“Unions Could Study Changes”

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30857, 16 September 1965, Page 1

“Unions Could Study Changes”

(New Zealand Press Association)

WELLINGTON, Sept. 15.

The trade unions in New Zealand could contribute considerably to the country’s future industrial change and progress by continuous study and action to help meet technological change, said Dr. W. B. Sutch tonight.

Dr. Sutch said the trade unionist represented the human beings in his union. He represented their skill, their training and some of their aspirations: and one of the functions of trade union leadership was to see that the human side of his membership was cared for whatever technological change was negotiated. “We are fortunate that trade unions exist, because they represent the often inarticulate resistance of a human being to technical change.” said Dr. Sutch.

“This reaction may show itself in frustrating incidents on the job or in lack of cooperation with management in bringing about technical change.” Role Recognised lu some countries this kind of thing was recognised and the role of the worker and his representatives, and indeed the interest of . society were tending more to' be considered when technological change was contemplated. Dr. Sutch said: “It is well known that with technological change certain skills become less important and others more important. “For example, the blacksmith and metal worker have tended to be replaced by the electrician and the process worker,” he said. “In the last two or three centuries these changes of job skills have been accelerated. Farming has become mechanised and will become more so; factories and offices have become more automatic; government operations, and those of private enterprise have become more complex and remote.

“These are the problems that will increasingly face us in New Zealand, although we have been more fortunate to have the kind of life where more of a human being’s faculties are. used than in most other countries,” he said.

But, even in New Zealand, said Dr. Sutch, technological changes came too fast for managers and workers to have the new skills required or for society to make use of all the redundant skills that existed.