Union's Affairs

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 85, 27 April 1937, Page 5

Union's Affairs

CONTROL METHODS | AHegations of "Subversive Tactics') BUILDERS & LABOURERS A special meeting of the Hawke's Bay Builders and General Labourers) Union . was held in the Premier Hall, Hastings, last night. Mr R. N. Verram, president, was in the chair. Due to the interventxon of Anzac Day the meeting was called at short notice, but notwithstanding thiis fact there was an attendance of about 45 members, including a i'air xepresentation from' Napier. In declaring the meeting open, Mr Verran said that members would know that for some time there had been a difference existing between the Hawke "s Bay Union and the Wellington Union, and he was confident that had members been advised of all the details this misunderstanding would not have existed. The nnion had not been conducted in accordance with the rules nor according to the constitutxon. He regretted to say that their distriet council was not provided for in their rules and that certain directipns and activities of the union were not provided for in the rules.' He did not suggest that the distriet council haduot perfcrmed a useful funetion and that it did not operate in what was coneidered to be the best interests of the union. They had attempted toi linalise their troubles at the conference in Wellington on April 12 and 13, and the Hawke's Bay representatives had agreed upon a line of aetion calculated to solve the difference. "The general secretary, Mr Jennings, will Teport on this," said Mr Yerran, "and all I have to say at the moiment is that the position of our members has been prejudiced by an aetion which is most unfortunate. " Mr. H. Kay raised the question of whether the old rules of the union or the new rules of the union were in operation. Amid a noisy demo'nstration from Mr. Kay's supporters Mr. McNab was appointed to the chair to put the question, challenging the chairman 's niling that the old rules were in operation. The meeting indicated that it wished "the new rules to be followed. Mr. Verran then resumed the chair. A xesolution was then adopted by an overwhelming cnajority that Mr. P. M. Butler be requested to make a statement coneerning the relationship between the Hawke's Bay Union and the Wellington Union. Mr. Kay strenuously opposed the r'esolution, and received some support. "Hole and Corner Methods." Before commencing his statement, Mr. Butler stated that he was aware that Mr. Kay had held a "f aetion" meeting with a small coterie before the meeting and that they were making a determined effort to prevent the meeting being carried on. He knew that Mr. ,Kay had given instructions that heckling and a running fire of interjections should be itidulged in in order to prevent the truth of the situation being placed before the members. Mr. Butler appealed to the men not to allow their union meeting to be so disrupted and to guard against these undemocratic and Fascist-like tactics. Mr. Butler outlined the history of the creation and admxnistration of the Hawko's Bay Union from 1922. He lxad with him all the correspondence passihg between the Hawke's Bay Union and the Wellington Union, from which he read various extracts to the meetingMr. Butler said that over the last seven years the Wellington Union had extended to the Hawke's Bay workers •and the Hawke's Bay Union the hand of friendship and comradeship. The Wellington Union had always been at the service of the Hawke 's Bay. Union, and had expended time and money in an endeavour to build np the Hawke's Bay Union. He outlined the loss of wages amounting to many thousands of pounds which the builders and 'general labonrers in Hawke's Bay had sustained due to the inability of the Hawke's Bay Union to take advantageof the increases in wages which the Wellington Union had obtained and which could have been extended to Hawke's Bay for the asking. All the correspondence indicated that Wellington was always willing and anxious to work in harmony and co operation with the Hawke's Bay Union. .At no time did any letter from Wellington or any aetion of the Wellington Union indicate that Wellington wanted to grab tho Hawke's Bay distriet. At this stage a member interjected and asked why this information had not been eupplied to the members in Hawke's Bay. Replying to the interjeetion, Mr Butler said that he could not understand this, but it was obvious that the information had been withheld from the men in Hawke's Bay for some reason best known to those who were responsible for the suppreseion. Rank-and-File Control, Continuing, Mr Butler said tlull niuek had been heard of rank-and Jile eontrol, and those who gave lip service to this poliey had embarked on actions whieh took the control from the rank and file, and prevented tho rank and file having access to important correspondence and doeuments. He believed iu rank-and-file control, and full rank-aud-file control. This could be achjieved only by the rank and file being kept fully advised of all matters whieh vitally affect their interests. It was all very well to talk about rank-and-file control, but how should the rank and file control their organisatiou if valuable information was kept from them. Voiees: We. havo not been kept ad vised. '■ A member: The letters you have read havo never been before us. Voices: Hear. Hearl "Subversive Tactics'' * "It is clear," said Mr Butler, "that subversive tactics have been indulgea in by a small inner circle seeking to jontrol the union, and 5vho have de-

liberately kept from the members tl|® true Btate of affairs." He challenged. anyone to produce any correspondence from the ^elBngtoa Union which would indicate that the Wellington Union was not sincerely endeavouring to assist the Hawke'a Bay Union in efficiently managing ita own affairs. He said that all the letters proved that this had been tha policy of the Wellington Union throughout the years. It *as not nntil October 27 last, when Mr Kay had embarked. on a policy pf "split" that an antagonism was shown to the Wellington Union. He was pleased to see Mr Kay present that evening when he could inform the nxenxbers in the presence of Mr Kay that that gentleman (Mr Kay) was deliberately responsible for fostering antagonism between the unions. "The woives at Work"* Mr Butler read a letter .which had aeen received from Mr Kay in which ohe following paragraph appeared:— ' 'Any way j Bellerby, as you are probably aware, has been caught in a jAm and now nominations are being called for general secretary, and we will see the woives at work. In any case, we will see where the confidfehce of tht members in Hawke's Bay lies. I .Will send you the result." Mr Butler asked to whom did Mr Kay refer to as "woives.' Did he talk about rank-and-file control in the presence of members and then behind their backs refer to them as woives? He hd not know whether Mr Kay was a candidate for the position of general secretary at the eleetion. Voices: He was. "Anyway," said Mr Butler, lfh§ did not send us the result of the eleetion," In conclusxon, Mr Butler appealed to the members in Hawke's Bay to take a keener interest in the affairs of their union, and not to allow the control to be wrested from them by ambitious individuals who had axes to grind. The Wellington Union had no desire to interfere in the internal operations of the Hawke's Bay Union: and he reiterated that it was the desire of the Wellington Union to offer to the Hawke's Bay members its full co-opera-tion and assistance. Mr Butler resumed his seat amid applause. Future Organisation. A Ioug discussion followed coneerning the legal constitution and rules of the Hawke's Bay Uxxion- To put the matter in order and to enable the union to carry out its legal functions, it was agreed that nominations be received' within 14 days for five members of the executive; that an independant returning officer be appointed ; and that a secret ballot be taken for the eleetion of offieers and executive, the ballot to close five weeks from now- It was further agreed that the Distriet Council carry on in the interim until the properly constituted executive was elected by the rank and file. . It was also agreed that in view of the misunderstanding! and chaos created, that the ballot which had been directed to be taken by the National Federation of Labourers, be not proeeeded with. The General Secratary, Mr Jennings, indicated that this aetion was necessary to ssfeguard the interests of the members of the union, anff was essential in order to put the union on » proper foundation. He would see to it that from now on the rank and file would direct the affairs of the union. by ballot and he personally, was not con* cerned with the result of the ballot, providing every member was "given the right of registering his opinion in a properly democratic manner. He appealed to all members throughout the distriet not to be side-tracked by irrevelant matter, but unitedly to support their union, in the interests of all. (This report is compiled from information supplied by Mr C. Jennings, secretary of the Hawke's Bay G'eneral Labourers' Union.)