SEAMEN’S UNION

Hokitika Guardian, 11 March 1926, Page 4

SEAMEN’S UNION

RESULT OF BALLOT. lIEGhSTRATTON TO HE CANCELLED WELLINGTON, March '.). It is understood that the ballot taken by the Federated Seamen’s Union on the question of cancelling registration

under the Arbitration Act has been carried by a very large majority. Up

to the present no notice has been lodged with the Labour Department of the .seamen’s intention to withdraw from the administration of the Act. but in some quarters it is believed that they have delayed taking thin‘.step until they have first of all cast their union’s vote in favour of Dir Monteit.h, who is op|K)sing Mr Hunter for the position of workers’ representative oil tbe Arbitration Court. The ballot on this latter question closes at noon tomorrow.

The Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act provides that before cancelling registration of a union the Registrar of Unions must satisy himself Dial cancellation is actually desired by n majority of members of the union. The seamen's award expires on

.lime 31) next, but the Act further provides that cancellation shall not he given ell'ect to during the progress of

any conciliation or arbitration proceedings. Moreover even if the union lias cancelled its registration the existing award or industrial agreement is still operative. The registrar, therefore. need not necessarily accept statements made in the application for cani clliil ion if there is any reason to believe that tin* wishes of a majority ot members of the union have not lieon ascertained.

During the last three years there have been twenty-two cancellations of unions of workers under the Arbitration Act. but eleven of these were apparently merely for the purpose either

of reorganising under the Act or were due to absorption in other unions which were working under the Act. or to the union becoming defunct. Of the remaining eleven, ten were miners’ unions which definitely cancelled their registration apparently for the nurpose of withdrawing from tlie Arbitration Act. The eleventh union was a union of marine engineers.

The law provides that till unions or societies of workers which are not registered under the A rliitrai ion Act automatically come within the provisions of the labour Disputes Investigation Act, which gives lh" right to strike upon certain formalities and procedure having been complied with. At present there are only nine agreements in operation under the Labour (lispules Investigation Act as against 50!I awatds ami industrial agreements tiled under tin' Arbitral ion Act. ’This would seem lo indicate that there is not a Very extensive movement for withdrawal from the Arbitration Act. Curiously enough of the nine agreements made under the Labour Disputes Investigation Act there are only four of the unions affected which have definitely withdrawn from the Arbitration Act. tit I'mir cases the unions remain registered under the Arl.ilration Act but filed their agreements under the I,about' Disputes Investigation Act. In another case the union concerned was never registered under the Arbitration Act.

None of the unions that have secured agreements under the Labour Disputes investigation Act are in what may he (tilled “key industries.” They are as follow: Auckland Coach and Car Workers (City Council employees) ; Auckland Electric Bower Board and others (shift engineers) ; Auckland Eire Board (fire brigade employees) : Auckland Gas Company (manual and clerical workers, two agreements); Auckland Glass Workers; Auckland City Council tramway employees; Wellington City Council Powerhouse Engineers and Wellington and Taranaki Freezing Works Workers (engineers). Miners’ unions on the West Coast some time ago cancelled their registration under the Arbitration Act and the Pttkemiro and Te Akttiea miners’ unions in Waikato are now taking steps for cancellation. Agreements made 'with miners who have cancelled registration will not he filed, although these union, automatically come under the Labour Disputes Investigation Act. Were these agreements tiled under the Labour Disputes Investigation Act they could he enforced by the Labour Department in the same way as if they were ordinary industrial agreements. j