Employers ‘forced’ to accept Govt proposal

Press, 4 November 1983, Page 3

Employers ‘forced’ to accept Govt proposal

PA Wellington The Employers’ Federation had been forced to accept the principle that workers should decidewhether every worker should join a union, said the president of the Federation of Labour, Mr W. J. Knox, yesterday. He was commenting on a proposal by Mr J. W. Rowe, of the Employers’ Federation, at Wednesday’s select committee hearing on the Industrial Law Reform Bill.

Mr Rowe advocated the possibility of post-entry closed shops where 80 to 85

per cent of the work-force wanted them. “Of course the 85 per cent business is nonsense. Every other group making democratic decisions works to a simple 50 per cent majority,” Mr Knox said. “The 85 per cent figure is designed to get big employers off the hook from their well organised workforce, while allowing employers to exploit workers in those areas where it is more difficult for unions to organise.” Workers now can choose who should have to join their unions. “In every union there was

a substantial majority in favour of keeping the unqualified preference clause,” Mr Knox said. Workers still had the right to review this decision. Under existing legislation if only 50, or 10 per cent of in any union wanted a ballot they could ask for one and it would be held. • “The Employers’ Federation should come out and say that the only just and reasonable approach to this question is to allow the majority of workers to decide, as is the case under the present law,” Mr Knox said. .