UNION MEMBERSHIP

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 838, 5 December 1929, Page 11

UNION MEMBERSHIP

IS IT LEGAL TO LIMIT NUMBERS?

TEST CASE IN CHRISTCHURCH Pres 3 Association CHRISTCHURCH, Today. A case of interest to the whole of New Zealand was heard in the Supreme Court this morning. It involves the legality of industrial unions limiting their membership to a fixed number and applies particularly to waterside workers at main ports. The limitation referred to is authorised by the award of the Arbitration Court. Edward Gillard, a waterside worker at Lyttelton, before Mr. Justice Adams, sued the committee of management of the Lyttelton Waterside Workers’ Union for £SO damages for loss of work during the past year. He asked for an order that the committee should admit Jiim as a member of the union and accept the fees tendered by him. The statement of claim said: ‘‘Defendants have without just cause excluded plaintiff from obtaining the privileged status conferred by membership of the said union and which status plaintiff is entitled hv law to acquire and plaintiff has been victimised by defendants, deprived of -work and caused much damage by defendants’ determination to prevent him from acquiring the said status.” The defence was that Gillard did not make a proper application for membership by applying to the secretary and tendering his subscription. (Proceeding.)