The Industrial World

Star (Christchurch), Volume LXVI, Issue 20330, 13 June 1934, Page 11

The Industrial World

CONDUCTED BY OBSERVER

This column is devoted to the news of the industrial Labour movement as represented by the secretaries of the various unions whose headquarters are at the Trades Hall. Trade Urrrni News and Views. Meetings For the Coining Week. Ex-Tramwaymen's Association, tonight. 8 o'clock. District Council (Alliance of Labour), Monday, 8 p.m. Trades and Labour Council, Saturday, 8 p.m. Painters’ Union, Monday, 7.30 p.m. Freezing and Related Trades Union, Tuesday, 7.30. Future Structure of Trades Unionism. The tendencies within the trade union movement in this country during the last two years give one an indication of the possible structure of trade union organisations in the near future. Since the withdrawal of the Arbitration Court as an institution whose main function was to arbitrate in industrial disputes, the trade unions have very slowly realised that craft unions, standing alone, are no match for the employers in bargaining power. This realisation has 'been brought home to all trade unionists by the recent strike on the Reefton goldfields. This strike had continued for about fourteen weeks. The position of the workers was becoming so acute that appeals for assistance were made to the workers in Australia and New Zealand. The fight put up by the men was equal to that which has made trade union history in any country. Nevertheless an appeal was made to the national organisation, the Alliance of Labour, to conduct the dispute. A conference was arranged with the representatives of the employers, and as a result of this conference, which was held on May 23. certain proposals were submitted to the m£n and subsequently accepted. The proposals were: (1) An increase equal to one hour’s pay per day to contract workers engaged in wet places, in addition to their contract rate. (2) An increase of three days in the number of holidays, for which overtime will be paid. (31 The full restoration of wage cuts. T 1 e workers in the Waiuta mine having accepted the above terms, have returned to work, but the workers in the Alexander mine are still negotiating for a settlement. Other Victories.

The Alliance of Labour, in addition to bringing the Waiuta dispute to a successful issue, has negotiated agreements for the Wellington Butchers' Union, the Hotel and Restaurant Employees’ Union the Waihi GcJd Workers’ Union and the Wharf Workers’ or Waterside Workers’ Union. These facts prove conclusivelv that the Alliance of Labour is now being appreciated by the unions and that the dav is not far distant when all unions will be linked to the national oreanisation. The ancient formula that “ unity is strength ” is slowly being accepted in the trade union movement in this country.

The Conflict in America. The latest development is the proposed strike in the steel industry of America. Here the workers have been given increased hourly wages, with a reduction of hours of work. This has meant in many cases that the weekly income has decreased while the cost of living has risen. The Administration has sought by reduction of hours of work and an increase in hourly wages to find employment for that great army of workers unemployed in America. But the real problem, it seems, in America to-day is the freedom of the wageearners to join what trade, union they prefer. This freedom was given in the National Recovery Act. But the employers of the large industries, having allowed only company unions in the past to operate in their works, are opposed to the men in their employ joining independent unions. The strike proposed in the steel trade is caused by this interference with the men. The workers know that their bargaining \ power is increased when they are members of a large trade union, but decreased when the size of the union is limited to the works in which they are employed. The employers, on the other hand, realise that if the workers can join national trade unions a strike may occur and their men refuse work, not because of trouble in their works, but because of trouble in anv other industry in any other part of the country. It is therefore to the interest of employers to retain company unions, which they can indirectly control, but it is in the interests of the workers to have large and strong trade unions, so that their bargaining power approximates to that of their employers. Thus the conflict of interests between Capital and Labour. The Company Unions. To give New r . Zealanders an idea of what company unions are, a statement has been secured from a teachers’ journal in America, the statement having first appeared in the “ Christian Science Monitor.” It reads: “The company union is a shop affair with outsiders excluded. These unions extend responsibilities to Labour over matters of Labour welfare—savings, building and loan, lunch services, recreation and the like—as well as over hours and wages. On the other hand, no workers of their own initiative have organised a company union. The power that crept.es company unions can destroy them. Worker representatives not only must not antagonise the management—for that means discharge—but are ignorant of labour conditions in other plants and other sections even in the same industry, and. moreover, are untrained in the tactics of bargaining; thus the representatives are usually timid, ignorant and unskilled negotiators. No truly equally sided collective bargaining is possible in company unions. A company union cannot strike because it has no treasury, or one limited to its own members: it cannot get the help of other workers in the same industry. C'n'equently a company union has no power of compulsion over an employer.” The annual conference of the New Zealand Workers’ Union will be held in the Trades Hall, Vivian Street, Wellington, on Wednesday, June 20.