FEDERATION OF LABOUR

Press, Volume LXXXVIII, Issue 26662, 22 February 1952, Page 6

FEDERATION OF LABOUR

APPLICATIONS FOR REAFFILIATION

DISSIDENTS LIKELY TO BE READMITTED

(From Our Own Reporter) WELLINGTON, February 21. The annual conference of the New Zealand Federation of Labour, to be held in Wellington from April 21 to April 28, is expected to witness the reaffiliation of practically all the major industrial trade unions which broke away from the federation in 1950 and joined the Trade Union Congress. Applications for reafflliation have already been received from a number of important unions, and more are expected before the conference begins. Consideration of these applications will be the most important business before the conference, which will be attended by about 250 delegates from all parts of New Zealand. A serious rift in the trade union movement began at the 1950 conference of the federation in Wellington, when between 80,000 and 70,000 unionists disaffiliated from the federation and formed a rival body, the Trade Union Congress. Effect of Port Strike The differences between these two trade union factions came to a head during the protracted waterfront strike a year ago. The waterfront strike was the death-knell of the Trade Union Congress, and since then its membership has been reduced to between 8000 and 9000. Some applications for reafflliation were received by the federation when the strike was still in progress. An official of the federation predicted to-day that, with the exception of a few small dissident unions, the entire trade union movement would again be unified under the federation after the April conference. He said he expected that the applications for reafflliation would be considered en bloc by the conference. He had little doubt that they would be accepted and directions given to the incoming national executive to expedite the return of these unions to the federation. Before the split in the federation, it claimed a membership of more than 200,000 unionists. One of the biggest groups in the Trade Union Congress was the deregistered New Zealand Waterside Workers’ Union. After the waterfront strike and the formation of new unions, it was decided at a conference in Napier last year that each union could decide whether to affiliate with the Federation of Labour or not. Most have decided to do so. The second strongest faction in the Trade Union Congress was the Freezing Workers’ Union. Since the strike, the old union has been broken up, and the great majority of freezing workers have applied for reafflliation. The remaining major dissident group was the miners. One of the most important steps toward unity in the trade union movement was the decision, made shortly before Christmas by the United Mineworkers of New Zealand, to return to the federation. Remaining Dissidents The Trade Union Congress has ceased to be a power in trade union affairs. The principal group among its remaining members is the Carpenters’ and Joiners - Union. This union includes 5000 or 6000 affiliates of the Trade Union Congress. However, important groups of this union, including carpenters and joiners working within a 56-mile radius of Auckland Post Office, and the Otago Southland branches have sought reafflliation with the Federation of Labour. The Auckland carpenters account for about a third of the total membership of the New Zealand union.

. The second largest group remaining ln the Trade Union Congress is the Auckland Labourers’ Union, with about 2100 members. The balance is made up chiefly from the Canterbury Rubber Workers’ Union and the Confectionery Workers’ Union. The main interest in the election of officers at thp forthcoming conference of the Federation of Labour will be the contest for the presidency between Mr A. W. Croskery, the present holder of the office, and Mr F. G. Young, secretary of the Hotel and Restaurant Workers Union, and a member of the former Legislative Council. Mr Young was one of the leaders in the formation of the Trade Union Congress.