Govt ‘retreating’ on union ballots

Press, 20 September 1982, Page 4

Govt ‘retreating’ on union ballots

PA Wellington Opposition members of Parliament asserted that the Government was "eating its words" in Parliament as the Minister of Labour. Mr Bolger, introduced legislation to abolish mandatory ballots on compulsor.v unionism.

The Industrial Law Reform Bill introduced by Mr Bolger replaced the controversial 1978 legislation, which meant three-yearly ballots for unions which sought the insertion of an unqualified preference (compulsory membership) provision in any award or collective agreement.

Labour members said the proposed new law should be called the "Industrial Law Reform Retreat Bill." or the "1975 Manifesto-Out-The-Window Bill." Mr M. K. Moore (Lab.. Papanui) termed the bill a "signed confession."

“It is like ‘True Romances' — we are going to have to kiss the arbitration system and make up?" he said. Mr Bolger told the House the requirement to conduct ballots at three-yearly intervals was being replaced by a procedure enabling a specified .number of union members (50 people or 10 per cent, whichever is the less) to apply to the Register of Industrial Unions for a ballot.'

The Minister said that the move would save $500,000 in taxpayers' money in three vears.

"To have retained the mandatory requirement would have resulted in considerable cost, which was difficult to justify in the context of the need to restrain Government .expenditure." he said. :

The new procedure preserved the rights of union members to seek a ballot. The vast majority of ballots conducted in the last four years opted to retain the compulsory membership provision, he said. "However, it cannot be assumed that this outcome will apply for all time across all union's." said Mr Bolger. The Opposition spokesman on labour. Mr F. M. Gerbic (Onehunga), welcomed the clause, saying the 1978 legislation had' been ill-conceived and doomed to failure. It had meant a waste of union and Labour Department time and resources and a colossal waste of taxpayers' money.

But Mr Gerbic attacked the new bill's provisions which allow 50 members or 10 per cent of a union's members to call for a ballot, saying the number was "ridiculously low."

Mr E. E. Isbey (Lab.. Papatoetoe) said that the Engineers' Union had 51.000

members, and said the cost of ballots had been $5 a vote.

Mr Bolger said that the provision on the number of members needed to force a ballot was identical to the numbers required in other legislation on ballots.