THE GROWTH OF UNIONISM

Press, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22004, 30 January 1937, Page 12

THE GROWTH OF UNIONISM

• ' ♦ ' , 1 MEMBERSHIP ALMOST

TREBLED

EFFECT OF COMPULSION

SEVERAL NEW ORGANISATIONS

FORMED

In a period of less than seven months membership of trades unions in Canterbury has almost> trebled. Surprising figures have been produced during the last few days when union secretaries have been’ compiling the returns which they, are required to furnish to the Government by the end of this month, and these figures the secretaries themselves ascribe almost entirely to the compulsory unionism legislation which became effective on July J last year. Since that date the membership of unions with headquarters at the Trades Hall—and there are many with headquarters elsewhere —has increased from about 7702 to 20,057. , . , The total union membership shown in the Labour Department return last year for Canterbury was 13,140, many of the unions contributing to this total having their headquarters ■elsewhere than at the Trades Hall. Some of them are in South Canterbury, and the Waterside Workers Union, one of the biggest unions in the province, is not included. It is likely therefore that when this year’s return is published! by the Labour Department the grand total of membership in Canterbury will be found to be nearly 40,000 Trades Hall officials claim! that the industrial district of Canterbury was better organised in the past than was any other district in New Zealand, but even with that claim perhaps justified the growth of membership has been tremendous. By far the greatest proportionate increase is shown by the shop assistants’ organisation. Before the compulsory unionism legislation became effective the membership of the union was 121, and it had remained about that figure for a number of years. To-day it is slightly more than 2050.

Because local body employees in town and country have b?en encompassed by the legislation the growth of membership of thegeneral labourers’ and engineers’ unions has been phenomenal. The membership of the former has increased from 650 to 1500, and the latter tom 717 to 2500. The inclusion of local bodies’ employees has also affected the drivers’ union, the membership of which has doubled to 110(3. Another big proportionate Increase is in the membership of the picture theatre employees’ union, which does not include projectionists. Before the legislation led to the thorough organisation of that union the membership was 20. To-diy it is 140. For many years the pumber of storemen, packers, and| warehousemen who were members of their union hovered about 1?0. That section of industry is at present being organised, Trades Hall officials say, and the membership to,date is 700. The more thorough organisation of all sections of the clothing industry also led to membership of. the union rising from 1200 to 2200. Because of the large number of unions in Canterbury previously—there were 67 last year—few new organisations have been formed. The union of caretakers and cleaners, one ot the new ones, has a! membership of 120, and although the laundry workers’ union was formed during the wpek and has not yet been registered there are already about 50 members.

Two unions which are certain to have large memberships, butl which have not their headquarters at the Trades Hall are those covering the employees of law practitioners and bank clerks. The four unions which absorb all railway employees also have their headquarters elsewhere, the nationalisation of several; such uhions having made comparative figures for them impossible to obtain.