Non-union labour denied ballot

Press, 17 January 1979, Page 6

Non-union labour denied ballot

Industrial reporter ; Clerical workers who resigned from their union late last year when the Government made two of the unions' awards voluntary will not be given a chance to vote on membership in a ballot next month.

This has been confirmed by at least three of the secretaries of clerical workers’ unions affiliated to the Clerical Workers Association.

The ballot is being held under sections 99 and 100 of the Industrial Relations Act and if a majority vote is in favour of it, the unqualified preference clause struck out by the Government last year could be reinserted in the award being negotiated later next month.

The act says that those eligible to vote are adult workers who, on the making of an award, would be covered by an unqualified preference clause if it were inserted.

The workers who opted to resign from the unions when the Government made two awards voluntary last year, are now excluded by the unions from their rolls of persons entitled to vote. Yet the act says that the unions must prove “as far as was reasonably practic-! able in the circumstances” I the roll includes all persons who are entitled to vote. Although the number of; members who resigned is not i great, in a close count their i vote against the clause being inserted could swing the, total against compulsory l membership. The secretary of the Cleri-I

cal Workers’ Association (Mr J. Slater) said yesterday that the association was “not out to deny anyone the vote." He said he did not know ' whether individual unions ihad included members who resigned when the GovemIment made union memberI ship voluntary for clerks (covered by the general (clerical and the licensed (hotel clerical awards. ■ But a check by "The ! Press” of the three main [South Island clerical unions (showed that they had excluded from their rolls the [members who resigned when I the clause was deleted. j The unqualified preference (clause the association wants reinserted makes it compulsory for a worker to join a union within 14 days of starting work. In Canterbury 27 members resigned and their names have been omitted from the rolls; in Otago 23 resigned, [and in Southland. 16. ' The secretary of the [Southland union (Mr A. Bryce) said that the list was made up of financial members. He admitted it would have been possible to include the members who had resigned, but said he was paid to do his job by financial members. The Registrar of Industrial Unions (Mr R. A. Quay) said the unions had to provide a

r i “reasonable” roll of people it | covered by the award. it, Mr Slater said it was a matter for the returning of.vlficer for the ballot to decide s! whether the unions had pro-; ojvided a satisfactory roll, An i-iinquiry could be held if a ■-[sufficient number of persons s applied to the court, he said, ill The ballot will be run by djthe Labour Department. Mr [Slater said this would save e| the association money. n! Results will be decided on sla district rather than a national basis. This means e! that if persons covered by n! the award in Canterbury vote (for insertion of the unqualie fied preference clause, it will s |be inserted, irrespective of dhow other districts vote. a | Mr Slater said he had ,fi heard nothing from the Government about ballots to be s | held involving workers covs[ered by the non-licensed hoe tel clerical award and the j'trustee savings bank clerical (award. He believed that the el Federation of Labour was .. consulting the Minister of s | Labour (Mr Bolger) over i-[these ballots. d| Another award on which el there will be a ballot is the i-1 carpet workers’ award, but dlthe secretary of the Canterdbury Woollen Workers’ i Union (Mr D. Shenker) said ill he had heard nothing since dlthe initial announcement last al year.