CLAIM AGAINST UNION

Taranaki Daily News, 11 August 1932, Page 9

CLAIM AGAINST UNION

ADMISSION REFUSED.

WATERSIDES AWARDED £lO. Judgment was delivered on Tuesday by Mr. G. N. Morris, S.M., in the Magistrate’s Court, Whangarei, in'a case in which William John Unitt, waterside worker, claimed £l3 10s for loss of wages, from the Whangarei Waterside Workers’ Union. Unitt, in evidence, stated that in November, 1931, he applied to the then secretary of the union to be admitted as a member of the union. He was told to come back the following day and bring the membership fee of £1 2s fid. This he did, but the secretary refused to take the money, and said he wished ascertain if any other persons wished to join. By the action of the secretary in refusing to accept plaintiff as a member, plaintiff was deprived of the oppor-: tunity of obtaining work on is 7 days, thereby suffering loss of wages to the extent bf £l3 10s.

Plaintiff continued that the secretary* informed him it would 'be necessary to ballot for membership. Plaintiff was not successful at the ballot a,nd his endeavours to get work on the wharf had been unsuccessful

P. K. Waddington, late secretary of the union, said there was one vacancy in the union when plaintiff applied for admission It was customary for the union to ballot for any vacancies. To witness’ knowledge there were no local rules of the union.

Counsel for plaintiff produced a book of rules of the union, which he had obtained from the registrar of industrial awards in Wellington. Mr. Morris (to witness): If you do not know your own rules exist, no wonder you find yourself in a mess. Counsel for plaintiff: The rule states definitely that the first man who tenders his money must be admitted to tlie union, when there is a vacancy.

Waddington: It has always been the custom of the union to ballot for any vacancies. Witness admitted that the first man to tender his ’membership fee was plaintiff. C. S. H. Baker, a member of the union, said he had been a member for 16 years and during the last six years a ballot had always been held for new members. Counsel for defendant submitted that plaintiff, by submitting his name to the ballot, thus agreed to. accept it. The magistrate: The union should know its own rules, but those applying for membership may not know them.

Judgment was given for plaintiff for £lO, with costs and solicitor’s fees totalling £lO 15s.