FIRE SERVICES

Otago Daily Times, Issue 27157, 12 August 1949, Page 7

FIRE SERVICES

COMPULSORY UNIONISM CONTENTIOUS CLAUSE AMENDED EXEMPTION LIMIT DOUBLED PA WELLINGTON. Aug. 11. The Fire Services Bill has been amended by the Local Bills Committee to exempt from compulsory union membership all volunteer firemen who do not receive more tnan Jit Vi yearly lor their firefighting services. Only 10 volunteers will now be required to join the union, but the Opposition still objects to the Bill. This was made clear in the House of Representatives this afternoon, when Mr D. W. Coleman (Govt., Gisborne). as chairman of the Local Bills Committee, reported the Bill back with the amendment, and the report was briefly but warmly debated. Mr S. W. Smith (Oppn., Hbbson) said the Bill still did not satisfy the Opposition. It was clear from the evidence of the New Zealand Federated Fire Brigades’ Employees’ Industrial Association of Workers that they opposed the Bill hook, line and sinker. Union’s Appeal

Mr Smith said a statement from, the under over the signatures of Mr F. Beveridge, president, and Mr-' L. Glover, secretary, had read:—‘'We appeal to all members of Parliament not to commit New Zealand to a measure not asked for by qualified firemen, not considered by the firefighting’ service, in direct opposition to the Royal Commission’s report, not in keeping with the principles laid down in other countries not wide enough to cover all hazards and committing the country to an enormous expense without any guarantee of satisfactory Results. It will upset our present fire service, bad as it is, but we cannot afford to break that up by supplanting it with such a doubtful measure as the proposed Bill.” Mr Smith said the Local Bills Committee was divided on the clause raising the exemption limit for volunteers from earnings of £25 to £52 yearly, and the Opposition members were defeated. The amendment did not correct a fundamental wrong, although it was an improvement. ; Mr W. A. Sheat (Oppn.. Patea) said said the Municipal Association, the Fire Brigades’ Association and the United Fire Brigades’ Association ; all gave evidence favouring deletion of the contentious clause relating to volunteers, yet the committee had been divided on party lines, with the Government forcing an amendment not wanted by any of the witnesses. The Prime Minister, Mr Fraser, said the importance of the Bill to thp country should not be obscured by the dispute over the status of not more than 10 men. The Bill had actually received full consideration before its introduction. Even before Ballantyne’s fire the Government had considered legislation on fire services, but the war and the difficulty, of getting the agreement of local bodies had caused delays Matter of Principle Mr K. J. Holyoake (Oppn.. Pahiatua) said the Opposition did not support the proposal for exempting volunteers not earning more than £52 yearly from fire fighting. Even if only one volunteer were affected, and not 10 that one should be left to decide voluntarily if he wished to join the union. Mr Coleman, replying to the debate, said the figure of £25 yearly was the one suggested by the UFBA, and was accordingly included in the Bill, but Government members had realised that the limit was too low. The Bill as amended by the committee provides that a member of a volunteer fire brigades who receives less than £52 in cash in the preceding year for his fire fighting services is exempted from joining the Fire Brigade Employees’ Union. The report was adopted, and the Bill was referred to the Statutes Revision Committee.