Wellington Trades Council Elections Make Little Change

Grey River Argus, 2 June 1948, Page 7

Wellington Trades Council Elections Make Little Change

WELLINGTON, May 31 In the recent election little change was made in the leadership of the Wellington Trades Council. The president, Mr F. P. Walsh, the vicepresident, Mr J. H. Collins, and the secretary, .Mr P. E. Warner, were re-elected unopposed. Other officers elected were:—Executive, Messrs W. A. Fox, 94. votes, T. Magee 86, H. Thompson 84, C. Hair 83, E. B. Newton 76, P. M. Butler 75, R. S. Thomas 75.. J. Fleming 67, J. Neal 59; trustees, Messrs H. Thompson and K. Baxter; auditor, Mr H. Bolton; disputes committee, Messrs Fox .and Fleming; W.'E.A. delegate, Mr J. Gibson; Free _ Ambulance delegate, Mr J. H. Collins. Unsuccessful candidates for the 49 votes, S. Giles 45, A. Wathey 42, executive were: Messrs J. E. Napier T G Wells 41 ,C. Brooks 37, P. A. Hansen 36, E. L. Tregpweth 32; Because of his election to the national executive, Mi- P. M. Butler did not seek nomination as the Wellington Trades Council representative on the national council of the Federation of Labour. Mr E. B. Newton, Clothing Trades Union, defeated Mr S. Giles, Freezing Workers’ Union, in the election of a representative to fill the vacancy. The voting was 70 to The assertion that the Wellington Trades Council was in closer touch, on important matters of policy, with the wishes of the trade union movement during the year than was the National Council of the New Zealand Federation of Labour, was made by the president, Mr F.' P. Walsh. This he said, was shown by discussions at the federation’s annual conference and decisions arising from tne conference. The conference showed beyond doubt, that the national council was very much out of touch with the trade union movement as a whole.” he said. This undoubtedly was one of the prime reasons for the proposed amendments to the constitution of the Federation of Labour. “While these proposals were not carried at the conference, being defeated by 146 votes to 128, the discussions showed that the great majority of the delegates would . have liked to se'e some alteration in the constitution but were not prepared to support the proposals brought down by the committee.” It was pleasing to be able to report that the objects of the proposed changes were being widely attained in the individual trades councils by the election of representatives who had at heart the good of the movement rather than the attainment of objectives laid down by a foreign organisation. "The Government,” said Mr Walsh “brought down an amendment to the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act providing for a secret ballot before the members of a union could be committed to a strike. “The trades council, at a special meeting .endorsed the provision of the secret ballot as a fundamental democratic principle of the trade union movement. “The national council opposed the principle of the secret ballot as embodied in the amendment, but the annual conference over-rode that national council and endorsed the action of the Government in giving the workers the right to a secret ballot.” 1

WORKERS’ PLACE IN INDUSTRIAL CONSTRUCTION

WELLINGTON, May 31 ‘‘There may have been a time when the rights and the ultimate good of the worker were furthered by obstructive tactics but to-day the need is definitely for constructive activity,” said the president of the Wellington Trades Council, Mr F. P. Walsh, in his report to the annual meeting. The yzorker, he said, was becoming more and more fitted to play a large share in the constructive organisation of industry. ‘‘The widely available benefits of the education system of this country have produced a worker who is no longer an unthinking cog in the machine, but one who is able to take an increased part in seeing that the factors of production are utilised m such a way that maximum production results,” said Mr Walsh. The last year had seen a continued development of works’ committees and production councils. Workers were coming more and more to know what was going on in their industry and to take part in the direction of their ow’n efforts. “With a fuller knowledge of the problems of management comes a fuller development of the sense of responsibility and the sense of community,” he said. “If our workers know'more of their place in an industry and of that industry's place in the country’s economy they will be more than ready to play their full part. ' , “As that status of the worker develops and his reward for extra effort is fully acknowledged ,the quantity of that production will increase. We look forward to further advances in this direction,” continued Mr Walsh. “We look forward also to further advances through the legislative field. The Labour Government has gone far since it was put power in 1935, and has brought greab- improvements in the workers’ standards of life. SETTLEMENT BY NEGOTIATION UPHELD “There has been clear evidence of a division of opinion between two groups; those who are prepared to settle disputes by negotiation and those who prefer spasmodic and undisciplined action; action which can onlv lead to chaotic conditions.” he said. He was commenting on the big part industrial disputes had played in the work of the council during the year. An outstanding instance of. the division, he said, was in the dispute in the carpentry trade. The council steadily pursued the policy set down and confirmed over many years by the Labour movement, a policy of negotiation through the accepted “The policy of negotiation through the appropriate channels is the policy laid down by 'the. annual conference of the Federation of Labour and reaffirmed time after time. If we are to continue to progress it can only be by using this recognised policy,” said Mr Walsh.