LAGGING BEHIND.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVII, Issue 173, 23 July 1936, Page 11

LAGGING BEHIND.

JOINING OF UNIONS.

WORKERS NEGLECTFUL COMMENT BY SECET ARIES. Some employees in industry covered by awards nad agreements are lagging behind in taking steps to comply with the compulsory unionism provisions of the amended I.C. and A. Act, and sonic of the union secretaries in Auckland are contemplating taking action through the Labour Department to spur tliem along in making applications for admittance to union membership. It appears that a good number of country people have overlooked their obligations under the Act, but apart from that there are workers in Auckland who have not responded to circulars sent out by secretaries counselling them to join their respective unions.

One secretary stated this morning that as soon as he knew there was an employer engaging f» person who was not a member of the union he got in touch with the employer and directed attention to the fact that the onus was on the. employer to see that his employees were members of the union. One warning should be sufficient, and if employers did not take the hint that was

"going to be their look-out." Some of tlie country workers had not yet joined up, but there were also city workers who had not complied with the Act. "I have notified si.e employers of their obligations, and if they don't come to light and see that their employees are in the union this week, a complaint will be forwarded to the Labour Department early next week," he added. "Employers generally speaking, however, have observed the regulations."

Another secretary who hits a big country membership intimated that he proposed to give men a fair amount of latitude in taking steps to become members of the union. If, however, they did not join t their union within a reasonable time, steps would be taken to enforce the Act.

Miss A. Cossey, the secretary of the Auckland Tailorcsses and Other Female Clothing Trades' Industrial Union of Workers, said that slie was receiving a big mail from applicants for membership of the union every morning, and country workers were enrolling fairly well. So far, however, the Gisborne district had not responded, although the award embraced workers there, apart from tailorcsses. Miss Cossey further explained that the membership of her union at the end of last year stood at 1095, and she estimated that 2000 new members had enrolled since then.