BIG UNION DOMINANCE

Evening Star, Issue 22595, 12 March 1937, Page 13

BIG UNION DOMINANCE

NATIONAL INDUSTRIAL CONFERENCE PLANNED " BIG THREE ” VOTING POWER CURTAILED [Per United Press Association.] WELLINGTON, March 11. Representatives of practically the whole of the trade union movement of New Zealand were reported present at the meeting held to-night under the auspices of the Wellington Trades and Labour Council and the Wellington Dis-' trict Council of the New Zealand Alliance of Labour. The question of holding a national industrial conference was considered, and it was decided, to approach the Minister of Education (Mr Fraser) and ask him to call a conference of the whole of the trade union movement in New Zealand. It was stated that a decision to take this step was made with the object of overcoming the faction difficulty in the movement. It was agreed that the constitution drafted by the Trades and Labour Council and the Alliance of Labour should be the basis for discussion at a national conference to be arranged for the _ bringing about of one national organisation. To prevent larger organisations dominating the conference it was unanimously agreed that the basis of representation be not more than five representatives from any union, and no representative to have more than one vote. The proposed conference to be called by Mr Fraser is intended to replace the separate conferences to have been called by the New Zealand Alliance of Labour and the Trades and Labour Council on the one hand, and “ a unity committee ” representing the New Zealand Workers’ Union and Waterside Workers’ Federation and the New Zealand Union of Railwaymen on the other hand.