THE LABOUR MOVEMENT

Evening Star, Issue 22683, 24 June 1937, Page 2

THE LABOUR MOVEMENT

[By Trade Unionist.]

AN UNPRECEDENTED CONFERENCE. There opened in Wellington yesterday the annual conference of the New Zealand Workers’ Union, which possibly to-day is numerically the strongest trade union in the Dominion. From reports to hand 23 delegates are attending the ■ conference from all parts of New Zealand, which will be under the chairmanship of Mr R. Eddy, who has been elected, unopposed, for another term as the national president. Since the New/ Zealand Workers’ Union’s annual conference last year a wonderful expansion has been made in its organising activities, especialjy amongst rural workers. Orders in Council have been made giving the union wider status to obtain for a large number of rural industries awards or agreements covering workers who never previously were under an award —such wohkers as tobacco plantation workers, orchard workers, gum diggers, wood cutters, land and farm drainage workers, and many others. Since last September the union has negotiated a large number of agreements with employers throughout New Zealand, with the result that to-day its membership is well over 30,000 strong. . , A plan for the reorganising of the whole union has been drafted, and is to be placed before the conference. The chief desire is to give 100 per cent, service to its membership, to see that each member can get full protection, if he or she (there are many female members) is not receiving full rights. The delegates to-day have a responsible duty to perform on behalf of the membership. Most of the delegates are tried men, and realise this responsibility. “ Trade Unionist ” is glad to see industrial conditions for these workers gradually, improving. It is expected tiiat the conference will last about 10 days. • * * •

CORONATION HONOURS. , In my previous remarks I referred' ter acknowledgments by the King to vari--ous persons in the Labour movement’ who were to be given recognition for their public services. In some of the recent English papers to hand there are published some very interesting awards, such as the 0.8. E. medal to industrial workers of all classes in England. The following are some of the recipients: — Joseph Swarbrick, greaser, Ulster Monarch, Belfast Steamship Co. Ltd. “ You could call his an award for distinguished service,” said an official of the Belfast Steamship Co. Ltd. _ “ He has an excellent record of continuous service as a greaser for something like 30 years, with a period of war service in between.”

Arthur John Taylor, engine driver, L.N.E.R. Belongs to the “ top link ” —trusted men in charge of the crack trains, and is typical of their class, a man who has spent all his life on the railway. He drove the “ Silver Jubilee ” on its trial run, in September, 1935, when what is claimed as a world’s record speed of 112 miles an hour was reached. Joseph Woodcock, postman, Thorpe sub-office, Norwich. For 25 years has been assistant commandant and instructor of the local Red Cross society. Has,, given most of his free time to help with welfare work among post office workers. Mario Jeambrun, housemaid, British Embassy, Spain. Thomas Arthur Leonard, founder of the Co-operative Holiday l Association and of the Holiday Fellowship. He was one of the first men in England to push the idea of cheap, healthful holidays for the masses. His friends call him the man>“who threw open the Garden of England ” to the poor and lonely 48 years ago, when they had no guiding hand at holiday time. John Lee, secretary, Amalgamated Textile Warehousemen. Chairman, Northern Counties Textile Federation. Tower of strength to textile workers. Valuable wage concessions affecting 6,000 operatives were obtained by the amalgamation in of this year. Has proved himself a wizard at conciliation. “ Fair-play John ” is his nickname among the Rochdale folk. *' # * * EMPLOYMENT OF JUVENILE LABOUR. The * Ministry of Labour Gazette ’ for April contains a summary of the report of the committee appointed by the Home Secretary in January, 1936, to inquire into the hours of employment of young persons under 18 years of age employed as van boys, errand

boys, messengers, warehouse boys, page boys, and lift boys, or other attendants in hotels or places of public entertainment. Young persons subject to the provisions of the Shops Act or the Factory and Workshop Act are not included.

It was not possible to estimate precisely the number of young persons covered by the committee’s terms of reference, but the 1931 census figures suggested that the number might be as large as 125,000. Van boys are the most numerous, followed by errand boys and messengers; considerable numbers are employed as fish porters on quays and as page boys and lift hoys in large hotels, mainly in London. Theatres and the large cinemas employ the majority of page boys in places of entertainment. Most of the girls covered by the committee’s terras of rofernece arc working as ushers in cinemas. Replies to questionnaires issued to 59 selected juvenile advisory or employment committees in Great Britain (excluding London) show that out of 13,339 young persons covered by the replies 10,541 worked for over 48 hours a week. Meal times and/or rest periods are included in the working hours; 2,265 worked for over 60 hours a week and 512 worked for over 72. Replies to a questionnaire issued by the London Regional Advisory Council for Juvenile Employment to local committees in London show that out of 22,673 young persons covered by the replies only 3,811 worked for not longer than 48 hours a week; 7,069 worked for over 72 hours a week. Out of 8,417 page boys, lift boys, and other attendants 7,030 worked for over 72 hours a week, and 5,364 of these young persons working such excessively long hours were aged from 14 to 16. The inquiry made by factory inspectors as to the hours of van hoys employed in connection with factories showed that long hours were mainly to bo found_ in the case of boys employed by laundries, bakeries, and aerated water factories. The report states that unduly long hours are exceptional for errand boys, messengers, porters, _ and warehouse boys, that the majority are not employed for more than approximately 48 hours a week (exclusive of intervals for meals). In the case of page boys and attendants in places of public entertainment it was found that although there is a proportion of cases of unduly long hours, the more serious failure is the long spread-over of hours which is often found. Cinema attendants tend to begin work in the morning and cease late at night, with substantial intervals between their spells of work. It is perhaps hardly surprising that the committee came to the general conclusion that there is a definite need for the regulation of the hours of the young persons covered by the inquiry. The committee emphasises the necessity for immediate action. * * * * “ BE LOYAL TO YOUR UNION.” A robust appeal to trade unionists to obey their own rules ond take no heed of unofficial “ rabble rousers ” was made by Mr Fred. A. Smith, general secretary of the Amalgamated Engineering Union, at Chester, recently. Dealing with the spasmodic outbursts that had occurred recently, Mr Smith said he appreciated members’ desire to improve wages and conditions. This objective would not be secured, however, unltss full regard were paid to the constitution of the union, wfiich had been created by the members, and loyal support given to the officials democratically elected and charged with the duty of administering that constitution. The maintenance of collective bargaining depended on their loyalty to jtheir organisation, and he did not intend in any circumstances, as an official of the union or as a member, to allow the organisation to become an economic cemetery to provide a rabble rousers’ holiday, or to bej jeopardised by interference from bodies _ not provided for by the rules of the union. Referring to the continued numerical and financial progress of the union, Mr Smith said that, while progress was being made, due to an armaments boom, he foresaw that the spectre of unemployment would overshadow the organisation when the orgy of spending on armaments had passed. Prudence had to be exercised in administration, and ordered industrial progress made strictly in accordance with the union’s constitution. * * * * REFUSED CARGO OF NITRATE. Told that a cargo of nitrate was to be taken to Seville for use as a fertiliser, a British crew replied that nitrate could reduce human bodies to fertiliser, and refused to sail the ship. _ This story was told at Liverpool Police Court recently, when 17 seamen of the North Shields steamer Linaria were charged with combining to disobey lawful commands, and with wilful neglect of duty. Mr Maxwell Fyfe, K.C., prosecuting, said that when the vessel was at Portland, Maine, on February 19, the crew heard that she was due to take the nitrate from Hopewell, United States, to Seville. They passed a resolution stilting that they would not he parties to suppplying nitrate to General Franco to kill men fighting for the Spanish Government. The British Consul at Boston tried to persuade the men to change their minds, but failed. They were discharged, and the ship lost 10 days’ time. Mr S. S. Silverman, Labour M.P. for Nelson and Colne, who defended, submitted that the decision to convey nitrate to Spain would have had the effect of sending a hazardous enterprise and involving in risks of war seamen who had agreed to serve on a peaceful voyage. Captain Joseph Robinson, master of the steamer, said he had not had a single word of trouble with any of the crew before the nitrate incident. The hearing was adjourned. * ■* • * INTERNATIONAL FEDERATION OF TRADE UNIONS. Presiding over the I.F.T.U. executive meeting in Paris recently was Sir Walter Citrine, lean, active, general secretary of the Trades Union Congress, comments a leading English daily. Most people know his trade union history. E.T.U. Liverpool Trades Council—Transport House vaguely sums it up. But not so many know about his pre-trade union days. Before he was old enough to know about union organisation ho sold newspapers. acted as butcher’s delivery boy, worked 12 hours a day in a flour mill. All that left little time for learning; hut the English Trade Union Congress chief-to-be somehow managed it. Now he reads his classics as well as most university men.