POWERS OF UNIONS.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLV, Issue 176, 29 June 1925, Page 6

POWERS OF UNIONS.

JUDGMENT IN AUSTRALIA. Received June 29, 9.25 a.m. MELBOURNE, June 29. Judgment was given for defendants in the case of Phillips versus Wateraiders’ Federation. —Press Association. This was a case bearing importantly on the question of whether unions aro entitled to inflict penalties on members for alleged disobedience of the rules. F. Phillips sought to recover £IOOO damages from the Workers’ Federation of Australia and the Wharf Labourers’ Union, of which he is a member, on the ground that, the two bodies mentioned wrongfully refused to recognise him as a member, whereby lie lost employment. His-case was that in February of last year he was helping to unload from u steamer. The foreman called him down the hatch to (ill up the slings, and he obeyed tire order. The union’s vigilance officer thereupon came along and called down the hold: "Stop tliut game; you are putting too much on the slings.” Phillips was subsequently lined 10s by the union for an alleged breach of the rules. He denied liability and was consequently set uside as untinaneial. He could get no work except small jobs, and was unable to join any ether union without his financial clearance.