“Apathy” To Farm Workers’ Union

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30453, 29 May 1964, Page 1

“Apathy” To Farm Workers’ Union

The 90,000 agricultural workers in New Zealand were “asleep,” in that they had not been able to form themselves into an effective union in 61 years of apathy since their first attempt, said Mr -J. R. Hunt in Christchurch yesterday.

A British trade unionist and London bus conductor, Mr Hunt is visiting New Zealand on an Imperial Relations Trust bursary.

Mr Hunt said that New Zealand farm workers were “apathetic and asleep” to the benefits of trade unionism. Federated Farmers, he said, would be tempted to stop the formation of a strong New Zealand farm worker union, by repeating the case of the Tolpuddle Martyrs The Tolpuddle Martyrs, he said, were a group from the English village of Tolpuddle in Dorset, who were deported to Australian for seven years in 1834 when they tried to organise the first trade union for agricultural workers in Great Britain. “Our National Union of Agricultural Workers in the United Kingdom has total funds of £588,345,” he said. “In the last report I saw, the union collected in one year £137,000 for accident compensation for their members.” In a preliminary look at New Zealand’s agricultural workers, said Mr Hunt, he found union membership by agricultural workers was practically non-existent “If the 90,000 farm workers in New Zealand were organised on an efficient United Kingdom basis, they could form an effective.

strong union within five years,” he said. Asked what benefits the United Kingdom National Union of Agricultural Workers gave its members, Mr Hunt said: “The union speaks for the farm workers in negotiations for improved wages, and conditions of service and holidays. “It supplies the workers’ representatives on many official committees, including county agricultural executive committees. “It makes efforts to improve the amenities in local areas by working for better roads, schools, transport services, electricity and water supplies, the extension of sewage schemes, and the provision of decent houses to replace the many sub-standarad cottages which are still in occupation. “It administers accident and funeral benefit schemes under which all members are entitled to financial benefit after a qualifying period.” The two agricultural unions in the United Kingdom, said Mr Hunt, were “pretty powerful. They have to be listened to with respect.” Mr Hunt said farmers in New Zealand had been “on a good thing” for many years and would resist the formation of a national agricultural workers’ union.