Union moves draw diverse response

Press, 9 July 1983, Page 8

Union moves draw diverse response

PA Ashburton The Government was offering a “new deal” on employment with its voluntary unionism move and the introduction of youth rates, said the Minister of Tourism, Mr Talbot, yesterday. “This is a very significant move to bring about a new deal in the employment scene — it will enable New Zealand to conform with the International Labour Organisation’s convention recommendation on freedom of association," he said. Mr Talbot said New Zealand and Thailand were the only member countries of the 1.L.0. not to have voluntary unionism in accordance with its convention 87 on freedom of association and protection of the rights of organisations. On youth rates, Mr Talbot said there was widespread support for them in the community and they would be of “considerable help” in aiding the employment of young people. They would stimulate apprenticeships.

Mr Talbot said the Government was also looking at “certain aspects” of redundancy agreements. In Wellington the Employers Federation said it considered that a move to voluntary unionsim should not be viewed as an isolated matter but as having widespread and fundamental implications for the country’s entire industrial relations system. Employers views on voluntary unionism was likely to be “quite diverse,” said the federation’s presi-

dent, Mr G. B. Tait. The federation would place “the pros and cons” before its members so that informed judgments could be made, he said.

The Labour member of Parliament for Onehunga, Mr F. M. Gerbic, said workers needed to stand firm behind trade unions and fight voluntary unionism without panic. Mr Gerbic, who is a former industrial conciliator said he was concerned that Left-wing political agitators “and other extremists” could exploit the Government’s move by taking over unions through the withdrawal of members. He said that while he regretted the withdrawal of the unqualified preference clause from awards — as proposed by the Government — he was not opposed in principle to voluntary unionism as long as one democratic principle of freedom of association was balanced with another, recognising trade union rights of association and organisation.

The New Zealand Government had the most restrictive trade union laws of the Western world’s democracies and the move to introduce voluntary trade unionism was not being done in a mood of democratic zeal, he said.

The system of industrial relations as applied by the Government had failed because of Government intervention. Mr Gerbic said it was the system that should be reviewed and not the beneficiaries of it.

“The Government must restore basic trade union rights of free bargaining; it must lift restrictions on trade union subscriptions so that the unions have the ability to function; it must lift other restrictive regulations if they are going to introduce voluntary trade unionism.

“The Government must cease its legislative interference in the affairs of unions and employers such as they now propose by the introduction of youth rates in awards. This is a matter that should be left to negotiation between unions and employers,” Mr Gerbic said. The Public Service Association president, Mr Colin Hicks, said he did not believe that the P.S.A. was weak because it did not cover all eligible members. Eighty-seven per cent of New Zealand’s public servants were in the P.S.A., whose membershp was 69,000, he said. Voluntary membership meant the P.S.A. could not afford to be complacent and it gave an incentive to maintain a high level of service, Mr Hicks said. The Post-Primary Teachers Association is another union without compulsory membership. Its president, Mr Des Hinch, said his 12,000 members represented between 92 and 95 per cent of all secondary school teachers. He said it was always a useful argument to point out that members were there because they wanted to be, although there were many who wanted membership to be compulsory.