Union wins fight to disband

Press, 12 April 1978, Page 2

Union wins fight to disband

The Registrar of Industrial Unions (Mr R. A. Quay) has accepted a petition by members of the Canterbury Law Practitioners Employee’s Union to disband .the union. The union’s president (Mr P. J. Doody) said yesterday that the first notice announcing the cancellation of the union’s registration would probably appear in t'i> Gazette this week. There would then be a six-week delay to allow for objections, if any. Cancellation of the registration has the effect of dissolving the incorporation of the union. The members will be covered by the Canterbury Clerical Workers’ Union.

The members voted more than a year ago to disband their union, but it took many months for a ballot to be organised. Another delay was caused when the registrar declined to accept the ballot as being the decision of the majority of members. The voting was 172 in favour of disbanding and 84 against, with 10 informal votes. The 266 members who returned their ballot forms represented about 47 per cent of the 559 members. The vote was not accepted as being a majority of the members, although it was an absolute majority of those who voted. The registrar, however, accepted the idea of a petition if signed by the majority of members. The union canvassed votes until it had the required number, then sent it to the registrar.