LEVY FOR PARTY NEWSPAPER

Press, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22467, 30 July 1938, Page 14

LEVY FOR PARTY NEWSPAPER

WATERSIDE UNION’S DECISIONS

MEMBERS DEBARRED FROM VOTING

OPINION OF SOLICITORS OBTAINED

A challenge has been made of the legality of the action of the Lyttelton branch of the Waterside Workers’ Union in levying each member the sum of £1 to pay for shares in the “Standard,” the official newspaper of the Labour Party, and in refusing to issue ballot papers at a subsequent meeting for the election of officers to those who had failed to pay the levy. When first fixed the levy was “voluntary,” but it was later made compulsory. By the action of the union new members are faced with the payment of £4 17s before they are allowed to start work. The total amount is made up by 5s entrance fee, £ 212 s annual subscription, £ 1 to the newspaper fund, and £1 to the “fighting fund.” All the evidence has been placed before the legal firm of Messrs Harper, Pascoe, Buchanan, and Upham, which, acting on behalf of one of the members, has written twice to the union. On the point that members were refused ballot papers for the election of branch officers, Mr J. Flood, the president of the New Zealand Waterside Workers’ Union and secretary of the Lyttelton branch, replied last month that: “Mr A. Diehl was appointed returning officer at the meeting held in April, and he carried out the election in accordance with his interpretation of the rules of the union, and no protest was made to the union, or to an officer of the union, by your clients against his ruling.” The reply of the legal representatives of the dissenting members was that the union had not answered the point as to whether it was officially contended that members who had not paid the levy were disentitled to vote at meetings of the union. They asked if steps would be taken to set right the action of the returning officer in refusing ballot papers and if r fresh election would be held. The union consulted Mr M. J. Gresson, who has advised the men’s solicitors that Mr J. Roberts, secretary of the New Zealand Union, relied on the amendment to a section covering restrictions as to payment of subscriptions, levies, etc., in the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act. Rules Not Altered “It appears to be clear that Mr Roberts is not correct in thinking that the union without altering its rules could impose the levy, and it is also clear that Mr Diehl was wrong in refusing ballot papers to those who hqd not paid the levy,” states a letter sent by the solicitors to the objecting member. “No doubt the union can alter its rules permitting of larger subscriptions than £2 12s per annum, but it may be doubtful whether it would like to propose a rule permitting a raising to £4 12s per annum.” At a stop-work meeting at Lyttelton 12 months ago members were informed that the committee had adopted a recommendation from headquarters in Wellington to strike a levy of £1 for the official newspaper appeal, and each member of the executive had pledged himself by paying the amount. According to statements made by two men to the objectors’ solicitors and taken down in writing, nothing further was heard for some time. The proposal “seemed to go flat.” The appeal was to have been open for three months, at the end of which approximately £250 was paid in. At a stopwork meeting, the fhairmansaid there had been a poor response, and asked members “what they were going to do about it."

Defaulters' Names Posted A resolution was then adopted that the names of those who had paid and those still in arrears should be posted “ in the glass case.” A few days after the meeting the lists were posted in the glass case at the two waiting sheds at Lyttelton. As members paid, the lists were altered. By the March meeting between 200 and 300 members had not paid the levy, and others were paying by instalments. The levy was made compulsory, the amount to be paid within seven days, by a motion at a meeting on May 4, Seven members recorded their votes against this procedure, their grounds being that it was unconstitutional. This meeting was held after an announcement by the returning officer that members who had not paid the levy would be unfinancial.v and could not vote or be nominated for office in the union. The elections took place on May 12 and 13, when 185 members who had not paid were not given voting papers. Deck, .tions have been made that a member of the executive had stated that the executive would order the men who had paid not to work with those who had not paid: that some members have demanded their share in the newspaper, instead of giving the money to the union. Thev hold that the provision of the act for levies had not been carried out. The section states: “No levy shall be payable by any member of a union save in accordance with the decision of the union expressed at a ballot taken on a proposal to charge such levy. For the purposes of this sub-section a proposal shall be deemed to be _ carried only if a majority of the valid votes recorded at the ballot is in favour thereof.”