THE CURSE OF TRADE UNIONS

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2996, 6 February 1917, Page 6

THE CURSE OF TRADE UNIONS

• NOISY MINORITY CONTROL (Rec. February 5, 5.5 p.m.) Sydney, February 5.. Mr. Beeby, discussing the industrial position with the- Newcastle Labour Council, strongly condemned the ten-: dency of the younger members of tlie unions without responsibilities to .absent themselves from -meetings, thereby allowing' those with anarchistic tendencies to get control. Many of the unions were leaving the management in the hands of a. noisy minority. If this continued an amendment of the Trades Union Act invalidating all decisions and ballots -unless carried by a. certain proportion 'of members would l be inevitable, and the State must in many other ways step in and control trade unionism. ' Unless evidence was forthcoming of the determination of the majority of the unionists to help the •Government to maintain the arbitration system an amendment of the law would follow., which would probably be in the direction of a limitation of the system of fixing a bare minimum for wages. ' He urged the pressing necessity of unionists realising that the financial and economic effect of the war would l need a continuity of work in all branches of industry.—Press As- , sociation. . ■