NEW UNIONS FORMING

Evening Star, Issue 22325, 29 April 1936, Page 8

NEW UNIONS FORMING

EFFECT OF COURT REINSTATEMENT SHIPPING AND INSURANCE CLERKS MOVE, . [From Our Parliamentary Reporter.] WELLINGTON, April 28. The promised early appearance of flip Shops and Offices legislation and 1 the impending reinstatement of the Arbitration Court with very definite status is encouraging many sections of employees in Wellington who have not been connected with trade unions to form unions. Already representatives of several groups of such workers have requested! the assistance of trade union officials in forming unions, and have been instructed how to proceed. At present certain groups of clerical workers have organisations such as guilds, but 1 many sections of clerical workers have never succeeded in organising in any way. Some of the guilds may retain that form of organisation, but others have taken steps towards forming Separate unions. Insurance company employees, clerks in shipping offices, etc., have made a definite move for the formation of unions with the ultimate object of obtaining awards_ of the ■ Arbitration Court governing their conditions of work. Inquiries show that in the past few weeks many organisations have called meetings; also that in other cases employees who at present have no guild, institute, or organisation of any kind! have interested themselv-es in the trades union movement. Insurance workers are one body of employees ia Wellington who are seeking an award. About 250 workers representing the fire, life, and accident departments attended a meeting last night, which was convened by the Wellington branch of the Insurance Officers’ Guild Executive. It has already decided to apply for provisional registration as a union, the move to be the forerunner of an application for a Dominion award covering the work not merely of the clerical staff, but of all staffs. The meeting unanimously endorsed the executive’s action. The Wellington branch of the New Zealand Shipping Officers’ Guild is another organisation which has taken action. A meeting of those interested was held last week to apply for a Dominion award. This application, it was stated to-day, had gone forward. It is reported that meetings of the office employees of other business groups, including the _ oil companies, stock and station agencies, with a similar object in view, have also been held. “ There is a general desire on th» part of workers not previously covered by awards to organise, as by so doing they will receive benefits under the Government’s legislation,” stated & Dunedin Trades Hall official to-day. Groups of workers in various employments had held preliminary meetings and had sought advice from th* Trades Hall, he said. However, the formation of the unions-was not being hastened, although it was noted that an increasing number of workers were seeking the protection of unionism.