Unusual reason for exemption

Press, 22 April 1986, Page 1

Unusual reason for exemption

PA Wellington A man has been granted exemption from a union because he was dissatisfied with its performance.

Mr M. J. Hatcher, a quality control inspector working for a petrol pump manufacturer, told the Union Membership Exemption Tribunal it was his impression the union was concerned only with the union as a body and did not worry about individual members. Mr Hatcher was employed under the Metal Trades Employees’ Award in a job covered by the Engineering, Coachbuilding, Motor, Aircraft and Related Trades Union, the tribunal said in a written decision.

Mr Hatcher said he believed the people at the top of unions did not care about the people at the bottom, that union officers were preoccupied with squabbles among themselves, and it was not possible for someone who was quietly spoken to be heard.

He also said he felt everything he had was achieved by his own efforts and that if forced to join the union he would have to leave his job.

Under section 112 c of the Industrial Relations Act, people may be granted a union membership exemption if they “genuinely object on the grounds of personal conviction to becoming or remaining a member of any union whatsoever or of a particular union.” The union objected to Mr Hatcher’s application for exemption, saying if a member felt strongly things were not as they should be, the recourse was through the voting system and full participation in union matters at branch, district and national level.

The union said it could see no logic in the proposition that union membership would cause Mr Hatcher to lose his job.

In granting Mr Hatcher’s exemption, the tribunal quoted a decision of the United Kingdom Employment Appeal Tribunal. That decision said ... “we see no reason why a deeply held personal conviction that your union has let you down to an extent which leads you to

decide to leave it should not be, a deeply held personal conviction ...” The tribunal said the statement on the English case applied to Mr Hatcher’s case. Under section 112 L of the act, one of the purposes of the exemption procedure was to “protect the individual who is in a minority from any tyranny to which he may be subjected at the hands of the majority.”