ONE RAILWAY UNION

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22464, 7 July 1936, Page 11

ONE RAILWAY UNION

OPPOSITION TO MOVEMENT

PROTEST IN CANTERBURY [BY TELEGRAPH —PRESS ASSOCIATION] CHBISTCHURCH. Monday Emphatic opposition to the proposal to form "one big union" in the railway service is expressed in a statement issued by the Canterbury branch of the Locomotive Engineers, Firemen and Cleaners' Association. The statement describes the action of the promoters of the movement in carrying out a campaign in the daily newspapers as "most deplorable," and calculated to stir up class hatred among the railway men themselves. The full statement is as follows:—"In reference to the recent publicity La the daily press concerning 'one big union' in the railway service, the Canterbury branch of the Locomotive Engineers, Firemen and Cleaners' Association wishes to state emphatically that it is definitely opposed to such a project. Having governed their own affairs for cl<4se on 30 years, experience has convinced locomotive men throughout New Zealand as to the wisdom oir the step they took when they formed their own association, a step they have never regretted. We would point out that workers outside the Public Service have their own unions, and, though the railway servants work for one employer, tho service is composed of a wide variety of trades and professions. In fact, one has really to stretch one's imagination to call some of these men 'railwaymen.' These facts do not 'make for the unity which must be an essential feature in such a project as the 'one big union.' "We regard tho action of the promoters of the '0.8.U.' in resorting to the campaign in the daily papers, as a most deplorable one, in view of tho fact that their membership throughout New Zealand is of very small dimensions, having regard to the number of men in tho service. The only purpose it will serve will be to give the general public a false impression of the position, and it will have a tendency to stir up class hatred among railway men themselves, a feature we are sure the present Government has no desire to witness."