UNION MEMBERS

King Country Chronicle, Volume XXXI, Issue 4957, 18 February 1937, Page 5

UNION MEMBERS

SECRETARY'S LETTER. COMPLAIN AT ATTITUDE. : Complaint at the attitude of a trade union secretary towards the manager of a Wellington mill in con T nection with union membership was made by Mr. D. J. McGowan at a meeting of the council of the Wellington Chamber of Commerce on Tuesday evening.

Mr; McGowan said that the firni had imported between £20,000 and £30,000 worth of machinery, and had brought Australian operators to New Zealand to work the machines and to teach New Zealanders. Some o| the Australians did not wish to join the union. The secretary of the unf ion (Mr. W. T. Young) wrote to the manager of the mill stating, that when a worker refused to become a member of the union, the Tinion could replace him or her with a member or intending member whether he or she was capable of doing the work or not. The writer stated that the Minister of Labour, (the Hon. H. T. Armstrong) and the As| sistant Secretary to the Department of Labour (Mr. Moston) had defit nitely advised him that the was as had been stated. ",'.'. j

"There are, in addition to foremen and forewomen, some who are not members," the letter stated. "There;fore it is requested that all enrol next pay day and that you will renjrender your assistance in that re--spect. Should any not so join, the union will take the steps to replace them in the employment as per above." ; Mr. McGowan said it was interest} ing to note that the Minister of Lab-i our had recently stated when reply* ing to criticism regarding unemployi ;ment relief expenditure, that the primary consideration was not the saving of relief funds, but insuring that industry and so on was manned by: the most suitable labour available; and to this end to act as introduc-j tory machinery between' employers and employees. i Mr. McGowan said that the council of the Chamber could not do anything in the matter, but he thought that it should be brought before it.