SIDELIGHTS ON UNIONISM

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 156, 27 July 1909, Page 4

SIDELIGHTS ON UNIONISM

;,i|;EW PLYMOUTH EMPLOYEE'S ,v CELVIE.

Cases have recently cropped up, it is alleged, where unions have gom> out qf their way to inconvenience employers and incidentally some of .the employees. Several illustrations of this were given yesterday to a Xew Zealand Times representative by ilr. W. Pryor, secretary of the New Zealand Employers' Federation. The first was connected with the Manawatu flaxmillcrs' award. A firm of millers near Piilinerston North, taking advantage of a clause ,m the award which permits all or any portion of tie work to be (lone to contract, let a contract for stripping in connection I with their mill. The union is opposed I to work being done by contract, and Mr. Pryor being informed, made things so unpleasant for the workers who had taken the contract that the men decided to withdraw from the union. When they sent in their resignations they were informed that in addition to giving three months' notice of their intention to withdraw, and paying all contributions due, that a new rule had been adopted, •providing that every person who resigned from a union while engaged in the flax industry covered by the award of the Court should pay a retiring fee of .to. "Such a penalty .means in most cases," said Mr. Pryor, "that workers becoming members of .that union would be quite unable to withdraw from membership Whatever might be their reason for desiring to do so, while they were pngaged in the flax industry." Another case had cropped up in connection .with the Auckland Slaughtermen's Union. This union had cited the Taranaki employers to appear before the Council of Conciliation to make an award to govern the industry in Taranaki. Amongst the employers cited was the New Plymouth Borough Council in consequence of the work carried on at the municipal abattoirs, in the course of the dispute me employees at th e abattoirs, having been subpoenaed by the employers, gave evidence that they were perfectly satisfied with the existing conditions, which were better than those proposea on their behalf by the union, ana mat '- there was no dispute between tnem and the Borough Council. ' In tire course of the evidence of the head slaughterman it transpired that he had agreed in writing to serve the Borougli Council for twelve months. As soon as the case was closed a meeting of the executive of the union was called and a letter was sent to the head slaughterman at the New '.Ply mouth abattoirs drawing his attentior to rule » of the union's ruVas, whici reads:—''No member will he allowedti enter into any agreement in writinj for any length of time without tin consent of the union, under penalty o £5." He was also informed that h had been fined £o for having enterc into the agreement and that if th amount were not paid before a ccrtai date legal proceedings would be take to recover the amount. "Something i my opinion will have to be done," sni Jlr. Pryor, "to prevent unions havin the power to impose such drastic per alties on their members."

Mr. T. Mack, the employee referred to in the latter case, informed' a News representative yesterday that he had paid the £5 fine, but under protest. He was "on a far better wicket" than by tying himself down to ffiie union rate of wages.