GRIP OF UNIONISM

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22402, 24 April 1936, Page 17

GRIP OF UNIONISM

PROTEST BY MR. FORBES EFFECTS ON INDUSTRY NEED TO SAFEGUARD WORKERS [BY TELEGRAPH —SPECIAL REPORTER] WELLINGTON, Thursday The domination .of New Zealand by trade unionism following the passing of the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Amendment Bill was predicted by the Leader of the Opposition, Rt. Hon. G. W. Forbes, during the second reading debato on the bill in the House of Representatives to-day. The legislation, he said, would provide for a complete blanket of unionism from one end of the Dominion to the other. Mr. Forbes said tho bill placed the employers in the position of ('Public Enemy No. 1." Nothing in the measure showed the slightest consideration for tho employers. It set out to tighten tho grip of union officials on industry, and it did that very thoroughly. Tho employers were not to be masters in their own industries. He did not know if the bill was the first step in tho direction of socialisation. The Minister of Internal Affairs, Hon. W. E. Parry: Seddon took the first step. "The Tyranny of Officials" Mr. Forbes said the proposals in tho bill would make it very hard for anything in the nature of private enterprise, and would add to the difficulties of industry. "We have to protect the workers from tho tyranny of union officials," Mr. Forbes continued. "We are to have unions covering every phase of employment and industry in this country. No doubt we will have a Farm Workers' Union and a Domestic Workers' Union. There will bo well-paid billets for some enterprising gentlemen. Union officials will have tho right of entry to private homes. The right of entry to private premises should at least be restricted to Government inspectors." After pointing out that tho alterations in tho arbitration law had been made by the last Government to meet tho unusual conditions arising out of the depression Mr. Forbes said he thought the system of compulsory conciliation and voluntary arbitration had operated satisfactorily. As a general rule employers had played tho game, although they had been represented as a set of monsters who were out to exploit their employees. Mr. J. A. Lee (Government —Grey Lynn): A lot of them did, too. Workers' Independence A large section of the workers, said Mr. Forbes, were opposed to the Arbitration Court, feeling that they could obtain better results by retaining their independence. That was the attitude taken up by workers in the Old Country. The former Leader of the Labour Party, Mr. H. E. Holland, had written a pamphlet, "Labour's leg-iron," in which he had opposed the compulsory provisions of the Arbitration Court. Mr. J. Thorti (Government — Thames): That was written 20 years before his death. Mr. Forbes: There is no doubt that the views expressed by the late Mr. Holland are still held by a large section of workers Criticising the clause in the bill authorising; unions to increase the amount of membership subscriptions Mr. Forbes said it was evident there had been pressure to allow unions to levy a greater amount than that permitted under the original Act. The Postmaster-General, Hon. F. Jones: Do not members decide th*> amount of the subscription? Mr. Forbes said the clause permitted a levy which the workers might not be able to afford. He thought that before subscriptions ' were increased every member of a union should have an opportunity of exercising his vote. There should be safeguards to see that any action taken was fair and equitable. The workers had to be protected against extravagance that might take place in the "management of unions. Provision lor Compulsion There had been scandals in the administration of union affairs in England and the workers should be protected against the possibility of such occurrences here. He suggested as a safeguard that unions should have to apply to the Arbitration Court for its approval for increasing the subscriptions of members. "The clause dealing with compulsory preference to unionists seals up the whole business in regard to unionism." said Mr. Forbes Ho added that he had received a letter from the representatives of the Seventh Day Adventists protesting against this provision. These people said it was against their principles to belong to a union and there would apparently be no place for them with the whole country under a blanket of unionism. The Minister of Labour, Hon. H. T. Armstrong: We have promised to consider their protest.