W.E.A.

Grey River Argus, 3 May 1922, Page 7

W.E.A.

TRADE UNION STRUCTURE. At the usual weekly meeting of the local W.E.A. class held in the High School room on Monday, May 1, Mr Belshaw concluded the study of trade unionism. Several methods of organisation were possible, as had been shown by a study of the movement in other countries. Craft unionism united those in a single industrial process or vocation, the occupational union united those in a group of kindred processes (e.g., all wood workers). The trades union, as might be represented by the Owenism of the 30’s of last century, endeavoured to unite all workers more or less irrespective of trade or industry. It assumed a single class consciousness, while in fact there were several. If the union • were a body organised previously to fight the employer these types of union were structurally weak, though craft and occupational unions might gain in strength by federation or amalgama tion. The strongest type of union was the industrial union, in theory at any rate. This included all the workers in an industry irrespective of craft or vocation. For success it demanded a degree of solidarity which seldom existed at present and necessitated the removal of conflicting interests between crafts. The method of control in an industry, I whether strong and central as in Ger- ! many or with great local freedom, as in France, whether power were vested in i an executive, or in the hands of the members as a body, depended on circumstances peculiar to each industry, and no universal rules could be formulated. The lecture then turned to a consideration of the general strike as a weapon. There were four types of general strikes—political, to gain some legislative reform, antimilitaristic, to prevent war, economic to gain some concession I from the employers, and social, to . overthrow capitalism. There were few chances that any of these would sucI ceed and the sectional strike, backed 1 up by the power of organised labour, appeared to be more popular. The lecturer pointed out that tradeunionism in New Zealand was weak. This was due largely to the influence of the Arbitration Court, but also to the peculiar conditions of New Zealand industry. The Arbitration Court encouraged craft unionism and the union became mainly a debt collecting machine. The members relied on the secretary and the executive to a large extent, and the union meetings were poorly attended. Unions were often small and widely scattered, while the seasonal nature of many industries prevented much continuity of action. Owing to the ease (comparatively) of setting up on one’s own, individualism was strong and a large number of men were their own masters. The proposed Alliance of Labour might do much to solidify the ranks of labour.