TRADES UNIONISM AND ITS OBLIGATIONS

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 10, 6 October 1917, Page 8

TRADES UNIONISM AND ITS OBLIGATIONS

«j r _Your issue of to-day contains a letter from Mr. Sydney Stidolp clf-im-ing that where unionists fail or decline to work then non-unionists should have the right to work in their place. • I am doubtful if this would entirely meet the various phases of this complicated question, and v;ould suggest lor his and vour consideration the following propositions under the heading of Quality of Service." . The nation has conceded the right to form unions, and provided the power to give effect to this concession. It ,ias a.so nracticallv siven the unionists prefe - ?JS S their occupations. Also courts have been established to which any disputes can be referred and settled. In return it seems to me to be oi. > fair and just that the unionists slould guarantee equal service both in quantityand quality. I would therefore propose that legislation be at once passed, to proall questions in dispute of any kind shall be settled by courts set i p under the Conciliation and Arbitration Act, without any exception. , " That all members of unions should be"i;raded into first, second, third, etc., workers by a Court, and be paid accordIfl 3 * Tliat all unions must undertake to provide sufficient qualified members to meet all demands for labour from time to time until all their members .ere emP That any union failing or refusing to refer any question in dispute, to the Courts, or to provide a full number of its members to comply with siicli demands for labour, to automatically forfeit its charter of unionism, unless it can prove that its roll of hale members were at the time fully employed by bona-nde employers. 5 That any member failing or refusing to take work when called upon by the officials, ov to do his work when ro engaged in a bona-fide manner, to thereby forfeit his membership and to be barred for a. reasonable time from again becomins a member of any union. It would be necessary to elaborate the details to make these provisions complete so as to provide for a sufficient and continuous supply of qualified labour whenever required, and that foiling this the penalty would act quite automatically, throwing the responsibility upon the unionists of proving that they were in a bona-fide position of being unable to meet the demands.—l am, etc., G.W; October 1, 1917.