Union-secession poll

Press, 8 December 1976, Page 6

Union-secession poll

Votes were counted yesterday in a ballot of members Of the Canterbury Storemen and Packers’ Union on the issue of whether the union should withdraw from the national Storemen and Packers’ Federation. The union’s secretary (Mr C. W. Keenan) said he would i consult the union president! (Mr F. Putt) todav about whether the result and figures would be released publicly. The union sent our 3000 i voting papers with circulars' explaining whv the ballot was; being taken. The Press Association reports from Auckland that present naid-up membership ofi the federation, the central; organisation for unions south, of the Auckland industrial district, is more than 8000. P is the largest trade-union group, excluding State ser’ants, operating outside the Federation of Labour The Auckland Storemen [ and Packers' L’nion retained its affiliation with the F.O.L.-

when it opted in 1971 not to! join its associated unions ini the country and withdraw.! The Storemen and Packers’! Federation, constituted in! 195,, was consequently re-1 formed in 1971 to exclude! the Auckland union. Because of strife which has! existed for some years, the! Canterbury union for the last j two years has withheld payment of its affiliation fees to! the federation. Mr Keenan: says, however, that a cheque! for the full amount owed has been posted to the federa-' lion’s Wellington office. I A move earlier this year to! take the Canterbury union outt of the federation collapsed! after the national secretary] (Mr P. Mansor) addressed aj meeting of members in! Christchurch. Mr Keenan said the secret! ballot had been decided upon because of the small attendance at the meeting addressed by Mr Mansor. Only 47 of the union’s 3000 members attended the meeting, he said. Mr Mansor said that if the

I Canterbury union withdrew, ithe ability of the federation to work effectively would be 1 weakened. ; “It is probable that the present organisation will be coni verted into a multi-districts 'national trade union, excluding both Auckland and Canterbury. A full-time or parttime national secretary will be appointed,” he said. Mr Mansor said a multidistricts national union had been a standing proposal since 1971, but had not proceeded because of objections by the Canterbury union. “We have held back only to enable Canterbun- to re-1 main associated with the federated group of unions,”! he said. Mr Mansor said that although the Auckland union; was outside the present federation, he was advocate fori it in several award areas. I If Canterbury were to with-| draw, the same advocacy services would probably not be available for the membership