ARBITRTION OR— ?

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1400, 28 March 1912, Page 6

ARBITRTION OR— ?

SPREAD OF SYNDICALISM. UNIONS ALREADY CANCELLED. In these days of over-recurrent industrial turmoil, v/lieu tho doctrines of •compulsory arbitration are being preached in some unexpected quarters in opposition to the rival doctrines of syndicalism, Socialism,'and the other isms po|«ilarlv supoosed' to stand for industrial revolution aiid anarchy, it is interesting to recall tho number of cancellations of ■unions that have been recorded in New, Zealand of Kite. In taking.' account of any such list as may be prepared, it is nlso well to-remember that the cancellation of registration of a union is a legal which may or may not be a s.vinp-' torn of something of /Import. Many unions cancel their registration because they, no longer wish to agitate; others cancel bccatiso they reaiiso that they are jto all intents and' purposes defunct; and 'others cancel because they wish to merge I into other larger unions. All these processes are no guide to one who wishes ! to estimate tho extent, of the spread of opinions against compulsory arbitration, but there are many cancellations, nearly •all of them of large unions, which showthat the members reject Mif legislative device of compulsory arbitration of industrial disputes, and accept (he syndicalist method, thereby signifying their ■ willingness to use as their weapons tho ■general strike and the sympathetic strike. Their aim, in effect, is so to paralyse inidiistry as to compel acceptance by the ■employers of tlioir demands. _ The syndicalist 'organiwit-'on of'"New Zealand is the Federation of Labour. Thev have not organised any strikes of 'moment among their- own members, but wherever an industrial -irouble culminating in a strike has arisen, there have been alwava found the federation's envovs. It is unquestionably due in part to their sayings and their written propaganda that strikes have recurred so fre(fpentlr of 'ate. It i 3 true that they themselves have been wonderfully sticc".«ful in settling di-outes in their members' favour, but always there has been in their h=.nds, readv for in-taut use, the "Upon Of the extended, strike. Settlement" so arrived .at enmir, : without filrfliniu? meanings oluoid:-, be pioperly called "amicable. ' / _ ' These aro facts to be borne in mind, in discussins tho fcignific-anco of the fol-

lowing unions' cancellation which have occurred botween September 1, 1910, and March 21, 1012. Unions Cancelled. On their Own Application. Member-. Name. . '• • Date. . sliip. Westpnrt-Stockton Coal " . Miners , 8. 9.10 16-1 Granitv Creek Coalminers 8.12.10 392 Auckland Femalo 'typesetters 12.-1.11 i Kiripaka Coalminers 19. 1.11. !>2 Waikato Coalminers 9- 3.11 405 Mikurangi I'ualininers ...... ti. •1.11. 132 Waihi Amalgamated Miners and Workers 11- 5.11 13">0 Otago Iron Workers 23. 0.11 12 Denniston Deputies 2.1. ti.ll 21 J'upauga Coalminers ...... 20. 7.11 51 Southland llriek aud Tile Makers !"■ 8.11 27 Patca Waterside Workers 10. 8.11 21 Mokihinui Coalminers 17. 8.11 93 Denniston Engine-drivers, , l-'iremen and Brakesmen 7. 9.11 19 Wostport. Wharf Labourers 14. 9.U 125 Auckland Tramways 19.10.11 35-4 Timaru Waterside Workers ; 19.10.11 94 Auckland Builders, Contractors, and General Labourers 2.11.11 760 Otago Felt Hatters 9.11.11 . 12 Canterbury Lithographic and Letterpress Printers' Machinists 21.11.11 31 Christchurch Bookbinders and Paper Rulers 21.11.11 23 Lyttelton Stevedores 1.12.11 418 Wellington Section of tho Australasian. Federated Seamen ! 18. 1.12 1020 On Account of Default in Making Annual Returns. Marton Branch of the Amalgamated Society of Carpenters and Joiners 13.10.10 -3 Auckland Clerfa 15. 6.11 18 Auckland Confectionery, Biscuit and Fruit Preserving Employees 15- »-H Birkenhead iSugar Workers 15. C.ll 84 East Wellington branch of the Amalgamated Society of Carpenters and • Joiners 15. 6.T1 90 Greymouth Drivers 15. 6.11 19 We'tlaml Sawmill Employees and Timber Workers 35. 6.11 68 Canterbury Domestic • Workers 15.. C.ll 19 Canterbury Dress and Costume Makers 15. 6.11 -9 Canterbury Shops, Offices,' and Warehouses' Employees :.. la- G.ll 18 Christchurch Livery Stable Workers 15- "-H -f Ilomebush Clay Workers 15. C.ll 15 Dunedin Gas Stokers and Colcers 15. 6.11 23 Otago Agricultural and General Labourers ........ 15. 6.11 121 Otago Confectionery, Biscuit aud Fruit-preserv-ing Employees 15. 6.11 15 Otago and Southland Mustcrors 15. C.ll 32 Dunedin Waterside Workers 29. 2.12 386 Otago Coalminers . 7. 3.12 431 Wellington ■ Wharf Labourers 21. 3.12 1531 Taitapu Miners 21. 3.12 16 Dunedin Section of tho " Australasian Fcdernted Seamen 21. 3.12^-.;:,- : 71C Why They Cancelled. An examination of the, list -shows; that, the bulk of the unions which have'.cancelled are small unions, the'fata bf which does not materially affect industrial peace or war. These have for the most part simply , effaced themselves because of their smallhess to perniit- of the members joining bigger organisations, or they have mado default in legal technicalities.. But in point of view of membership' strength, the unions that have cancelled in-order to be free to use the strike as a means of enforcing their demands, overwhelm the larger number of insignificant smaller unions. All the miners' unions named in tho list, practically all the waterside .workers unions, the Auckland General 'Labourers' Union, and the Auckland Tramways' Union, have joined the Federation of Labour, and the membership of these totals nearlv 7000. .Of tho big unions which liavo rejected the Arbitration Court, but which have refused to affiliate with the Federation of Labour, aro the Wellington and Dunedin sections of the Seamen's Union, numbering 1742 members. This large secession means a distinct loss of ground, which may or may not be permanent, for tho forces of compulsory arbitration. Per Contra. On the other sido of the account it is fair to ,state that unions are still being registered with great, frequency by the Department.' Reference to the "Labour Journal" shows .that during the past six months 22 unions have been registered, hut tliO' "Journal" does not disclose the number of their members. Roughly speaking. tli3 average rate of registration of unions seems to be about ono per week.