BREAKAWAY UNIONS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26290, 23 October 1946, Page 7

BREAKAWAY UNIONS

RECOGNITION . REFUSED (Rec. 7 p.m.) LONDON, Oct. 22. Mr Dukes, continuing his statement on the closed shop dispute, said:— ‘‘The General Council deprecates the introduction of the term ‘ closed shop ’ into the discussion of British trade union policy and principles of organisation.” In the council’s view the question had become a matter of controversy in consequence either of misunderstanding or of dejibsrate perversion of the issues invovlved in the policy of a 100 per cent, union shop. Affiliated unions would doubtless continue to support the General Council in refusing to recognise any rights claimed by breakaway unions or any dissident bodies which might seek to sponsor or support the setting up of an organisation to usurp the functions of the congress as the national trade union co-ordirtating authority of the British trade union movement.” The statement went on; “The position of non-unionists cannot be justified on the grounds of principle or expediency. Neither the General Council nor the congress can admit the claim that a workman ought to be free to join a union or not as he pleases.” The council saw no necessity for congress to change its policy of securing a 100 per cent, trade union organisation. The closed shop in the sense of an establishment in which only members of a particular union could be employed to the exclusion of members of other unions was alien to British trade union practice and theory, according to a statement on policy which the Genera] Council of the Trades Union Congress issued. “ Congress never consented to recognition of an exclusive right to organise by one union where <sther unions have built up their organisation side by side.” the statement affirmed.