UNION FACTIONS

Evening Post, Volume CXXV, Issue 152, 30 June 1938, Page 10

UNION FACTIONS

CLERKS AT VARIANCE

STORMY MEETING HELD

POLITICAL ISSUES

Previously ventilated in circulars issued by two factions within the organisation, the affairs of the Auckland Clerical Workers' Union were further aired at the annual meeting last night, states today's "New Zealand Herald." A protracted and al times acrimonious discu:sion, in which political issues were freely introduced, extended over the full evening, and il was found necessary to adjourn the meeting shortly after the ballot was taken for the election of officers. However, a provisional and unofficial count which was subsequently announced showed that the equivalent of the previous executive officers and committee had been returned. With the attendance of members far surpassing anticipations,' the Unity Hall was greatly overcrowded by fully 1000 members. Shortly after 7 o'clock most of the seating accommodation was occupied, and at 7.30, when the meeting was timed to commence, not only was the building packed to capacity, but in addition some hundreds of people thronged the vestibule awaiting admission. " Several score were unable to secure even standing room. RIGID CHECKING. A rigid system of checking to ensure that solely members of the union were admitted was adopted, and it was only ay the presentation of credentials that jallot papers could be obtained. Indi:ating the intense factional feeling was ;he fact that "tickets" were handed >ut by adherents of each of the parties ;hat sought election to office. A strong political atmosphere, to which all sides contributed, was indicted by the interjections which interposed an address by Mr. W. li. Pharazyn, secretary of the New Zeaand Clerical Workers' Association, on the history of the clerical award pro:eedings. He said that prior to the ritroduction of compulsory unionism, he Auckland Union had decided to affiliate with the Federation of Labour, jut, following the change which made membership of the union compulsory, ;he decision had not been carried out. SJowever, the New Zealand Clerical Association, to which the Auckland Union belonged, had linked up with the federation, thus making independent action on the part of Auckand unnecessary. FUNDS AND LABOUR PARTY. A voice: Can you tell us what the federation of Labour is? Mr. Pharazyn said this was not exactly his job, but, replying to the laughter which arose, he added that f they wanted information he could talk just as .long as they wanted him :o. The Federation of Labour was not ;he Labour Party and bore no conaection to it. Not one penny of the inion's funds had been contributed to the Labour Party. "Our job is not to support any political party, but there is no gettog away from the fact that there is nothing more political than wages," le said. , "As soon as you consider wages you cannot help but bring in politics to some extent,"

Dealing with the effect of the clerical awards, Mr. Phartayri said the increases which they had brought about in wages had meant nearly an extra £500,000 to the employees, : and he thought the new award might conceivably represent an additional £250,000 a year. He declared that the union did not want politics, but they were being forced upon it by certain interests. PAYMENT BY UNION. Continuing, Mr. Pharazyn referred to the work performed' by the Alliance of Labour on behalf of the union in its early stages, and said that the better conditions of clerical workers were mainly due to the work performed without recompense by officials of the industrial '-labour movement. In reply to further questions, Mr. Pharazyn stated that £45 had been contributed by the Auckland union to the association for payment to the Federation of Labour, with which the association was affiliated. This sum was a portion of the total amount payable by the union to the association. Further confusion arose when the election of officers was announced, several score of members, who were the last to be admitted, claiming that they had not received ballot papers. Others, unable to stand the crush within the hall, found the break in the proceedings a welcome opportunity to leave. Further papers were issued to those who had previously not received them, but only about 800. votes were cast.

I Following the adjournment of the meeting, provisional and unofficial results of the ballot were announced as follows, all the successful candidates being members of the "ticket" circulated by the original executive:—President, Mr. L. Dore, 448 votes; vicepfresident, Miss 'F. Eccles, 415; executive, Mr. R. Lyford 461, Miss J. Gow 460,' Mr. R. Barclay 452, Mr. J. Orr 450.

The unsuccessful candidates were:— President, Mr. E. W. Taylor, 381; vice-president, Mr. R. S. Woollams, 396; executive, Miss R. M. West 370, Mr. W. J. Allingham, 367, Mr. J. B. Fawcett 365, Miss L. M. McMath 337.