UNEMPLOYMENT ACT.

Press, Volume LXVI, Issue 20084, 13 November 1930, Page 10

UNEMPLOYMENT ACT.

NON-PAYMENT OP LEVY.

TRADES COUNCIL DEPRECATES THREAT. IU4ISS ASSOCIATION TMJtOItAII.) WELLINGTON, November 12* "A grave injustice will be done to workers affiliated to the Wellington Trades Council and, we think, to the large majority of workers of the i-uininion, if they are in any way associated with the threat of refusal to pay the levy into the unemployment fund or to reiuse to co-operate with the Unemployment Board, as suggested by the Alliance of Labour deputation," saye. the executive of the Wellington Trades and Labour Council in a statement issued to-day. •'The Unemployment Act as passed recently is not ideal Iroin the point of view ot the Labour movement. The movement took every legitimate step to secure the required amendments. We did not succeed, and were naturally disappointed. The position will not, however, be improved by refusing co-operation with the Board. In regard to the method ol appointment of tin* representatives to the Board, the Minis ter would be well advised to take a ballot of the unions on the nominations received in the manner adopted when appointing the representative to the Court of Arbitration.

Alleged Unfair Tactics. 'The members of the executive of the Alliance of Labour may determine the methods of showing their disapproval of the procedure in appointing the workers' representatives to the Unemployment Board, but they must accept full responsibility for their own actions and not suggest that their actions have been determined by the affiliations to the organisation. Neither should they suggest that the organisations are acting against their advice. This is neither correct nor fair to the organisations inside or outside of the Alliance of Labour, and probably more will be heard of this at a Inter date. "Mav we cite some of the incidents which have led up to the present position? On Thursday. October 23rd, the Wellington Council held its usual meeting At this meetintr. a number of executive members of the Alliance of Labour were present. Fortv delesates were in attendance, representing the majority oi the unions affiliated to the Trades Council. Thin meeting carried a resolution recommending: all affiliated unions to nominate Messrs W Bromley and F. D Corn well as workers' representatives on the Unemployment Board.

"Following this meeting, and prior to the next fortnightly meeting of the Council, the exe-utiVe of the Alliance of Labour issued a circular to unions throughout the Dominion, urging them to protest against the method of npPointment and to forward a letter to the Minister for Labour to this effect and at the same time to intimate that they would not co-operate with the Government in it* administration of the unemployment scheme until the workers were conceded the fundamcntal right of selecting their own reproSfntatives on the Board.

„ " At ., t[l< ; mfeting of the Wellington Council, held on November sth the executive members of the Alliance again being present, a motion to endorse the action taken by tho Alliance o. Labour executive was defeated bv a large majority."

Sincerity Questioned. The statement proceeds: "Members of the Council questioned the sincerity of the members of the Alliance of Labour executive in view of their re peated public declarations that they would oppose the unemployment measure. which they described as a wagereducing union-splitting measure, and would call upon the workers to pretent it from operating/' The st:itjjinent goes on to doubt the sincerity of tlio Alliance on the ground that on the invitation of the Prime Minister the Alhance appointed a to the Unemployment Committee without consulting a single union, and also recalls tlmt the Alliance favoured Mr J. Roberts' appointment as delegate to the International La.jour Conference, but the Minister decided upon a vote. The Council reminds the deputation that hnL CrSh ' P ° f the Unio "* Which have sent .n nominations far exceeds the membership of the Alliance.

REGISTRATIONS IN CHRISTCHURCH.

TOTAL OVER 50,500

The total number of registrations under the Unemployment Act in the Christchurch postal district to date is 50,596. Of these, 32,681 registered in the City and suburbs.

Only a few registrations were received yesterday, which waa a day late according to the terms of the Act, but' they were dealt with in the usual wav The number of registrations outstanding cannot be estimated with any deac(;uracy> bu t it is thought that thev do not number many i n the Christ chureh postal district, as the number registered Is near the estimated male population of the district over 20 vears of age. ~v«xd

SELECTION OF WORKERS* REPRESENTATIVES.

ALLEGATION DENIED. Ii'SBSS ASSOCIATION T*HOB*li£.) WELLINGTON, November 12. The suggestion of the Minister for Labour (the Hon. S. G. Smith) »t yesterday's deputation that the opposi tion to the method of selecting the workers' representatives on the Ui» employment Board had not come trom the unions, but from the Alliance ot Labour, was denied by the secretary tMr J. Roberts). A letter forwarded bv the Alhanetto various trades unions on the subject has been sent to the "'Evening Post" since the report of the deputation was published yesterday. Jt is dated November 3rd, and signed b.v Mr Roberts. It bears out the Minister's suggestion, H says that, as seveial industria 1 . organisations had communicated With the Alliance requesting the organisation to give a | o{l{ j as to how the unions should nominate representatives, a special meeting ot the Alliance was held on October 2nd and the meeting decided to wait on the Minister for Lohour to request that the unions should elect two mem he'r s f rorn no niir mtions received. A deputation accordingly waited on the Minister, and he definitely refused to allow the workers to elect representatives, and a circular was for warded to those affiliated with the Al. lianoo intimating that, as the reeog-

principle of electing representatives of th«j Labour movement on any board or council was not • followed the Alliance would not' take any part whatever in the nomination of candidates. As the replies indicated, the affiliated unions did not understand the actual procedure by which members of the Board would be selected. A special meeting was called, and he was directed by it to communicate with all unions throughout the Dominion with a request that the organised workers should protest nK £! nst decision of the Minister The letter goes on to deal with the subsequent protest, and an appeal is made to organised workers to support the national organisation in a demand for a ballot.