Ballot on unionism postponed again

Press, 1 September 1977, Page 1

Ballot on unionism postponed again

PA Wellington The Government’s first ballot on voluntary union membership has been delayed yet again.

The issue was discussed at the Federation of Labour’s executive meeting on Tuesday. The F.O.L. president (Sir Tom Skinner) said yesterday that the Minister of Labour (Mr Gordon) had since agreed to delay the ballot. The F.O.L. had asked for the delay so that it could discuss the issue and clarify one or two matters, said Sir Thomas. No time or date had been fixed for the meeting with Mr Gordon.

In the light of this, the F.O.L. had advised the Golden Bay Cement Workers’ Union — which has been selected by the Government for the first ballot— to wait and see the outcome of the negotiations with Mr Gordon.

Sir Thomas said the F.O.L. had not yet heard from Mr Gordon about its suggestion that the Government ratify the International Labour Organisation’s convention on freedom of association, and protection of the right to organise.

He said the federation was writing to Mr Gordon, and declined to comment further on the issue because “we don’t want the Minister to read about it first in the newspaper.”

While all this was going on, officials of the Golden Bay Cement Workers’ Union were puzzled that their union had been chosen for the first ballot. They were also angry that they first heard the news through the news media.

The union’s secretary (Mr J. H. Smith) said from Takaka yesterdav that he had just cleared the union’s mailbox and had still received no official

notification. But he had no doubt which way the ballot of the 180-strong union would go. “There are no hassles here,” he said. “One or two might vote for voluntary unionism, but basically everyone is happy with the status quo.” The union was “pretty isolated" as far as the trade union movement went. Mr Smith said. Most things had to be done by telephone, although union officials had attended a meeting called by the F.O.L. about three weeks ago on the issue. The F.O.L. called together the officials from the five unions named by Mr Gordon as likely candidates for a ballot.

The Golden Bay Cement Workers’ Union affiliated with the Waterside Workers’ Federation earlier this year.

In spite of this affiliation, it retains its own identity.