Union member clause adopted

Press, 19 November 1982, Page 24

Union member clause adopted

The draft membership clause has been finally written into the Farms and Stations Award, after five years of negotiations between farming employer groups and the N.Z. Farm Workers Association. The new clause means that although voluntary membership of the F.W.A. will still exist for farm workers under the award, they are now compelled to make a decision as to whether to join the association.

All farm workers in New Zealand must either decide to join, and pay their subscription, or opt out, and apply for an exemption certificate.

“A breach of the award occurs if neither a membership card or an exemption certificate is held by the farm worker,” said the promotions officer of the F.W.A., Mr David Cosgriff. Employers must now draw their employees’ attention to the provisions and supply the names of all employees. “The clause ensures that we continue functioning both democratically and financially. It will enable us to concentrate less on membership problems and more on sevicing our members and the problems and issues in the farming industries,” said Mr Cosgriff. “We are confident that farmers, and farm workers will support the clause and the F.W.A., for our contribution to the maintenance of the stable rural community cannot be overlooked. Our past work and achievements give a clear indication of our sincerity and our character,” he said.

The membership clause does not yet apply to dairy farm workers not to employees on Governmentowned farms.