TRADE UNION FEES.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVI, Issue 55, 6 March 1935, Page 10

TRADE UNION FEES.

acti.cn against members. TEST CASK IN WELLINGTON. (By Telegraph.—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, Tuesday. A civil ease involving questions of -rout importance to trade unions was heard by Mr. 15. Page, S.M., in the Magistrate's Court to-day, when the Wellington Plasterers' Union claimed from three plasterers contributions and lines totalling ultojrether *11 V 0 for non-payment of dues. Counsel for the union said- the ease was an Important one because its result would hava a bearing not only on the futuio policy of trade unions in charging their members, but also on the future possibility of trade unions being able to function at all. The main point at issue was whether the union had a, right to charge any contributions against a member after'he had been 12 months in arrears, because under another rule the union roll of members had to be judged every 12 months by striking out the names of members who were in arrears of subscriptions for that period. The union did not wish to bring the present action, but had done so because it considered the men, who had been in work, huil obtained benefits from the union without wanting to meet their liabilities.

Counsel for defendants submitted that the rule regarding striking out names was for the benefit) not of the union, but of members, and its effect should be that members wore automatically excluded from membership when they became 1:' months in arrears with their dues.

The magistrate reserved his decision