UNION’S ATTITUDE RESENTED

Dominion, Volume 34, Issue 124, 19 February 1941, Page 9

UNION’S ATTITUDE RESENTED

Temporary Employees At

A. And P. Show

Dominion Special Service.

MASTERTON, February 18.

Indignation at the attitude of union officials toward the men temporarily employed on the gates was expressed at the Masterton A. and P. Association’s show today. At one stage feeling ran very high, and a union official was beseiged in the secretary’s office by indignant men who refused pointblank to pay any union dues for their two days’ employment. Some rumblings of the storm were heard last week when, at a meetins of the association, a letter was received requesting the secretary to forward the names of the men to be employed and to ascertain whether they were union members. The secretary replied that should any pressure lie brought to bear ou the men usually temporarily employed, or an attempt made to force the association to pay union rates, the association would have no option but to employ volunteers from its members on the gates.

At the show today a union official interrogated the men on the gates and ascertained that no union dues had been paid. He went away, and later returned and presented to the secretary the names of four mon which be had obtained from the Placement Officer and who, he said, were to b_e employed instead of the temporary employees. These men. lie said, had agreed to pay the required union fee. The secretary of the association. Mr. R. H. Williams, refused to accept the men, as they were unknown to him or deemed unsuitable for the positions. To obviate trouble for the temporary employees, who refused flatly to pay any union dues, the association decided to make the payment on their behalf. When this became known the men concerned went to Hie secretary’s office ami demanded an explanation of the position from the union official. The reasons put forward failed to satisfy the men, who at one stage adopted a very belligerent attitude. The storm blew itself out after all the men had expressed themselves pointedly on the subject of unions and union officials and tbe official hud agreed he was only an officer who was requested to carry out an unpleasant duty.