Workers' wives to attend meetings

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 33815, 11 April 1975, Page 5

Workers' wives to attend meetings

(V 7. Press .4 x'<« ttii >< i ) DLXEDIX, April 10. The Otago Boilermakers’ I nion has taken a giant conciliatory step forward — it will allow the wives of members to attend all union meetings. Such a move is believed to be unique iu New Zealand trade union history. It comes. appropriately. in International Women's Year. The union came in for a great deal of criticism last year over- strike action in Auckland. Among the most vocal critics were some of th members' wives who claimed they kneyi leu details of what the strike action was about. The Otago union secretary (Mr Rodger Smitherain) explained that this was one of the main reasons why the idea of allowing wives to attend meetings was put forward.

He said the suggestion was I originally made by a union! member, some months ago! and it was decided to discuss it at yesterday's annual meeting.

Fifty-nine of the Onion's 69 members attended the meeting, and all of them voted for the proposal. Now any wives who showinterest in union matters can

[attend the meetings. They will not be able to vote, but ! they will — subject to the [ consent of the meeting — be able to speak. Mr Smitheram said that some of the unionists thought the proposal “a bit funny” at the beginning, but after a long discussion, the men had agreed it might not I be such a bad idea after all.