Preference to Unionists

Gisborne Times, Volume XXIV, Issue 1961, 21 December 1906, Page 2

Preference to Unionists

PRESS ASSOCIATION. Auckland, last night. The introduction of a Bill providing for statutory preference to Unionists was asked for by a deputation from the North of Auckland Timber Workers’ Union, which waited upon the Minister for Labor (the Hon. J. A. Millar) at Dargaville yesterday. Mr Miller said he would not give a definite reply as the matter would be dealt with by Cabinet, The question was under consideration, and he thought he had a scheme whereby objections that had been raised to granting statutory preference to Unionists should be overcome, A decision would be arrived at before next session. Through the representations of the people they were beginning to realise that there was some reason for the demand of the Unionists, and he had always stated from the platform, and he repeated it, that he could not understand why there should be any objections to granting preference to Unionists. When a Company was formed men who put money into it used the proceeds for payment of dividends These dividends were, however, paid only to men- who put their money into it. A Union should be ex-

actly in the same position, They put the whole of their labor, which was their capital, into their Union, but according to the law and custom of the country they had to share the dividends with any persons who choose to come along. This always seemed to him to bo very unfair, Tho number of Unions and Unionists in the colony was steadily increasing, and at tho present time there were 249 registered Unions, with a membership of about 39,000. The employer need not fear any ill result from the Unions, and so long as tho latter were conducted with common-sense and in a spirit of toleration, their existence would be to the benefit of both sides. He could tell them, however, that they would never get a clause, put on tho statute book giving preference to Unionists without limitation. No Parliament would over sanction that- If the preference clause were put in tho Act it would have to bo subject to the condition that facilities should be granted for all men to join the Unions, It seemed to him that the benefit gained by preference would be of very doubtful value if they were compelled by law to open the door of their Unions to any man who liked to come along and join. In such a case there would bo no preference for the employer to exercise, as he would be free (all being members of a Union) to employ whom he liked, In the scheme of which he spoke ho hoped to be able to remove these objectionable features.