UNION FEE

Evening Post, Volume CXXXVII, Issue 116, 18 May 1944, Page 4

UNION FEE

DEMAND ON SOLDIER

FURLOUGH INCIDENT Because you are one of. the many thousands who have been in the Army, are you going to trade on that for the rest of your life, to shirk your share of the cost of maintaining decent conditions of employment? This passage in a letter addressed to a member of the first furlough draft, Trooper Randall Sim, who has since returned to active service with the N.Z.E.F. in Italy, from the secretary of the New Zealand Dairy Factory Employees' Union, Mr. J, Ross, is the subject of editorial comment in "Review," the official publication of the New Zealand Returned Services Association. Under the heading, "Insult to a Serving Soldier," the publication expresses the opinion that the question addressed to Sim was also, addressed to every returned serviceman in the country, and if the attitude were permitted to develop, it would lead to the utter discomfiture of those who allowed it. WHOLE YEAR'S SUBSCRIPTION. In a summary of the position "Review" says that Trooper Sim, while staying at Alton on furlough, _ was asked to help in the factory during a busy period, and was asked by tne union secretary for a whole year s subscription to the union, which he refused to pay, although willing to pay for the period he was employed. The secretary insisted on full payment, promising a rebate later tor any period he would serve with the The' Patea branch of the R.S.A. referred the final letter from Mr. Ross to the Dominion executive, whicn asked the union president to state if he approved such a letter being sent to a serving soldier. There was no reply from the president, but Mr. Ross wrote stating that Sim had refused to pay and also failed to communicate with him as promised after discussing the matter with the factory manager. He wrote to Sim on Christmas Eve inquiring on the matter, and received a reply stating that he had ceased employment a week previously and was to return overseas. Under the circumstances, and considering that he had helped out to relieve staff shortage, he felt it out of place that he should be expected to pay. In return he received the following letter:—"The reason you give for your refusal to pay your subscription due to the union is that you worked in the Alton factory during some of the time you were on furlough, and say we should be grateful to you for working there. "PULL YOUR WEIGHT." "One would have thought that your experience in the., Army would have taught you the principles of co-opera-tion and mateship. While working in the factory you obtained the advantages of the work done by your fel-low-workers through their union. According to yourself, you voluntarily went into the factory to work, and this is all the more reason why you should pull your weight and pay your share of the cost of maintaining and improving the conditions of "Because you are one of the_ many thousands who have served in the Army, are you going to trade on that for the rest of your life, to shirk your share of the cost of maintaining decent conditions of employment? We are happy to say that yours is the only experience of this sort we have had and the prospects of a better world we are told we are fighting tor would be bleak if there were many workers taking up the attitude you eire "- The R.S.A. executive forwarded the whole of the correspondence to the New Zealand Federation of Labour, which replied that there had apparently been, first, some misunderstanding of the position, and second, some untruths expressed regarding it. The union's policy was to charge the full fee and in case of a short period of work to refund it, with the exception of a five shillings entrance fee and a shilling a week dues. "OUTRAGEOUS." "This journal is fully aware of the many benefits derived by workers from the trade union movement," comments "Review." "We do, however, take strong exception to a serviceman with Trooper Sim's service being classed as a 'shirker,' and consider it outrageous that a soldier who, while on furlough, voluntarily . helps to maintain the country's production, should have been expected to pay any union fees while so employed. If it were not for loyal servicemen such as Trooper Sim both Ross and his fellows might well be working under alien coercion, and he would not be worrying about union fees. This journal further considers that the phrase 'Are you going to trade on that for the rest of your life?' is entirely unwarranted and contemptible, and it is most derogatory to the thousands of servicemen who are making untold sacrifices today in order that New Zealanders may continue to enjoy their way of life—including trade unionism —tomorrow. .. . Let the Federation of Labour take heed and discipline its representatives who so wantonly bring the movement into odious repute."