TRADE UNION CONGRESS

Press, Volume LXXXVI, Issue 26122, 26 May 1950, Page 8

TRADE UNION CONGRESS

SUPPORT BY GREY DISTRICT MINERS

BLACKBALL AND ROA STILL TO VOTE

From Our Own Reporter GREYMOUTH, May 25.

All the State mines in the Grey district, with the exception of Blackball and Roa. have decided to affiliate with the Trade Union Congress. Mem; bers of the Roa and Blackball Miners’ Unions, who were addressed to-day by Messrs T. Hill, secretary of the New Zealand Waterside Workers’ Union, and K. McL. Baxter, secretary of the Federation of Labour, will vote on the issue to-morrow.

The Runanga State Miners’ Union, the largest single union on the West Coast, was also addressed to-day by Messrs Hill and Baxter. After numerous questions had been answered a vote was taken. 186 favouring affiliation with the Trade Union Congress and 79 favoured asking the contending parties to rearrange the federation constitution and starting afresh with one organisation. The Runanga union has a membership of about 600.

Watersiders at Greymouth this morning at a stop-work meeting reaffirmed an earlier decision to support the Trade Union Congress.

The secretary of the Timber Workers’ Union (Mr F. L. Turley) declined to make a statement on the outcome of a meeting of his executive addressed by Messrs Hill and Baxter last evening. It is understood that no decision was made on behalf of the executive and that the issue will be left for consideration at the annual meeting.