UNION ORGANISING.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVIII, Issue 127, 31 May 1937, Page 9

UNION ORGANISING.

FORM TO BE DECIDED.

GENERAL LABOURERS' CASE

The future form of organisation which the New Zealand Federation of Local Bodies' Employees, Builders. Contractors and General Labourers will adopt will be determined at a conference of the federation to be held on June 10.

The question was discussed at a national conference last month, and since then an independent authority has reported on the forms of organisation which are open to the federation so that members may be able to decide the issue "in the best interests of the labourers throughout New Zealand.*' The authority points out that an industrial association (or federation) is at present in operation, and under it each affiliated union has a separate legal entity. The advantages of this method of procedure are that the unions are free to deal with local matters in any way they think fit; they may hold and' invest their own funds and enter into industrial agreements or obtain awards; and may. when necessary or desirable act together through the'association as one entity, such as in the case of an industrial dispute covering more than one industrial district. The alternative form of organisation, the report adds, is a national union (or New Zealand union), which, with its branches in the various districts, constitutes only one entity in law, and takes the place of all existinj unions in the industry. The advantages of a national union are that no other industrial union of workers has the right to enter into agreements or obtain awards covering the workers in the industry, and consequently uniformity is ensured; the necessity for the transfer of members between unions is eliminated; a New Zealand union should prove more potent in negotiating with employers; the centralisation of administration should result in economy in cost; existing awards and agreements would not be disturbed until national awards are made. In short, states the report, a New Zealand union has all the advantages of an industrial association with none of its disadvantages.