OPEN SHOP

Grey River Argus, 13 September 1946, Page 5

OPEN SHOP

BRITISH T.U.C. POLICY LONDON, September 11. The general secretary, .Mr Arthur Deakin, announced that the Transport and General Workers’ Union, which is the world’s largest union, would oppose the Musicians’ Union resolution calling for a closed shop policy at the T.U.Q. conference in October. This decision makes it. highly probable that the T.U.C. will reject the closed shop demand, because other unions are known to be opposing it for a variety of reasons. Mr Deakin explained that his members were against the closed shop policy because it would lead to the danger of a British variation of the Nazi laboux - front idea. “It would lead to too-close collaboration with employers who would expect to employ and hire only union members. Employers under the closed shop system would be expected to cooperate with the union in collecting union subscriptions from their workers’ wage packets,” he said. Mr Deakin added that his union might inform employers that they would refuse to work alongside nonunionist members and subversive organisations, but it was then up to the employers to make up their minds whether it was worth while employing these minorities. “We will keep the aeroplanes flying”, - says a statement issued by unions affiliated to the Trades Union Congress at British Overseas Airways Corporation’s airports. The unions announced their determination of smashing the one-day strike on September 12, which has been threatened by the Aeronautical Engineers’ Association in support of their demand for recognition as a union.