UNIONS' DISCLAIMER.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20720, 13 November 1930, Page 12

UNIONS' DISCLAIMER.

CO-OPERATION ADVOCATED.

SINCERITY OF ALLIANCE.

DOUBT CAST IN WELLINGTON

[liY TELEGKAI'JI.—PRESS ASSOCIATION. ] WELLINGTON, Wednesday.

"A grave injustice will be done to workers affiliated to Hie Wellington Trades and Labour Council and, wo think, to a large majority of the workers of the Dominion, if they are in any way associated with tiio threat of refusal to pay the levy into the unemployment fund or to refuse to co-operate with the Unemployment Board, as suggested by the deputation from the Alliance of Labour," says a statement issued to-day by (ho executive of the Wellington Trades and Labour Council.

"The Unemployment Act as passed recently is not ideal from the point, of view of the Labour iPovemont." says the statement. "The movement took e%'ery legitimate step to secure the required amendments. It did not succeed and was naturally disappointed. The position will not, however, be improved by refusing cooperation with the board. In regard to the method of appointing representatives to the board, the Minister would be well advised to take a ballot of the unions on the nominations received, in the man ner adopted when appointing the representatives to tho Court of Arbitration. " Must Accept Responsibility." "The members of tho executive of the Alliance of Labour may determine methods of showing their disapproval of tho procedure in appointing the workers' representatives to tho Unemployment Hoard, but theVj must accept full responsibility for their own actions, and not suggest that their actions have been determined by tho affiliations to tho organisation. Neither should thoy suggest that the organisations are acting against their advice. This is neither correct nor fair to the organisations inside or outside of tho Alliance of Labour. Probably more will bo heard of this at a later date. "May wo cite some of the incidents which led up to the present position. On October 23 the Wellington Trades and Labour Council held its usual meeting. At this meeting a number of members of tho executive of the Alliance of Labour were present. Forty delegates were in attendance; represent ing the majority of the unions affiliated to tho Trades Council. This meeting carried a resolution recommending nil affiliated unions to nominate Messrs. W. Bromley and F. D. Cornwell as the workers' representatives on the Unemployment Board. Circular to Unions. "Following this meeting, and prior to (he next meeting of tho council, the executive of the Alliance of Labour issued a circular to tho unions throughout the Dominion urging them to protest against tho method of appointment, to forward a letter to tho Minister of Labour to this effect, and at the same time to intimate that they would not co-operate with the Government in it# administration of tho unemployment scheme until the workers were conceded tho fundamental right of selecting their own representatives on the board.

"At a meeting of tho Wellington Trades and Labour Council held on November 5, members of the executive of the Alliance again being present, a motion to endorse the action taken by the executive of the Alliance was defeated by a large majority.

"Members of the council questioned tho sincerity of members of the executive of the Alliance, in view of their repeated public declarations that they would oppose the unemployment measure, which they described as a wage-reducing, unionsplitting measure, and would call upon the workers to prevent it from operating."

Hie statement proceeds to express doubt as to the sincerity of the Alliance on the ground that, 011 (lie invitation' of the Prime Minister, the Alliance appointed a member to the Unemployment Committeo without consulting a single union. It also reminds the deputation that the membership of the unions which have sent forward nominations for the board far exceeds the membership of the Alliance of Labour.

UNIONISTS SUPPORT ACT.

OPINIONS IN AUCKLAND.

CRITICISM OF THE ALLIANCE.

There would appear to be no suggestion ■that the trade union workers of Auckland should refuse to co-operate in making the administration of the Unemployment Act effective as has been proposed in Wellington by speakers representing the Alliance of Labour. The proposal ih Wellington arose out of the realisation that the union members were not to ballot for the election of their two representatives 011 the L<nemploymeut Board, these members being chosen by the Minister of Labour from the names forwarded as nominations by the various unions. This movement 011 the part of the Alliance was roundly condemned yesterday by a prominent union secretary, who said that in any case the Alliance did not represent the bulk of the unionists. He claimed that less than 10 per cent, of the unions, representing about 15 per cent, of unionists, were affiliated to the Alliance.

Another leading union secretary said he know of no movement in Auckland to thwart tho Government in making the Act fully operative. Ho expressed the opinion that the Wellington agitation was merely absurd, ahd the outcome of-jeal-ousy 011 the part of Alliance leaders. Opinion in the Trades Hall was that while the Act did not promise all that tho workers would wish it- was commendable as a start. They thought the Act was a genuine attempt to face tho present position, and in view of tho poverty and distress occasioned by unemployment their desiro was to see the Unemployment Board in uction at the earliest possible moment, it, was realised that tho election of the trade union representatatives would cause useless delay. ]t was made clear that there had been no official action on tho part of Trades Hall executives to induce any of the men to refuse payment of the uneinploynient levy.