FARM WORKERS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 12 July 1939, Page 5

FARM WORKERS

COMPULSORY UNIONISM OPPOSED WOULD APPLY TO FARMERS AND THEIR SONS. MR MULHOLLAND'S PROTEST. (By Telegraph—Press Association J WELLINGTON, This Day. Compulsory unionism would mean that a large number of farmers and all farmers' sons assisting their parents would be compelled to be members of the New Zealand Workers' Union, said the Dominion president of the New Zealand Farmers’ Union, Mr W. W. Mulholland, in his presidential address in Wellington yesterday to the 38th annual conference of the union.

The New Zealand Workers’ Union claimed that the Government had already committed itself to bring farmers under a Court of Arbitration award, said Mr Mulholland. In the farming industries there was no cleatline of demarcation between employers and employees over a great part of the industry, such as existed in most, industries. It was usual for farmers to assist, each other at various times. It was also usual for many farmers to work for wages for their neighbours at special seasons of the year, or even at any time during the year when extra help might be required. These arrangements were mutually advantageous and usually very flexible. Remuneration was money, return for an equivalent assistance, or some accommodation in regard to stock or implements. It could also be made in many other ways, which could be held to be payment establishing the relationship of employer and employee. One might ask was the precedent of compelling owner-drivers of motofllorries contracting for the PublicWorks Department to join the New Zealand Workers’ Union to be followed and would farmers milking thenown cows and supplying the produce to the Primary Products Marketing Department also be required to join the New Zealand Workers' Union? Then there was the question of flexibility. When a job on the farm had to be done, it had just got to bo done then and there. The farmer was usually working himself and had no time to. be running all over the country to find out whether union men were available. It would undoubtedly lead to a great deal of irritation without giving any useful service in return.