UNITY CONGRESS COMMITTEE.

King Country Chronicle, Volume VII, Issue 574, 7 June 1913, Page 2

UNITY CONGRESS COMMITTEE.

CONGRESS CONVENED FOR JULY sit, 1913, AT WELLINGTON. (The matter in thia column is supplied by authorised advocates of the Basis of Unity adopted by the Trade Union Conference, which met in January at Wellington. The writers of the articles are alone responsible for the opinions therein expressed). $ STRIKES AND THEIR EFFECTIVENESS. (By G. R. Whiting, General Secretary N.Z. Federated Operative Bootmakers.)

The following appears in the Constitution agreed to at the January Conference under the heading of "Strikes"—"Each union shall have power of internal government, but no union shall involve another in any way without first placing the matter unreservedly in the hands of its department for decision, and no department shall involve the national organisation in any strike without first placing the matter unreservedly in the hands of the national executive for decision. In the event of the national executive deciding in favour of a strike it 3hall give the whole power of the United Federation of Labour in support. In writing this article I desire it to be clearly understood that I am in favour of retaining the weapon of the strike for me in the last resort after every reasonable attempt to settle the dispute has failed. If a strike should then take place through some injustice being done to the workers, it must rereive the sanction of the executive in accordance with the above constitution, and to be successful with such a strike we must have at our back the whole of the forces of united labour from one end of the Dominion to the other. How are we going to get this great force, representing some 200,000 men and women to stand loyal to the cause and act as one individual? If a strike is going to be effective, then to my mind that is the first question we will have to consider. Can it be done by organisation alone? No, certainly not; organisation in itself is not sufficient, there must also be good management. We must first organise, for that is absolutely essential, and before this organisation is complete we must have enrolled every worker on the industrial field, and then if we are faced with a strike this great industrial army must be handled with the utmost care and on the most scientific lines possible.

My readers will therefore see that much remains to be done. We have in New Zealand today some 60,000 men and women organised, but this number is a very small proportion of the great toiling mass in the various industries. Therefore it is imperative if we desire to make our organisation complete and effective to enroll the workers as members of the unions in the various trades or callings where the unions are already in existence, and to form new unions where there are no unions at present in existence. Now, this work is most important and necessary, and when we have succeeded in securing every man and woman on the industrial field in some union a large amout of work will have been accomplished; but when this is done we must not run away with the idea that our work is finished or complete. The rext step is to bring these unions together in order to discuss questions which so vitally affect the interests of the workers, and more especially the interests of those who are closely related to one another. This can only be done by the unions binding themselves together into departments or groups. For illustration, let me take the Transport Worker 3. Their department would consist of something like the following unions: Waterside Workers, Seamen, Tramway Workers, Drivers, Railway Servants, and Freight Handlers. The unions mentioned above after banding themselves into one department would then appoint an executive consisting of representatives from each union affiliated. This executive would manage that department, and no single union could involve another in a strike without first placing the question unreservedly in the hands of its department executive. But to make our organisation complete a national executive has to be appointed, con | sisting of general officers and of repre sentatives from each industrial de partment, and no department can involve the national executive in a strike without placing the question in their hands for final decision. When this is accomplished, but not till then, will our organisation be complete. But even with our organisation in such a complete form, we must avoid any strike until our forces are well drilled and can be used efficiently and scientifically; and to secure this it is absolutely important that every member should not only take a keen interest in unionism, but should attend every meeting of his or her union for the purpose of receiving that drill or instruction required in such an organisation, and members given to understand how important it is for every union, and every worker in the union, to stand loyal and well disciplined in time <i>f trouble. Every department, union and worker—if we are going to have uur strikes effective—must be loyal to the national executive after they have given their decision. If this decision is in favour of a strike through some injustice being done to the workers in any industry or calling, then every worker in the organisation from the North Cape to the Bluff must be prepared to walk away from their work instantly tho signal is given; there must be no murmur, no cimplaint, . and no grumbling. On the other hand, if the executive should decide against a strike, the same discipline must prevail. If a strike should then take place with his great industrial army drilled, disciplined, and handled with the utmost care and to tiie best advantage, it must necessarily 1 be effective. This result, however, cannot be en-

aured by the Unity Conference in July, but a good deal of ground work can be done. I might also remind unions and delegates that you cannot secure a complete organisation like the one I have mentioned by carrying a few resolutions at a conference; neither am I optimistic enough to think such an organisation can be brought into such a perfect state in a few weeks or even a few months. There is undoubtedly a groat deal of ' work to be done; but the more Work there is, the sooner should we make that start to do it. Let us make jfctft, start at the July Conference.