Unions and strikes

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32566, 27 March 1971, Page 18

Unions and strikes

Sir, —In times past the work force was the most vulnerable body of the population to ups and downs in the economy. They (or theii leaders) behave as if this were so still. It is not. If published official figures are reliable wages last year moved up 15 per cent, while the cost of living rose 10 per cent. By this token trade unionists are still up by 5 per cent on their 1970 living expenses, while a large part of the population people with small businesses, self-employed professional men, everyone on retirement pensions or private means, and, by no means least, the farmers on whom the coun. try most largely depends for a living are 10 per cent down. And this with no certain prospect of an income rise in 1971. Yet we have the unions loudly raising their voices about the intolerable injustice of a miserable 7 per cent ceiling to their possible claims this year and holding indignation meetings about it. Well, well.—Yours, etc., I. TREW. March 28, 1971.

Sir, —Mr R. H. Stewart’s timely remarks were not lost on the country’s deeper thinkers. Another factor, of course, behind the “faceless front” is their country of origin. Can anyone tell me how many New Zealandborn trade union officials there are, in relation to the total number of officials? By all accounts I would say very (few. Most high-production-ioriented unionists here are seeing their country’s endeavours frustrated by the “shop steward” drop-outs who have made Britain what it is today. Perhaps we are importing labour troubles at our own expense. More fools us!—Yours, etc., DAVID EASTERBROOK. March 26, 1971.

Sir, —I read with interest your report of Mr R. H. Stewart’s speech to the Society of Accountants wherein he touched on the relationship between employers and employees; and I then read with amazement Mr Skinner’s reactions to the same speech. Were they talking about the same subject? Mr Stewart spoke of the various freedoms—to negotiate, to claim higher wages, to strike, to walk out, to refuse to work efficient machinery,

etc., and their lack of freedom to express their point of view or to work when they were told to strike. I wonder if, through your columns, some of the good employers could tell us if they have the freedom to have a secret ballot when it should be necessary and if they have the freedom to work as hard as they think fit to earn their day’s pay. We sometimes hear they are deprived of these freedoms.— Yours, etc., BRISTOL. March 25, 1971.

Sir, —I read with great interest Mr R. H. Stewart’s comments concerning the possibility of widespread strikes as a result of the Stabilisation Bill and also Mr Skinner’s reply which seems mainly to concentrate on Mr Stewart’s alleged “hatred” of the trade union movement. I would particularly like to know why it is that strike decisions by union members are not made by secret ballot. Are the unions afraid that workers would not strike if they could express themselves by secret ballot? I had a brother who worked in the freezing industry and he told me that he was frightened to vote differently from what he had been told by the union leaders because of the big chaps at the back of the room, who were making sure that if anybody dissented he would not be given an opportunity next time. A secret ballot would certainly prove whether or not Mr Stewart is right when he says that the majority of workers do not want to go on strike but do so because they are intimidated and browbeaten by their leadership. Yours, etc.,

ANTI-STRIKE. March 25, 1971.

Sir, —1 fully endorse Mr R. H. Stewart’s remarks. It is a wonder that we have any markets overseas left to send our goods to. I have said before that I consider unions are all right up to a point, but when they become so powerful that they can disrupt out country’s production then it is time their wings were clipped. No doubt if the pioneers could speak they woud say, “Is this the country that we struggled for?”—Yours, etc., EX-PIONEER STOCK. March 26, 1971.

Sir, —At last someone has the guts to speak up against the control of the unions by a few people. More power to Mr Stewart’s progress in this matter. What a lot of rot for Mr Neary to say that in the isolated case there has not been a secret ballot. He is letting his imagination run away with him. He surely means that in the isolated case a secret ballot has been taken. Td mention two cases: the barmen’s and hotel staffs’ strike last year, and the brewery workers’ strike had no secret ballot. Was there not mentioned recently in the North Island that there would be a barmen’s stopwork meeting, but they would not be returning to work? This was stated by a union executive the day before the meeting Where is the secret ballot there?—Yours, etc., STEWART BACKER. March 26, 1971.