Employers Told To Copy Unions

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30879, 12 October 1965, Page 22

Employers Told To Copy Unions

Employers’ organisations in New Zealand had nothing like the discipline the Federation of Labour had with trade unions, and it was about time they did, said the Minister of Labour (Mr Shand) in Christchurch last evening.

He was addressing the annual meeting of the Canterbury Employers’ Association which was attended by 140 members and guests.

Employers’ associations should adopt the same system and the same degree of organisation trade unions had adopted, he said. When the F.O.L. took charge of a dispute from an individual union it took charge of it completely. The union itself wo longer handled the dispute, he said. Not Whole Story Mr Shand said there had been instances of officers of employers’ associations trying to negotiate with unions with their hands tied behind their backs. This was because of instances that happened over and over again of two or three employers not telling the others the whole story on a dispute. They did not tell each other what their individual contributions had been. In the one organisation the managers of

the different branches were not prepared to tell each other what they were paying workers. Mr Shand said that New Zealand trade union officials sometimes sought their objectives by legitimate means and sometimes by not so legitimate means. “That’s why they are employed—to get the better of you in industrial bargaining,” said Mr Shand. “You are dealing with a comprehensive organisation.” Mr Shand said as long as employers took the attitude of “It’s Joe Smith down the road that is in trouble” the employers would be at a disadvantage to the trade unions.

Minor Fires.—An electric blanket on fire caused only slight damage in the home of Mr L. F. Kerr at 18 Clarence street yesterday. Sockburn and Sydenham firemen answered the alarm at 6.30 p.m. Headquarters firemen attended a chimney fire in the home of Mr J. A. Taylor, 53 Walker terrace, at 7.20 p.m.