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Roll-Call of Unions

Labour Department’s Report Auckland’s Host of Workers TRADES HALL, in Hobson Street, is the most important 1 Labour stronghold in New Zealand. Auckland lias 24,000 trades unionists, and 77 unions, of which the atiairs of a large proportion are administered from the secretai m offices of Trades Hall. With 24,096 unionists, Auckland city has more than one-fifth of the total number enrolled in New Zealand.

PAR the largest individual union in -* New Zealand is the Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants, with headquarters in Wellington, which has a roll of just over 9,000 members. The smallest is the Christchurch Clerks’, Cashiers' and Office Employees’ Union —roll number, 2. Next to the A.S.R.S., among individual societies, is the Auckland Hotel Employees’ Union, which, with its IK tit at % fu Hi tit tit tit EK hV ifc tit tit n't -ii

gades’ Employees, with a roll of 36; and the Waterside Foremen and Timekeepers—just 15 in number. While Auckland city has 24,096 trade unionists, there are 27.256 in the province, including the city's substantial contribution. In the whole of New Zealand there are 99,667 unionists, and 5,435 individual employers are banded together in corresponding associations, of which there are 35 in Auckland. CAUSES OF UNEMPLOYMENT In a review of union affairs generally, the report of the Department of Labour traverses the history of disputes in the year ended March 31 last. Several serious disturbances occurred in the mining industry, including a strike of 264 men at Glen. Afton, near Huntly. They were out for 30 working days. Perhaps the most serious trouble how-ever, occurred in the freezing industry, in which an extensive strike affected Hawke’s Bay, Auckland, Feilding. Longburn, Wanganui. Masterton, Waitara, Picton, and Gisborne, free labour being introduced by the employers. Dealing with the causes of unemployment, the department's report concludes that the position is largely attributable to the fall in exports, both in prices and volume, with a slackening of trade and unemployment as a sequel. The building trade, particularly in the construction of large city blocks, continues to be active, but many carpenters have been without work through the falling-off in the building of houses. ADVERSE FACTORS Inquiries in different districts in the Dominion brought the following as reasons for the present state of the labour market: Farming: Adverse financial conditions; farmers doing" their own work instead of employing labour, or deferring work until times improve. Farm Machinery: The introduction of electric power and motor tractors has displaced a considerable amount of labour. Other Machinery: New labour-sav-ing devices have displaced labour in town and country. Concrete-mixers, steam navvies, coal-grabs, and bulk handling of petrol are among the principal factors. Importations: In timber, agricultural machinery, clothing, and boots, imported products are said to have displaced locally-made goods. Electric-power, and the introduction of oil-fuelling for steamers, have affected coal-miners, watersiders, and seamen on colliers. Seamen: Some seamen appear to have come from abroad and remained in the Dominion.

2,700 members, reflects the magnitude of Auckland’s licensed trade. Just the opposite, in strength, is the union of employees in the Auckland brush and broom trade. There are 12 on the books. POWERFUL UNIONS The second moßt powerful union in Auckland is—not the watersiders, or the carpenters, or others of whom much is heard; but the tailoresses. Tailoresses and other female employees of the local clothing trade number 1,420. Following them are the watersiders (1,378), carpenters and joiners (1,370), builders’ labourers (1,320), and seamen (1,120). Auckland's municipal tramway undertaking, a big concern, has a .union of its own, with 1,051 members. Odd unions of interest are the Association of Auckland Cinema Operators, 47 of them; Auckland Fire Bri-

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https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/SUNAK19270913.2.87

Bibliographic details

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 148, 13 September 1927, Page 10

Word Count
607

Roll-Call of Unions Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 148, 13 September 1927, Page 10

Roll-Call of Unions Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 148, 13 September 1927, Page 10

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