University Courses For Unionists

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31316, 11 March 1967, Page 14

University Courses For Unionists

“If we consider trade unions are an essential part of healthy industrial relations and healthy economies, it is obvious that their education and training is as important as in any other field,” Dr. Joseph Mire said in Christchurch yesterday.

Dr. Mire, executive director of the National Institute of Labour Education in Washington, is in New Zealand to discuss with the Government, universities, other educational institutions and the trade union movement the establishment of extension courses for union leaders.

Victoria University invited him to New Zealand because its economics department has been experimenting with trade union seminars.

Management today insisted on highly-educated and highlyskilled men to direct business and industry and also industrial relations, Dr. Mire said. Trade unions should be similarly equipped to make their proper contribution to society and to match skills in bargaining. Many American universities had offered extension studies for both elected union leaders and for the unions’ permanent professional secretariats. Full-time studies were not envisaged. It had been found more effective to give the trade union leaders summer schools and short seminars on particular topics. Dr. Mire said his institute served as a catalyst to promote new courses, new ideas, and new techniques. These

might be in economics, statistics, sociology, psychology, communications or business management “the whole broad social and political functions for which the trade union is a spokesman.” From these background studies, Dr. Mire said, a course might get down to the tin tacks of statistics as a bargaining tool, marshalling of facts and their presentation, and the finer points of leadership. It would be seen that these were only a part of normal university work, Dr Mire said.

For this reason, it had been found best to have universities “on tap but not on top.” In New Zealand he had found “a real stirring of interest at Government, departmental, employer and trade union levels.” New Zealand was just beginning to feel the need for top-quality men at the helm on both sides in industry. Yesterday Dr. Mire met officials of the University of Canterbury extension studies department and the Workers’ Educational Association and spoke to a general meeting; today he will lead a trade union seminar; and on Monday he will meet the Canterbury Trades Council.