"ONE BIG UNION" MOVEMENT

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 52, 17 March 1937, Page 4

"ONE BIG UNION" MOVEMENT

The faet that a Minister, speaking presumably on behalt of Cabinet, has just disclaimed any association with it draws renewed attention to the movement for establishing a central ' control over the country's whole body of trade unions. This, as reported two or three weeks ago, has been initiated by the issue of a circular, sponsored jointly by three of the numerically strongest labour organisations — the New Zealand Workers' Union, the Waterside Workers' Union and the New Zealand Union of Railwaymen. As thus set out the purpose in view is ' 'to achieve industrial unity by the institution of a national industrial organisation to act on behalf of the wageearning and salaried workers throughout the Dominion.' The idea has, of course, nothihg of novelty in it, for it is just the "One Big Union" ooneeption, in slightly modified form, of the extremist division of organised labour in Australia. There, thongh the full purpose has never been achieved, it has resulted in the formation of close contact among the more "militant" trade unions with an implied, if not explicit, understanding as to mutual support being given to "direct action" taken by any one of them. The scheme, though it has undoubtedly helped greatly in the promotion of industrial troubles over there, has never accomplished very much, if indeed anything at all, that has been of real and lasting benefit to tbose adhering to it. In not a few instances it has succeeded in throwing industries 'and services into confusion, but in the end generally at a serious cost to those involved, the workers themselves as much as the employers, to say nothing of the public wbose interests are, in such matters. never eonsulted by the unions. Despite all this, however, there . can be no question as to these co-operating .unions having exercised a very great deal of political influence where Labour Governments have been concerned. No doubt that is ,one of the main, as it is one of the declared, objects that is now in view in this country — to create a sollid phalanx of voters that will be able virtuaHy to control the Government itself. There is thus very good reason why a Government that is, for the time being at any rate, extremely anxious to pose as concerned for the general welfare of all classes should seek to keep itself free, at least in the public eye, from any suspici'on of being behind the present movement in this country. At the same time, however, it can scarcely but be obvious that this same Government has done a very great deal by its legislation to encourage the movement. Its exclusion of all but trade unionists from any chance of employment in many of our main industries and services can hardly but tend in this direction, and the same has to be said of its efforts, largely successful, at herding clerical workers into the trade union fold. Whether or not our Government has some quite justifiable fear of finding itself under the thumb of a national trade union organisation, such as these three big unions have in contemplation, there can be no doubt that part of its policy is to set employers and employees throughout the country as much at arm's length as possible. All its legislation and all its actions point quite unmistakably in that direciton. The crippling of private enterprise in this way is, of course, entirely consistent with its eventual aim to take into its own hands . complete control of the whole industrial life of the country — • an .aim which very many are apt to overlook when wondering what is to come next. According to Mr. Savage's own latest exuberant pronouncements there is plenty more in store for them when Parliament again gets to work,