BOGUS OR NOT.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 10925, 14 November 1913, Page 7

BOGUS OR NOT.

THE LEGALITY OF MEW UNIONS. ,\ " [Per.Pbes3 Association.] ' . WELLINGTON, November 13. The epithets of "scab" and' *'bogus" have been applied to the new Waterside Workers' Union and to .others. Information is to hand to the effect that there are men who were] forced out 'of their particular employment by a, majority who are "sympathetic strikers," and they are prepared to combine to form new unions, •but-are deterred from doing so by the , fact that there is considerable doubt as to whether or not a- body would be a legal union. 1 : The following illustration should "be enlightening: At the time of, the'last big strike of slaughtermen, when the Wellington Slaughtermen's Union (the original body) cancelled its registration'and was re-registered, free labour started at the local meat works and applied for registration as a , .Union. On the refusal of the Registrar of Industrial Unions to register the riew body, a test case was stated for the Arbitration Court.::.-The -ground of -the .Registrar's refusal was. that in the same distriot and connected with the same industry,there existed -an industrial union to which the members of the new Union might conveniently belong. : Qri . behalf ,of the appellants it was-submitted that (a). Section 11 of the Act"was inapplicable to their case, and (b) that the members of the appellant Union, owing to diversity of interests and other substantial reasons, found it more convenient to register separately than to join any existing industrial Union. It was held by the Court that no settled rule could be laid down for the consideration of Section 11 of the Act: Each case must be determined on its own particular facts. The case of the Wellington Seamen's Union was cited. _ With regard to the point ." substantial reason for obtaining- separate registration," the Court held that as the new Union was willing "to obtain registration and as the object of the Act was to provide for f the peaceful settlement of all industrial disputes, the members of the new Union should not' be_ forced to accept .the alternative of joining the Welungton Union or of being deprived of-the benefits of conciliation and arbitration. After discussing the position the' Court summed up as follows: "We think that (for reasons stated) .the Wellington Union is not a Union to which the members of the appellant Union can conveniently belong and that Uhe appellant Union is entitled to succeed in its appeal." Thus the new Union was granted registration. The employees' representative on the Court did not concur in this judgment.