Workers’ Education Association.

Hokitika Guardian, 6 May 1922, Page 2

Workers’ Education Association.

TRADE UNION STRUCTURE AND POLICY. At the usual weekly meeting of the local W.E.A. class in economics, held in the Education Board Rooms on Thursday evening last, the tutor, Mr Bclshaw, concluded the study of Traty Unionism. Several methods df organisation Were possible as had been shown by a study of the movement in other countries. Craft Unionism united those in a single industrial process or vocation, the occupational union united those in a group oi kindred processes (eg. all wood workers). The unionism of the ’thirties of last century endeavoured to unite all Workers more or less irrespective of trade or industry. It assumed a single * class consciousness, while in fyict there were several. If the union were a body organised to fight the employer, these forms of union werti S'trufctiirnlly weak though craft find occupational unions might gain in strength by federation or amalgamation. The strongest tv|>e of union was the industrial union, in the jt v at any rate. Tin's included all the workers in an industry irrespective of craft or vocation. The railway union for example; would include engine drivers, plate layers, porters, guards, clerks etc instead of consisting of n series of craft unions cutting across the industries. For success the Industrial Union'demanded a. degree of solidarity which seldom existed and necessitated the removal of conflicting interests between crafts. _ -* The mfithbd of control iii a union, whether strong and central aS in Germany or with great local freedom as in France, whether power was vested in an executive, or in the hands of the memlicrs as a body depended on circumstances peculiar to each industry and no universal rules could be formulated. I The lecture then turned to a conI sideration of the genral strike as a weaI pon. There were four types of general J si oikt* —-th<3 political, to gain somelegisj lative reform, anti-militarist, to prevent war, economic, to gain some concessioii from the employers and social, to overI throw capitalism. There were few chances that any of these would succeed and tiie sectional strike, backed up by the power of organised labour appeared to be the more popular. The lecture pointed out that Trade Unionism in New Zealand was weak. This was due largely to the influence of the Arbitration Court, hilt also to the peculiar conditions of New Zealitiid irifltiSty. The Arbitration Court encouraged craft unionism and the union became •simply a debt collecting machine. The I members relied on the secretary and tiie executive to do the work and the union meetings were poorly attended. Unions were often small and widely scattered, while the seasonal nature of many ilid«i«trles prevented nvucli contiiiuity of action. Owing t# the ease fcomparatively) of setting up oil one’s otfii; individualism was strong and ft large number of tnCn were their owtl j masters. ■ ... The proposed Alliance of Labour Was an organisation designed to solidify the ranks of labour.