STRIKE BALLOT

Dominion, Volume 27, Issue 111, 3 February 1934, Page 16

STRIKE BALLOT

Unemployed Workers METHODS CRITICISED “In view of the widespread publicity whieh has been given to the so-called strike ballot whieh has been taken by the agents of the National Unemployed Workers’ Movement (N.U.W.M.) in some parts of the country, it is necessary in the public interest, particularly the unemployed section, that clear understanding of'the motives prohipting the N.U.W.M.’s strike move and the genuineness of the ‘ballot’ be held,” said the secretary of the National Union of Unemployed, Mr, D. McLaughlin. yesterday. "The N.U.W.M. policy,” he said, “conforms to the Marxian theory of the ‘class war,’ which, translated into action, means the fomenting of strife, for the purpose of overthrowing by force the entire system of government. The unemployed, by means of strikes from which demonstrations in populous areas are planned, arc to be used as the material in this strife. "The genuineness of the ‘ballot,’ which is a cloak to justify the ‘strike,’ can be judged from the following examples taken at random from town and country areas:—Dunedin is reported by the N.U.W.M. to have shown a majority for a strike. The facts area—There are approxmately 2000 unemployed in Dunedin; of these, roughly 500 voted for and 400 against a strike. Therefore, the true re- * suit is, 1500 against strike, 500 for. P.W.D. Camp No. 1, Napier: 28 men. Result of ballot, 6 for strike, 1 against. The true result is 22 against, 6 for. These examples are typical of many areas, and they serve to illustrate how unjustifiable are the claims of strike propagators that they correctly indicate a majority for strike. In Wellington, the Wellington Relief 'Workers’ Union, now Affiliated to the N.U.W.M. and obeying the latter’s request to take a ballot among relief workers here, has been doing so for the past fortnight. The method appointed by this union deliver ballot papers to gach job. Those men who accept these papers are asked to vote ‘yes’ or ‘no,’ usually written in pencil. ( The papers are then collected by this union’s agent, who returns them to the office of the union. It is worth noting that many returns to the office of this union have been lying there for more than a week. “If the return from each job which balloted were published, and time 1 allo wed for challenges to the figures to be investigated, then all would be fair. The National* Union, of Unemployed, with affiliated provinces of Wellington, (comprising the Wellington Union of Unemployed and the unions in Featherston, Carterton, Masterton, and Martinborough), Manawatu, Wanganui. Waipukurau, Auckland (comprising 42 branches: 5000 members), South Canterbury and Southland, are ignoring the N.U.W.M.’s strike ballot, so that it is clear that any so-called national ballot is a farce. To prove how much attention to even their own ‘ballot’ is paid by the N.U.W.M. executive, a message to . Mr. W. Appleton, chairman of the Gisborne branch of N.U.W.M.’. is illuminating. The ‘Poverty Bay Herald’ on January 30 stated, according to telegraphic advice received by Mr. W. Appleton, matters were’ brought to a head when a national strike of»unemployed workers was declared. This advice was transmitted by the national executive of the N.U.W.M. And their own ‘ballot’, figures are not yet known in Auckland, Wellington, or Christchurch! Such obvious proof of an engineered strike requires no further evidence bo any intelligent man. _ "For daring to protect my organisation from attacks, and for exposing the truth regarding the N.U.W.M., I am the subject of intimidation and insult from adherents bo this ‘movement.’”