Unions and strikes

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32568, 30 March 1971, Page 16

Unions and strikes

Sir, —Never has New Zealand so urgently needed industrial harmony, so that oui produce and manufacturers' goods can be transported speedily to world markets The present high level of industrial unrest is a blot on our society. Yet Mr R. H. Stewart states our future is in the hands of the Government. What a mess the Government has made of solving the nation's industrial unrest and problems! It suits Mt Stewart (and others) to blame Mr Skinner and company fot all the present unrest and strike action, instead of where it fairly and squarely belongs—on a weak government. As one who has always been a staunch unionist, victimised, and sacked because of my outspoken views, I would support a secret ballot before strike action if carried out in a democratic way—certainly not by some employers having meetings and making speeches to influence their staff how to record their secret votes.—Yours, etc., FLEMING ROSS MILLER. March 27, 1971.

Sir,—lt has become amusingly obvious that those correspondents who so ardently support Mr R. H. Stewart in the guise of urging democratic reforms of the trade unions have, in their disingenuousness, one common object—remoulding the trade unions to work in the interests of the employers, the direct antithesis of the purpose of a trade union. His class solidarity materialised in his trade union is the worker’s only defence in the class warfare jungle of our society; his only weapon to enforce his demands, the strike. Advocacy of secret ballots on strike action, attacks on trade union leaders, have no other purpose than to sow disunity and division in the ranks of unionists. Class-conscious rank-and-file unionists will resolutely rebuff the insolent, unsolicited interference in union affairs by persons outside the trade union movement whose experience of and in the trade unions is obviously nil.—Yours, etc., M.C.H. March 29, 1971.

Sir, —An error, perhaps due to my bad writing, has crept into my letter today which more or less nullifies my whole object. I wrote (or meant to write), “I wonder if, through your columns some of the good employees could tell us if they have the freedom ..As printed the word “employees” becomes “employers,” thus destroying the sense of the sentence. I would like some of the good employees to tell us (the general public) if they, indeed, do have the freedom to have a secret ballot. We could hardly expect to get this information from the employers.—Yours, etc., BRISTOL. March 27, 1971. [The error, which is regretted, is ours; and we cannot excuse it by reference to our correspondent’s handwriting, which was unexceptionable. Ed., "The Press.”]

Sir,—l wonder if the other half of manufacturers would worry about what the unions are doing, when In the last stand taken by the freezing workers they found it fit to increase something like 105 different items in two weeks. Mr Stewart’s association is guilty of price-fixing, and that is what our union heads are trying to counteract in putting more money in our en-

velopes to survive. -If I have not made it clear, could you please explain biscuit prices, soap powders, breakfast food, flour? Where is the competition? I suggest Mr Stewart should look after his own association and let the union leader look after theirs.— Yours, etc., WORKER. March 28. 1971.

Sir,—Regarding Mr Skiriner’s reply that you do. not have to belong to a union, why is it that the place of employment could be declared black in such a case? To my knowledge, compulsory unionism has not been replaced by any other form. I also endorse “Ex-pioneer Stock’s” words at the present rate of walk-outs, stoppages, strikes, and more-for-the-less-you-do, this country will be priced out of this world. Then we will see about how our land is being bought. lam a worker and a New Zealander, not a sellout to any country. State or Republic.—Yours, etc., K. March 29, 1971.