HOLDING UP JOBS

New Zealand Times, Volume L, Issue 11655, 20 October 1923, Page 2

HOLDING UP JOBS

SEAMEN’S PLAN COPIED. The policy of jab control, carried out by shop committees appointed among the unionists on tho works, is rapidly becoming the papular and settled plan of some of the larger industrial organisations in Melbourne. This marks a distinct departure in •industrial policy, and is largely the result of propaganda carried out by “advanced” industrialists. Job control first got prominence in Australia through the Seamen’s Union, which was practising it on the ships. Vessel after vessel was tied up with demands for altered working conditions, etc., and finally the owner® tied the ships up and declined to recommission them unless they got an undertaking that job control would be abandoned. This led to the great maritime dispute of 1920.. Others besides the seamen, however, had practised job control, but only in a spasmodic way. Now, however, it is being used in a systematic manner. It is used by some of the building trade unions, and now the Meat Industry' Union has adopted the shop committee policy. It is pointed out by union officials, however, that job control does not necessarily make for industrial turmoil. On the contrary, if reasonably exercised, it can be an instrument for preserving industrial peace, for, with responsible men on every job, minor disputes can often be settled with the employer directly concerned', without involving the whole industry. The Meat Union's shop committees last week took action to compel non-unionists to either leave their jobs or join the union.