DEREGISTRATION OF UNION

Press, Volume LXXX, Issue 24152, 11 January 1944, Page 4

DEREGISTRATION OF UNION

AUCKLAND DRIVERS

MINISTER OF LABOUR SIGNS ORDER

(P.A.) WELLINGTON, January 10. A decision to deregister the Auckland Drivers’ Union was made by the Cabinet at a meeting this afternoon, after the action of Auckland bus drivers in not operating normal services yesterday. The necessary order was signed by the Minister of Labour (the Hon. P. C. Webb) to-night. The effect of the cancellation is automatically to cancel the relevant Arbitration Court award in respect of the locality within 25 miles’ radius of the Auckland Chief Post Office.

“In accordance with my warning as to what would happen if the drivers carried out their threat and broke the law, the Government has no alternative but to deregister the union,” said the Minister in an interview to-night. “This deprives the union of all its powers of compulsion and preference to unionists. Every possible effort was made to bring about conciliation, but without effect.”

“We are prepared to open negotiations with the proprietors, but yye do not consider it a matter for the Government,” said Mr L. G. Matthews, secretary of the Auckland Drivers’ Union, this afternoon, before the Cabinet’s decision was known. The dispute should be confined to the two original parties, said Mr Matthews. The proprietors had been successful in manoeuvring the Minister into the position where he accepted what was in actual fact the responsibility of the omnibus proprietors.

The president of the Auckland Omnibus Proprietors’ Association (Mr N. B. Spencer) said a meeting of proprietors would be held this week to discuss the new situation.

The original decision of the Auckland bus drivers not to operate normal Sunday services was made on December 28. It was then decided to run buses between about 7 a.m. and 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. and 6 p.m., #and carry no members of the general public, operating the buses exclusively for workers.

The reason for the decision lay in the dispute between the drivers and the employers over the question of double time on Sundays. The secretary of the Auckland Drivers’ Union (Mr L. G. Matthews) said the union was prepared to modify its claim for double time on Sunday, in addition to a weekly wage, on condition that employers would grant a guaranteed minimum of eight hours on Sundays and keep to the present rosters for days off. Employers had refused to concede these conditions, and the men had decided to implement their resolution as from January 2. “We unanimously agreed to keep to the offer we made for double time rates for all work done on Sundays, but we cannot agree to the union’s further suggestions,” said Mr N. B. Spencer, president of the Auckland Omnibus Proprietors’ Association. The drivers’ award was already difficult to work to, and any further restriction would make it even more awkward. Warning from Minister

The next day it was announced that the usual bus services would be run on January 2. The following statement was made by Mr Matthews: "In an interview I had with him to-day, Mr Webb suggested that the matters in dispute between the drivers and their employers should be submitted to a disputes committee, as provided for under the War Emergency Regulations. Failing acceptance of this proposal, the Minister said the Government would have no alternative but to deregister the Drivers’ Union if the bus drivers carried out their threat and did not operate the usual services on Sunday. This was submitted to a meeting of representative bus drivers and the executive of the union. It was explained to the bus drivers that they were only a section of the union, and that precipitate action on Sunday would involve the whole organisation if the Government’s threat were carried out. In the circumstances, the bus drivers agreed to carry out the usual services on Sunday next and an undertaking was given that a special meeting of the Drivers’ Union would be held next Wednesday to consider further the bus drivers’ grievance and its application to the union.” On January 4, after a general meeting of the Auckland Drivers’ Union, Mr Matthews said the men intended to operate a restricted service between 7 a.m. and 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. the following Sunday. He advised members of the general public not to attempt to ride in workers’ buses. The full union endorsed the proposals of the bus drivers for Sunday work, although it knew it faced the risk of deregistration, The union was prepared to accept the consequences of its action. “If the Minister gives effect to his threat, we intend to maintain our organisation, even in the face of the War Emergency Regulations,” said Mr Matthews. Mr Webb made a statement on January 5 in which he said negotiations arose out of complaints made by the union that conditions of work on Sundays had become difficult, because of overloading, largely on account of visiting servicemen. He had warned the union the week before that not to run normal services would be a breach of the law and that the Government would be forced to take stern measures if the decision were adhered to. “It was explained to me that a rearrangement of hours of work on Sunday could be brought about which would ensure workers a full eight hours’ work, and, in view of this, I agreed to appoint a disputes committee to look into the matter with a view to finding a solution to the difficulty, said Mr Webb. “It comes as a surprise to me that the union has rejected the proposal ' i have the dispute dealt with by a special tribunal, and has decided to refuse to work the buses on Sundays except for essential workers. I am. hopeful, however, that the union will reconsider the position.”