BANK CLERKS’ BALLOT

Dominion, Volume 29, Issue 229, 24 June 1936, Page 13

BANK CLERKS’ BALLOT

Secrecy Ridiculed By

Minister

“WON’T GET AWAY WITH IT”

By Telegraph—Press Association,

Christchurch, June 23.

Humorously exposing the methods adopted in the taking of a secret ballot on a union issue, the Minister of Labour (the Hon. H. T. Armstrong) had some fun Jasb night at the expense of bank clerks. The Minister was addressing a meeting at the Trades Hall when he explained the policy underlying the new industrial legislation. Referring to compulsory unionism, the Minister stated that the banks had made an effort to avoid its provisions. Some of the employees had said to him that they did not wish to be placed under Trades Hall domination; that would have been infra dig. He had replied that that was “damned snobbery.” He had given them a certain number of days in which to register as a union, warning them that if they did not comply with this there was a danger that they would be absorbed by some other union.

“A ballot was then taken,” added the Minister. “On one side of the ballot paper were instructions how to vote, and on the other side was a space set out for fhe name of the voter, bis address, the bank he was employed by, and the branch in which he worked. That, mind you, was a secret ballot. (Laughter.) Subsequently I was informed that a majority of the workers had voted against the formation of a union. Was it any wonder? “Now they are forming a guild, and stupidly imagine they are going to getaway with it. Some lawyers and some softgoods firms are trying ib as well. I cau tell them that they won’t get away with it”