UNIONS SPREAD

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22466, 9 July 1936, Page 15

UNIONS SPREAD

EFFECT OF LEGISLATION ANNUAL DOMINION LEVY AN ESTIMATE OF £130,000 LARGE TOTAL OF MEMBERS A suggestion made yesterday by Mr. H. Campbell, secretary to the Trades and Labour Council in Auckland, that by August 131 approximately 100,000 persons will be members of industrial unions in New Zealand, indicates that unionism in the Dominion will mean the levying of £130,000 in dues for the coming 12 months. Last December there were 71 unions registered in Auckland city, including Onchunga, and 20 others in the immediate neighbourhood of Auckland. To-daj f it is estimated that in the city area alone well over 100 unions are actively engaged. According to official returns at March 31, 1935, there were 401 industrial unions registered in New Zealand, with a total membership of 74,391. Mr. Campbell suggests that since the introduction of legislation making unionism Compulsory, the total membership must have risen by onethird.

On that basis and at an average impost of sixpcnco a week for each unionist tho levy throughout the Dominion aggregates £2500 a, week. A few unions levy eightpence, some ninepence, but the average is sixpence. There is such a rush of applications among those wishing to join or rejoin their unions that union secretaries arc experiencing a busy time, according to Mr. Campbell. Several months will elapse before secretaries are able to give returns of membership of unions.