LABOUR AND THE UNIONS

Southland Times, Issue 23182, 24 April 1937, Page 9

LABOUR AND THE UNIONS

POSITION OF DANCE BANDS (By W.S.W.) Last week the president of the Otago and Southland Musicians’ Union (Mr G. Raffills), accompanied by the secretary (Mr J. Robinson), arrived in Invercargill. The president met a number of members of dance bands and explained to them the position of the award and the position of members joining the union. The position has been placed before the inspector of factories (Mr H. Hopper), and acting on his advice the Southland secretary (Mr W. Whitty) has advised all members of dance bands that the compulsory unionism clause applies and members will require to join the union. At a meeting on Monday, Mr Raffills invited the branch to send a delegate to Dunedin to attend the next meeting of the union. A meeting has been called for tomorrow and a delegate will be appointed. In order that all bands may be conversant with the position, it would be advisable to attend and have it clearly placed before them. Any musician playing in Invercargill or Southland, other than brass bands etc., must join, as well as members of dance bands. Clerical Unions Mr H. E. Kimble, who attended the Clerical Union’s Dominion conference in Wellington, returned on Tuesday night. He stated that the conference had been a great success and Dominion questions had been fully discussed, and he felt that the results would prove beneficial to clerical workers in every centre. The conference unanimously decided to proceed immediately with a schedule to be used as the basis of a Dominion award for next year. A full and complete report of the business of the conference will be given to the members of the union at the next monthly meeting, and members are cordially invited to attend. They will find the report very interesting. It has been estimated that the Dominion Federation, when properly formed, will represent about 30,000 clerical workers. This will undoubtedly make it one of the strongest organizations in New Zealand. New Awards A copy of the Fur Workers’ Award is now to hand. It became operative as from March 1, 1937. All fur workers in Southland will require to be members of the union. , The new Engine Drivers’, Firemens and Greasers’ Award came into operation on March 29. This award applies to Otago ahd Southland. Chemists’ Assistants The major clauses of the chemists’ assistants’ dispute have been referred to the Arbitration Court. Southland chemists are a party to this dispute, as it was taken as a Dominion dispute for the first time. AU workers employed

as assistants are required to be members of the union. Workers’ Advocate One of the most important items on the agenda paper discussed at the recent Unity Conference in Wellington was the question of all industrial disputes being conducted on behalf of the workers. The writer is of the opinion that this matter must receive the first attention of the executive, as it is absolutely necessary that qualified men must be appointed to conduct these cases. It has been suggested by the conference that one advocate for each island be appointed. Evidence has been produced that through not being capably represented workers in some centres have received a lower scale of wages and conditions than applied in another centre. The time is long overdue for the appointment of capable workers’ advocates, and all members of union locally would be well advised to give this matter earnest consideration. The positions could be filled without any trouble by the appointment of the two most efficient men in the Dominion today, Mr A. W. Croskery, of Wellington, and Mr J. Robinson, of Dunedin. These two. men have given a life of study to the industrial laws and any worker who follows industrial disputes will, I think, agree with the writer that the services of these two men should be immediately secured and that the New Federation of Labour should employ them full time on this work. This can be helped by unions adopting the system of Dominion disputes. If the workers take a lead from the Employers’ Association, they will be doing the right thing as at every conciliation council sitting a representative of the Employers’ Association is present to take a full report of the proceedings and likewise the Arbitration Court sittings. This report is then sent to head office and ultimately out to all

associations in the Dominion. Therefore, when conducting a case on behalf of the employers in any centre, the representative has the full knowledge of what has happened in other centres previously and this must be a decided advantage. Secretary Retires At the annual meeting of the Gore branch of the New Zealand Labour Party recently the resignation was accepted with regret of the secretary (Mr A. J. Middlemiss). A hearty vote of thanks was passed to Mr Middlemiss, and the meeting decided to record in the minutes the branch’s appreciation of his work over a long period of years. Mr Middlemiss was for many years divisional area representative of the National Executive of the Labour Party. Invercargill members of the party trust that he will still keep in touch .with them, as in the past, and extend to him best wishes. Casual Workers’ Holidays A decision of considerable importance to casual workers is contained in a letter from the chief inspector of factories (Mr H. E. Mostyn) which has been received by Mr A. Cook, general secretary of the New Zealand Workers’ Union. “In reply to your inquiry dated March 30, in regard to the question of payment for Good Friday, I have to advise that in the absence of a definition of casual workers the department is adopting the view that all workers, including casual workers, who have been employed for at least four days before any holiday, are to be paid for the holidays, referred to in the extension order,” the letter stated.