TEMPORARY EMPLOYEES

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 19994, 20 July 1939, Page 13

TEMPORARY EMPLOYEES

STATE DEPARTMENTS ORGANISATION POLICY LABOUR FEDERATION ll'cj L'lc.-iN Assoc union.) WELLINGTON, this day. To make e.ear U> an concerned its Hue and yoncy regarding the organisation, oi temporary workers in ,ne uoveriunem service, the New ...eaiancl Federation, of Labour has made the following statement:— "The conditions of these workers oeing interior both to those estab,.Heel in awards and to those of permanent Government servants, a number oi' them, notabiy clerics, .pproac-ned -the federation early this .ear with a request that some action mould be taken'on their behalf. The .ceteration, therefore, at a conference ,/nh the Minister of Labour, tiie Hon. a. C. Wood, on June 14, stated as its policy that temporary workers in the jovormnoiit service should, where possible, join the existing trade .nions covering their mass of work. •'The organisation of all workers, ..sice and outside Government ern.jj menu in unions, according to the uciusii'.v in which they are engaged, is the objective of ‘.he Federation of Labour, for only tints can workers, .ini happen to be employed by the lovemment, secure the fullest benets ot their association with, the trade ihigh movement and with their fellow workers in their various indusrks under other employers. Admitted to Membership “In pursuance of this policy, the New Zealand Clerical. Employees' Association has advised its constituent unions to admit, to membership temporary clerks in the Government ervice, and a considerable numbet rf them, particularly in Auckland, hrisichurch. and Dunedin, have lined. Further progress, however, may be somewhat delayed by the setting up in Wellington of a new jrg.anisat.ion in opposition to the oxniessed policy of the Federation ol Labour. Clearly, the power of the federation to forward the interests o, temporary Government servants is influenced by the* amount oi support llicv are prepared to give it. and should a section of them persist in opposing the policy of the Federation if Labour its reorosentations oil- behalf of all temporary workers may

be to that degree weakened. So all entporary workers in the Govern* :cnt service should now decide .hcther they do or do not want assistance of tiie trade union movement. Alice it is realised tlu.. die majority them do not understand the pos,i~ :i, officers of the unions affiliated o the Federation of Labour will very maciil.v explain it. to them or attend leetings or even convene them if hinted to do so. "Claims for improved conditions nne already been drawn up at mcelr.gs of temporary workers in the •. arious centres, and these will . boda cod- before a conference of repreenlatives of organisations and the apartments concerned which the mister of Labour has undertaken to n\ ene as soon as possible. "While the federation is ready and ixions to help them, the temporary corkers must realise that the best, ind speediest results can be obtained inly if they will put their whole rganised strength behind the trade unions and the Labour movement.’-’