Sect Members Seeking Award Exemption

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29872, 12 July 1962, Page 6

Sect Members Seeking Award Exemption

(New Zealand Press Association)

WELLINGTON. July 11

Two applications by members of the Exclusive Brethren sect for total or partial exemption from awards were set down for hearing on October 9 by the Arbitration Court today. The applications, both by Ivory Brothers. Ltd., Wellington. and others, were for total or partial exemption from provisions of two awards, the storemen and packers’ award and the metal workers’ award. The award clauses from which exemption is sought are those dealing with membership of trade unions, the rights of union representatives to enter premises, and the rights of unions to collect dues from members.

These applications may be followed by others, according to the applicants’ advocate. Mr C. B. Ivory. In the first application, for exemption from the storemen and packers’ award. Ivory Brothers were joined by two other parties, said Mr Ivory. These were P. and D Dun-

can and Forrest Engineering and Construction. Parties with Ivory Brothers for exemption from the metal workers’ award would be C W Blackman, E. N. Dav.d and A. M. Gorrie. The advocate for the Brethren would be the Sidney lawyer. Mr M. S. Hills, who had appeared for Davis Brothers. Ltd.. Palmerston North, in its successful application for partial exemption from the Wellington and Manawatu butchers’ award. Mr Ivory said. All the cases were ba'rd on the same religious beliefs, said Mr Ivory, whose application, with those of others which were not given a date pending hearing of the first two applications, was made on religious grounds in that “being believers on the Lord Jesus Christ” they could not be parties to the awards. It appeared that two cases might be heard first and that the decision on these cases might be dec’sive in the matter of the subsequent applications. said Judge Archer.