MEN DISMISSED

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 61, Issue 21, 5 November 1940, Page 2

MEN DISMISSED

OVER 300 ON RAILWAY WORKS.

DISPUTE WITH THE UNION. (Special to the “ Guardian.”) CHRISTCHURCH, This Day. Between' 300 and 400 men employed on the South Island Main Trunk railway construction were dismissed yesterday, having failed to produce tickets of financial membership of the New Zealand Workers’ Union within a stated time. *

The men said that the question of membership was “purely a domestic quarrel.” The national president of the union asked the Minister for Public Works (the Hon. R. Semple) to enforce Section 34 of the Public Works Agreement, 'which provides for the dismissal of men who are not financial members of the union.

Mr Semple, who was in Tauranga last night, was communicated with by a newspaper reporter, but he had no comment to make on the report that the men had been either dismissed or locked out. The men are resident in various camps on the construction between the Clarence bridge and Taratuhi. All are reported by Mr D. D. Popplewell, secretary of the Oaro Local, to be members of the Workers’ Union, with which a dispute arose over the appointment of organisers. A survey of the men’s case has been submitted for publication by Mr Popplewell. It states that the union decided in conference in 1939 that organisers in future should be elected by the rank and file in a popular vote, the old method of appointing them by delegates’ vote at conference being discarded. The first ballot for the Canterbury district was held in April, 1940, and in which were four candidates, duly nominated and approved by council, as provided for in the rules, namely, J. Leckie, M. Eaton, J. Galletly and A. J. Hamilton. The result was (three being required): Leckie 616 votes, Eaton 510, Galletly 505 (elected), Hamilton 481 (defeated). Organiser Excluded. “Subsequently, the conference meeting in June, 1940, decided that two organisers were sufficient and ap- s* pointed Messrs Leckie and P. J.''H» Kelly, the last-named not haying stood for election. Early in September of this year an objection was made by the men on the South Island main trunk against the over-riding of the verdict of the men as expressed at the ballot box and the non-inclusion of Eaton as an organiser. The only explanation offered by head, office and branch office officials of the union was that Eaton was unsatisfactory. This in the opinion of the men was not a valid reason, because *the- executive council of the union had the power, under rule 27, to disapprove of a nomination before such nomination reached the ballot paper. “Meetings along the whole line were held and the men decided not to purchase this season’s tickets from appointed organisers until a satisfactory' solution of the dispute was arrived at. Requests were made on several occasions for the national president to attend a mass meeting of The men concerned in the dispute, but before this meeting eventuated a request from the national president to the Minister for Public Works was made asking him to enforce section 34 of the Public , Works workers’ agreement. This section provides for the dismissal of men who are not financial members of the union. Notices Posted. “A notice was duly posted on the works advising men that unless they produced their 1940-41 tickets on Thursday, October 31, dismissal would follow. This arbitrary actioii of the national president aroused the indignation of the men, and immediately a delegation was sent to Wellington to interview the national president, who eventually agreed to suspend the dismissal notice until Monday, November 4, and he arranged to come to Kaikoura and address the men.

“This he did and a mass meeting of between 300 and 400 men was held in the Puketa Hall, but as the president would not submit a logical reason why Eaton had been repeatedly over-, looked the men again decided unanimously not to buy this season’s ticket until the dispute was settled. The national president admitted having approached 'and appointed Mr Hamilton, the defeated candidate, to the position of organiser just a short while ago. It must be made plain that the men on the job have not refused to join the union. An offer was made to the national president on Saturday at the meeting that if Eaton was given his rightful position as organiser every man in the hall would sign up with him immediately. The position is that all these men who failed to produce their tickets are locked out or dismissed and the men are determined that, as the democratic right of electing their own officers has been denied them, and further that an injustice has been done Mr Eaton, insofar as the ■ privileges which are extended to every member of the union have been denied him, they will suffer dismissal in the hope that other democratic organisations will rally round them and see that justice is done.”. • ‘