UNION FEES

Southland Times, Issue 24240, 25 September 1940, Page 3

UNION FEES

To The Editor Sir,—l have received a notice from the Clerical Workers’ Union about the annual meeting on Thursday night of this week. In the past I have not attended meetings but I think it is time that every woman member attended this meeting to protest against the high fees we have to pay, namely, 26/- a year. I think it is unfair that women and girls receiving from 35/- to £2 a week should have to pay the same fees as men who earn from £5/15/- to £6 a week, plus the 5 per cent. The Shop Assistants’ Union charges its women members only 3d a week, and over 52 weeks ■ this amounts to 13/-. Further, this union’s secretary calls and collects their fees, but our secretary does not; we have to go to him. I think that all women members of the clerical union should roll up to the meeting this week and alter the rules.

I am not opposed to being a member of a union arid further think that everyone should be in one, but I protest against having to pay 13/- more than a girl employed in a shop and I think the fees should be called for. I have been a member for three years now, and the secretary has never called at our office yet and refuses to call. When he was asked why we paid a» much as the men and 13/- more than the shop assistants, he said it was the rules. So I think every woman should attend the meeting this week and protest and have two rules altered to this effect: (1) That fees for females be reduced by half to bring them to the same level as shop assistants’ fees; and (2) that-the secretary calls and collects the fees as other union secretaries have to do.

I trust that some abler writer than I will take this matter up and that the women will turn up in full force to the annual meeting this week and have their say.—Yours, etc..

FEMALE MEMBER. September 23, 1940. [The letter was referred to the secretary of the Clerical Workers’ Union (Mr H. E. Kimble) who said he had no comment to make.]