DOCTORS JOIN

Evening Post, Issue 26, 31 January 1935, Page 6

DOCTORS JOIN

TRADES UNION CONGRESS

Two professional bodies/ each including large numbers of medical men, have been accepted as members of the Trades Union Congress (says the "Daily Telegraph"). They, had applied to the ; General Council for affiliation by the separate decisions of their executive councils, and by coincidence the two applications came before the same meeting. The new members are:

The Medical Practitioners' Union, with offices at 5(5 Russell Square, registered us a trade union ,in 1915, affiliated on a niember&hip of 3817; Tho National Union of County Officers, Gray's Inn Road, established in 1018, and affiliated on a membership of 7788.

Dr. A. Welply, secretary of the Medical Practitioners' Union, said, "Our reason for joining the T.U.C. is perfectly simple. In this organisation we have a County and Municipal Officers/ Section, and a large and ever-increasing number of medical men are employed by local authorities.

"This section '■. is often in .negotiation with local authorities, and the members felt their hands Would be strengthened if they were affiliated with the T.U.C. My council therefore decided unanimously to apply for affiliation.

"We are not a political body and wo deal only with medical politics. We have every shade of politics* in our membership, and we shall not be bound by any rules other than our own. Tho great majority of our members are, general practitioners."

Asked,if affiliation to the T.U.C. might not. involve, medical men in a', general strike. Dr. Welply replied:—

"We are bound by our own rules, as aro all organisations j affiliated to the T.U.C., and there will be no deviation from those rules. ' There will never be a. strike of doctors where a sick person is concerned. We might on occasion refuse to accept terms offered by the Government, or some public body, but it would not mean a singlo person being left unattended if ill."