PREFERENCE TO UNIONISTS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19967, 8 December 1926, Page 4

PREFERENCE TO UNIONISTS.

BOOT OPERATIVES’ AWARD. PRESENT BY lAI PLICATION. (Special to Daily Times.) CHRISTCHURCH. December 7. “Before a non-unionist boot operative is engaged, must an employer first make application to the union to ascertain whether any unemployed unionists of equal ability to undertake the work are available?” As tbo result of an application by the Inspector of Awards this question has been considered by Mr Justice Frazer, of the Arbitration Court. “The preference clause of this award is worded in a somewhat unusual manner,” he states in the course of his judgment. “The clause docs not expressly state that an employer must make such inquiries, but the implication is clear that he is expected first to ascertain from the union whether such a worker is available. If he does not make the inquiry, and it appears that the union had on its unemployed list a unionist worker of equal ability willing to undertake the work, he commits a breach of tho award. When for any reason it is inconvenient for an employer to make an inquiry of the union, he can safeguard himself by requiring a prospective employee (o become a member of the union before he engages him.”