TRADE UNIONS BILL

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXVII, Issue 8344, 3 February 1913, Page 7

TRADE UNIONS BILL

PASSES THIRD READING THE UNIONS AND THE OSBORNE JUDGMENT. By Telegraph—Press Association —Copyright LONDON, February 1. Tho Trades Union Bill was read a third time in the House of Commons. Mr Bonar Law agreed that the Osborne judgment placed trade unions in an invidious position. It was only right that they should be at liberty to engage in politics. It was not true that tho Unionists were opposed to trade unions. The latter’s efforts in the House of Commons to improve social conditions and wages had been a lamentable failure, so bad that tho Socialists had captured their organisation. Trades unions could only be successful if the men acted as a solid union. Owing to differences in political views among members, it was not desirable that trade unions should be identified with one party. Mr Bonar Law said the Opposition would not oppose tho Bill. Tho amendments had gone a long ,way to make protection for tho minority real. Sir Rufus Isaacs denied that tho Labour Party had not secured improvement in wages and conditions.

Briefly put, tho Osborne Judgment showed that it was illegal for affiliated trade unions to compel unwilling members to contribute to a political fund. In May, 1911, the Homo Secretary introduced the Trade Unions Bill, as the result of the agitation of the Labour Party against the Osborne Judgment. The Bill provides that tho funds of a trade union may be applied to political objects if the furtherance of those odiects is approved by a majority- of members voting in secret ballot; but payments for such objects must bo made out of a separate fund maintained lor the purpose. Any member objecting to contribute to such a fund shall be exempted from the obligation, and contribution to the political fund shall not be a condition of membership of the union. The Bill passed its second reading in May, 1911, but up to the adjournment in August, 1911, it had not proceeded to committee. The Trades union Congress in September, 1911, resolved not to accept the Bill as a settlement "unless amended in such a way as to embody the complete reversal of the Osborne Judgment." In October, 1911, it was announced that the Government had decided not to proceed with tho Bill in the current session. The National Conference of Minors, on January 3rd, passed a resolution to tho effect that although unable to accept anything short of complete reversal of the Osborne Judgment, {hey were prepared, meanwhile, to accept the Trade Unions Bill subject to further improvement.