THE LABOR MOVEMENT

Evening Star, Issue 18541, 25 January 1924, Page 3

THE LABOR MOVEMENT

[By Veteran.]

Brief contributions on matters with reference to the Labor Movement an invitedDUNEDIN PRINTERS’ BOOKBINDERS. I have received a copy of tho report of tho Board of Management of the above union, which is a credit to the board, especially to the secretary, MrR. Ferguson. The report shows that the membership is 212, being with few exceptions all that are working at. the trade. The following extract from the report is rather interesting:—“We have again to report_ that, with few exceptions, every person in the trade is connected with tho union, but wc are sorry to say that there are still a few -‘outsiders.’ Th&« few are tho same ones as we have mentioned in previous reports. They are always ready to take all the advantages which tho union gives them without contributing in any way to its support. Had it not been for the eff'orta of tho union these non-nmonists would not be getting tho wages 'hey are, or working under the same beneficial conditions, yet they are ungrateful enough to lake all these privileges without oven saying ‘Thank you.’ Such conduct is incomprehensible to the average person, and we can. in this connection, only repeat what we have said before; ‘ Most workers value their good and honorable -name amongst their fellow-workers. But, to thoir disgrace bo it said, some workers are so afraid of parting with a sixpence, and so afraid that they might incur the displeasure of the “ boss ” that they are prepared to allow thoir names to be disparagingly referred to by thoir fellowworkers by remaining outside tho union.’ ” The finances are in a healthy condition, and tho board recommends that the amount of 10s for males and 6s for females be set aside, and the whole to be paid out on a member leaving tho trade or the district. This is a system already adopted by the Typographical Union. It might be a good thing if other unions followed the example of the Typographical Union, as there is not much need in these days of building up what is termed a' lighting fund, especially in the city unions. That the interests of tho members are well leaked after by the officers is shown right throughout the report and balance-sheet, which I have had much pleasure in studying. CLOTHING TRADE. The New Zealand Federated Clothing Trade Association is considering the question of applying for a now award. The following information as to what is being done in Australia may be of some interest to them. At the end of last month an award was made in the Federal Arbitration Court which gives tho following rates for members of the Clothing Trade Union: —Males; Cutters, £5 14a 6d; trimmers, fitters, tailors’ machinists, pressers, £5 4s fid; under-pressers, brushors, and folders, £4 9s 6d; other pressers, £4 Bs. Females: Journeywomen, making body coats, £5 4s fid; all other coat hands and coat machinists, £2 17s 6d; trouser and vest hands and machinists, £2 I2s 6d. Ladies’ tailoring: Male tailors, £5 9s 6d; male pressers, £5 4s fid; female coat hands and coat machinists, £2 17s 6d; female skirt makers and skirt machinists, £2 12s fid. Ready-made tailoring: Males —Cutters, trimmers, tailors, machinists, and pressers, £5 4s fid; fittersup, £4 8s fid; under-pressers, brushers, and folders, £4 9s fid. Underclothing: Females—Embossers, fagoters, richelieu workers, and embroiderers, £2 12s; others, £2 12s fid; shirts, collars, and pyjamas, cutters (male), £5 Is fid; female machinists, turners, finishers, pressers, and boners, £2 10s fid; dyeing, cleaning, repairing (males), dyers, £5 11s fid; machine dry cleaners, £4 16s 6d; other dry cleaners, £4 12s fid; hat blockers, £4 15s fid, The basic wage fixed for the whole industry is: Males, £4 6s fid; females, £2 7s fid. a & & & TOO MANY UNIONS. Speaking m the Sydney Domain, Mr D. Murray, Labor member for Newcastle, said that tho existence of so many different unions in each of several industries was wasting both tho energy and money of tho unionists. In the Newcastle steelworks, he stated, there were twenty-two unions, and in Lysaght’s, at the same city, seven unions, all engaged in the iron trade. The railway service contained twenty-five unions, covering different trades. Even from the point of arbitration, unification would give a big saving of money. Recently the boilermakers, shipwright?, and other organisations in the iron industry had gone, to the court upon one claim, and the judge had made one award and extended it to cover the lot of them. Under the proposed 0.8. U. groups the court could do the same; so that if there wore twelve groups, for instance, there would require to bo only twelve awards. The force that kept the unions asunder was not an outside element, but tho linos of demarcation between worker and worker drawn by tho unions themselves. » » « « THE COURT COMING. The Arbitration Court will open a sitting in Dunedin on .February 4, when fixtures will be made for the various matter* that have to come up for consideration. The question of a dominion award for the Federated Painters, which has to be heard in each centre, will be one of the most important matters for consideration.