AMALGAMATION.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIX, Issue 283, 30 November 1938, Page 12

AMALGAMATION.

UNION PROPOSAL. GENERAL WORKERS. ATTITUDE IN AUCKLAND. That an attempt was being made to form a General Workers' Union, which would embrace quite a number of unions that already possessed district awards and national federations, was mentioned this morning by Mr. J. Purtell, the wellknown Auckland Trades Union secretary. An application had been made for the registration of this organisation, and if it succeeded it would preclude a number of unions from securing national unions and Dominion awards, added Mr. Purtell. An indication of the nature of the proposal was given by the fact that the Auckland General Labourer's, the Brick and Concrete-Ware Workers, the Slaters, Roof Tilers and Gardeners' Unions would all be embraced in the new organisation if it was sanctioned. Various organisations concerned h; d received a communication from the Registrar of Unions, Mr. E. M. Taylor, asking them to express their views on the plan for the registration of a union to effect an amalgamation between th<? Wellington, Nelson and Westland Workers' General and Related Trader Union and the Poverty Bay General Labourers' Union. If such an amalgamation was carried out, the communication stated, the new union would require to he registered to cover the whole of the | Northern Industrial District in addition to the three industrial districts already covered by the Wellington union. Mr. Purtell pointed out further that application for the registration of the General Workers' Union was made in Wellington by Mr. P. M. Butler and, in rpite of protests to the Federation of Labour and others, it would seem that he was acting within the law. At the same time it would l»e very unfair to register the organisation without the consent of the organisations vitally concerned. It would seem that there were big principles involved. For instance, the absorbing of the brick workers in Wellington and Christehurch would prjvent all workers in this industry from organising on a national basis and securing a Dominion award. Although Mr. Butler might he within his legal rights, said Mr. Purtell, there # wcre moral principles involved that over-rode material interests, and everv move that was made by officials should be in the interests of the rank and file. There would be no concern if the movement as a whole decided to have one General Workers' Union for the Dominion, but. as matters stood, stepwere being taken by Auckland union; involved in the proposal to protest t<. the Minister of Labour, the Hon. H. T, Armstrong.