UNION CHALLENGED

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 80, Issue 137, 11 June 1937, Page 8

UNION CHALLENGED

N.Z. HARBOUR WORKERS WRIT FILED IN COURT REGISTRATION ALLEGED TO BE ILLEGAL f Per Pre:-!* Association. ) WELLINGTON, June 10. With the object of challenging the registration of the N.Z. Harbour Board Employees’ Industrial Union of Workers, a writ has been filed in the Supreme Court at Wellington. This seeks a declaration by the Court that registration of the union is illegal and of no effect; al§o an injunction restraining the union from acting in pursuance of that registration. The writ was filed on June 7, the plaintiffs being the Carpenters and Joiners’ Painters’ and Decorators’ and Plumbers’ and the Shipwrights’ unions. The defendants named are the Registrar of Industrial Unions and the N.Z. Harbour Board Employees Union. It is set out in the writ that the Registrar of Industrial Unions registered, or purported to register, the N.Z. Harbour Board Employees’ Industrial Union of Workers, whereas, on October 30, the date of the application for registration, there were in existence certain unions all of which did not concur with the registration of the Harbour Board Employees’ Union and some of which were oppored to it. The Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Amendment Act provides that where application is made for any society as a New Zealand Union in any industry or industries in connection with which one or more unions are then registered under the principal Act, the registrar shall refuse to register the society as a New Zealand union unless he is satisfied either: (a) That the existing union, or that all the existing unions, concur in the application, or (b), that a majority of all the workers in New Zealand, being members of any such existing union as aforesaid, are in favour of the registration of a New Zealand union. HARBOUR EMPLOYEES DISPUTE CONCILIATION HEARING [ Fer Press Association. ] WELLINGTON, June 10. Conciliation Council proceedings in the New Zealand Harbour Board Employees’ dispute was resumed to-day before Mr. R. E. Price. At the luncheon adjournment agreement had been reached on several minor matters. When the Council resumed objection to the remarks by Mr. J. Roberts at the preceding day’s meeting were made by Mr. A. G. Barnett, secretary to the Wellington Harbour Board, who expressed resentment at Mr. Roberts’ allegation that Mr. Barnett was associated with some unknown political organisation in Auckland. Mr. Barnett said that this was untrue and he requested Mr. Roberts to withdraw the statement. Mr. Roberts: I never connected you with an Auckland organisation at all, and I say I never intended it. I asked you all (referring to the employers’ assessors) if you were connected with it, not Mr. Barnett. The matter was not pursued further.