Union vote decided by small percentage

Press, 10 July 1979, Page 2

Union vote decided by small percentage

One of the biggest trade unions in Canterbury, the 8500-member Canterbury Hotel, Restaurant, Hospital and Related Trades’ Union, has had the question of compulsory unionism decided by only 3.5 per cent of its members. Of the 300 members who replied to the union’s notices, 94.28 per cent voted in favour of retaining the unqualified preference clause in the awards covered by the union.

The union’s acting secretary (Mr G. D. Harding) said yesterday that the law’ brought in by the Government last year did not allow voting by postal ballot. The union would have preferred a postal ballot because many members could not attend meetings because of work commitments.

It would have been possible to enclose the ballot forms either with the notices sent out or with a ballot form for the election of officers which will be sent to all members next month.

Mr Harding said that the tentative date for the closing of the election ballot was September 7. Election

papers will be sent to members next month. The Canterbury Carpenters’ Union is holding meetings in the next fortnight to vote on union membership. The first meeting was held in the Christchurch Town Hall yesterday. The secretary of the union (Mr J. Clough) said that 289 attended the meeting and of these only 16 voted against the inclusion of the unqualified preference clause. Mr Clough said he would have

liked to have had 500 at the meeting. The Canterbury Clothing Workers’ Union had an 82 per cent turn-out to vote on the clause. Ninety-two per cent of the 2509 who voted favoured retention of the clause. Members attended 45 separate meetings throughout Canterbury, Westland and Marlborough. In compliance with the law to supervise the ballots, Labour Department officials have attended all meetings. All unions will have to hold ballots.