INDUSTRIAL GROUPS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26415, 20 March 1947, Page 6

INDUSTRIAL GROUPS

NATIONAL UNIONISM A NEW DEVELOPMENT IMPLEMENTATION OF PLAN Industrial Correspondent WELLINGTON, Mar. 19. Plans for the organisation of the workers into 13 big national unions on the basis of industrial unionism, as announced some time ago by the New Zealand Federation of Labour, are now being put into effect. These plans will involve further centralisation of union control and policy, but will give more effective power to the 220,000 workers now affiliated through 400 unions. A leading union journal, the official organ of the New Zealand Carpenters’ Union, in its March issue says: “Many organisations are moving on these lines. Metal workers are pushing forward with their policy of joining up in one big metal trades union, building trade workers are moving towards one big union for the whole building industry, and railwaymen are considering amalgamation of the various railway unions. “Another big amalgamation which is in the air is the federation of the New Zealand Workers’ Union with the General Labourers’ Federation. This is not the same as an industrial union. The proposal is for a loose federation of independent unions, and not one single union, but it is an important step of great significance.” No Need for Court’s Protection

This journal, in common with several others published among the trade unions, looks for a break away from the Arbitration Court, and sees in a policy of industrial unionism an opportunity for the workers to wield power sufficient to enable them to do without the court’s protection. The article continues:

“ There will be no great improvement in industrial conditions without a break-away from the Arbitration Court. There can. be no successful break-away except on the basis of industrial unionism. The recent increase of 4£d an hour for freezing works tradesmen was won outside the Arbitration Court. It was won because the various unions combined to fight the issue on an industrial basis, but had all the trades been part of the Freezing Workers’ Union there would have been no need for this struggle. The matter would have been satisfactorily settled long before. A recent example of the operation of industrial unionism has been the transfer of wharf carpenters from the Carpenters’ Union to the Waterside Workers’ Union. An agreement is due to be announced soon conferring some of the benefits of the recent waterfront agreement on the ship carpenters. The Proposed Groups

Industrial unionism involves the grouping of workers according to the industries in which they are engaged, rather than, according to their crafts, as in the old system of craft unionism. The plans of the Federation of Labour envisage major national unions covering the following groups:—A transport workers’ union, comprising all seafaring labour, railwaymen, tramwaymen, road and air transport workers, waterside workers and harbour board workers; a metal and allied trades workers’ union; a mine workers’ union; an agricultural, primary producers and related trades union; a construction workers’ union; a food and related trades union; a textile and related trades union; a printing and related trades union; a building and related trades union; a light and power workers’ union; a timber and forestry workers’ union; a union of Post and Telegraph workers; and a municipal workers’ union. The Federation of Labour does not propose that the workers should be regimented into these unions, but that they be informed of the advantages to be gained under a policy of industrial unionism.