JOINING UP.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVII, Issue 172, 22 July 1936, Page 8

JOINING UP.

RANKS OF ' UNIONS

VOLUNTARY ENROLMtNi.

POSITION OF CITY CI4EBKS.

Considerable satisfaction is felt among trades union secretaries in Auckland at the manner in which workers in various industries are joining their unions, even in cases where there arc no awards or industrial agreements in existence, and -the compulsory unionism provisions of the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Amendment Act do not applj • One of the best examples of workers recognising the need for organisation and enrolling in their union without any pressure being applied is provided by the newly-formed Auckland Clerical Workers and Oflice Staff Employees Union, which has now 9(50 members, and a branch in Hamilton with between <0 and 80 members. "Clerical workers are realising that tho need of a union is overdue, and tliey aro coming along and joining the mo\emsnt whole-heartedly," said the secretary of the union, Mr. A. S. Herring, this morning. "A ' committee has been set up to draft claims for an award, and we are hoping to secure an award before Christmas. The Auckland Union lias outstripped the unions in other centres, as in Christchurcli the membership'is only about 100, and in Wellington it stands at approximately 300. ID line din has only just started enrolling members."

Successful organising work caVried out by the Auckland Drivers' Union has resulted , in the membership increasing from 425 as at January 1 to 1800 to-day. This success, it was explained by the organiser, Mr. CJ. Lindsay, this morning, had been achieved despite the fact that l(i00 of the members were working without awards at present. A further increase in membership Is anticipated when an award is obtained. A fixture has been obtained for July 2S for the hearing of the drivers' dispute in conciliation. The Auckland Carpenters' Union has also greatly improved its position since the beginning of the year, when it had 750 members. To-day the total stands at 1300, and in addition country members are being enrolled. Five new branches have been established in the province, the membership of these branches ranging from 25 to 100.

All the other unions report substantial increases in membership, although, owing to the rush of applications and the pressure of other work, due to the introduction of new industrial legislation, comparative returns have not been compiled. One secretary observed that many of the unions had yet to have a "last round up" to bring in people in industry who had overlooked the compulsory provisions of tlie I.C'.A. Act. Then, again, certain adjustments in the membership rolls as they stood at present would have to be made owing to workers applying to the wrong unions for enrolment. Where, for instance, a man was employed in a dual capacity, he might have applied for membership of one union, whereas he should turn to another because he was substantially engaged in work covered by the latter organisation. "I have had •applications for membership brought to me from other union secretaries, and I expect I will find similar cases in my list when I carefully peruse it. - So far, however, I have not been able to make any check of'the roll."