PLUMBERS' UNION CASE.

Auckland Star, Volume LII, Issue 158, 5 July 1921, Page 4

PLUMBERS' UNION CASE.

RIGHTS OF MEMBERS.

AN UNREASONABLE RLLL. An important decision was given th-. morning by Mr. E. C Cutten, S_o.. as affecting rights of members ot unions. The New Zealand Plumbers and Ga*fitters' Association (Mr. A. E. Skelton) sued the Wellington Plumbers and Gasfitters' Union (Dr. Fitchett) to recover £8 of, for fees alleged to be due. Mr. Cutten said the point in dispute was that defendant pur-ported to have resigned from the plaintiff association. Plaintiff alleged that the resignation did not comply with the rules of the Association, and'that defendant was therefore Cable for fees subsequently accruing. Defendant contended that the rule in question was unreasonable and unworkable, and therefore invalid. Tin? <*ro_nd of the defendant's contention was that the rule required that a union desiring to resign must submit a pcttition bearing the signatures of all the officers of the said union. His Worship said that was quite an •unreasonable rule. Tlie illness, absence or strong views of one officer might prevent a union taking a course which was wholly to its advantage. There could, be no objection to reasonable notice being required of intention to resign, but such was not the case berc. The question was whether the rule as it stood was unreasonable- The propriety or otherwise of the rule "was the test. Mr. Cutten said he thought there must be something more than original membership to take away a member's right to object to a rule. I Although nominally belonging to a I union is voluntary, there was the fact. as things are, that a man might be quite . incapable of making a living unless he joined a union no matter what its rules might be. Mr. Cutten added: "In these j circumstances I think he is entitled to . protection against a rule which is quite unreason—ble, unless, in quite exceptional circumstances. In this case I Judgment was for defendant with costs.