BANK CLERKS.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume VI, Issue 1789, 7 November 1919, Page 3

BANK CLERKS.

AND A "YELLOW" UNION.

The report of the meeting of bank officers, held at the Chamber of Commerce a few evenings ago, made interesting and entertaining reading. A delightful resolution was carried in which a strong protest was entered against bank clerks being forced to become member/if of the Christchurch Clerks', Cashiers' and Office Employees' Industrial Union of Workers. How a body of presumably intelligent men can have gathered an impression that they would be "forced" to join the clerks'" union, or any other kind of union, is incomprehensible. Whether the bank clerks do or do not join the clerks' union is purely a matter for each individual among them to determine. The bank clerks have only succeeded in making themselves look ridiculous by carrying such a resolution. Men are not forced to join trade unions—they do it voluntarily, and in harmony with the accepted proverb that self-preservation is the first law of nature. Neither Mr M. J. Gresson —who presided at the meeting—nor Mr H. P. Mourant—who delivered such a truly delightful address—behaved very kindly to the bank clerks in allowing them to pass such a resolution. Has Mr Mourant ever heard of another little adage, that a rose by any other name, etc.? One wonders. " On the Rocks." Having admitted that the bank clerks were "on the rocks," that "they needed financial assistance, that the question of increasing salaries was an urgent one, that bank clerks were worse off despite recent increases, than they were in 1914" Mr Mourant, having thus demonstrated the need of an organisation that would fight to secure improved conditions for bank clerks—proceeded to criticise the clerks' union. Altogether, his address is one of the queerest things that I have read. At one and the same time he proves beyond argument the need for a union of clerks, and then proceeds to waste his own time and the time of his hearers by trying to argue against the inevitable deduction from his own stated facts. Mr Mourant proposes to form what is generally termed in circles all over the world, a "yellow union"— that is, a union that, for practical purposes, will be governed by the employers. Fate of Yellow Unions.

One of two things always happens to these unions. Either, they do nothing, become moribund, arouse the contempt of their members and peter out. Or else they do try to! improve conditions, fall foul of the employers, and develop into a decent trade union—and proud of the fact. If the bank clerks wish, to try the experiment—well and good, but the final result is inevitable. Is it worth their while wasting their time on an organisation that cannot, judging by past experience, continue to exist, or had they not better eliminate a false pride, and, imitating the journalists, form a trade union that will decently try to improve the conditions of bank clerks, without either adopting a foolishly aggressive attitude or pandering to the employers? The question was well put by the bank officer at Auckland, who wrote across his guild membership form: "Why not call ourselves a union? Why camouflage with the name 'guild'? Let us come out into the .open; we deceive nobody." Why, indeed? Mr Mourant grandiloquently stated that his precious guild was not a band of malcontents, the leaders of which waved a red flag in one hand and in the other a pistol —a pistol that was to be levelled at those connected with the management of the banks. The guild was not a company of desperadoes, but a company of gentlemen. If the present writer also did not make some pretensions to the qualities of a gentleman he would describe these last remarks of Mr Mourant's as "balderdash." As it is, I forbear. Union Autonomy. Mr Mourant knows that the members of a trade union settle their own policy and can adopt whatevec attitude they like towards the employers. But, after all, is not Mr Mourant doing the very thing that he alleges his guild would not do, viz., metaphorically shaking a pistol at the banks' managements? He states inter alia that "the guild had been promoted at the psychological moment, and bank officers had now an opportunity that had never before presented itself to make them good with the banks." ' Again, he says, speaking of the guild, that "but for its existence he believed that in time a good majority of bank.men would be so disgruntled and so exasperated that they would be in a mood to listen to the smooth words of a Labour union and then the banks would be up against it with a vengeance." Now, isn't it clear that Mr Mourant is here threatening the bank managements that unless they grant the demands that the guild will put forward for increased salaries, the clerks will join the clerks' union? ' Quite seriously, I suggest to the bank clerks that the sensible course for them to pursue is to join up with the clerks' union. They will be given every opportunity to remodel the claims of the union in accordance with their own ideas of what is practicable. The course I suggest will save their time and preserve their self-respect.