that power. In my view, the inner organisation and domestic affairs, and consequently the policy, of a union should be determined by rank-and-file vote of the members themselves. This is elementary democracy, any interference with which principle, under the pretext of a war measure in a war for defence of democracy and free trade unionism, can only be a hollow sham. I fail to see how such a measure, which bears a strong resemblance to the methods used to hamstring unionism, while giving it a semblance of a right to exist, that are used in the openly Fascist countries, can be justified. It is not a very big step from tins new regulation to the creation of an official Labour Front, after the Nazi pattern, in New Zealand, which, it is claimed, is at war to protect free trade unionism amongst other things. It is no doubt true that appeal can bo made to the Court of Arbitration. The court, as thousands of workers are realising, is, however, a body which is notoriously reluctant to sit unless under pressure of resolutions of trade unions. And even then, as its> recent triflng decision on the wage increase question shows, it is unlikely to be of any great assistance to any unions which may be affected if the Attor-ney-General exercises the new powers vested in. him. _ ■ Reference is also made in the report to his power to order the dismissal of workers, under the pretext of “ obstruction of essential industries.” Should there bo an industrial dispute in progress in such an industry, and union members who are taking a stand against the employers’ attempt to break down the workers’ conditions are dismissed by the Attorney-Gene-ral on “ information received,” and the union takes up their case, the AttorneyGeneral can reply by excluding such men from membership of the union. Bast experience has shown that the workers’ case will get the poorest hearing. Genuine trade unionists will certainly not welcome this regulation.—l am, etc., October 1. R- W. Tate.