Hew Carpenters' Union In The Auckland Area, If Membership Verified, Will Be Registered

Wanganui Chronicle, 14 April 1949, Page 5

Hew Carpenters' Union In The Auckland Area, If Membership Verified, Will Be Registered

Minister's Comment On Refusal By Others To Take A Ballot

WELLINGTON, Last Night (PA). —Subject to verification of its membership lists by the Department of Labour, and subject also to its rules being found in order and approved by the Registrar of Industrial Unions, the new union of Auckland Carpenters and Joiners will be given registration under the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act.

This was announced tonight by the Minister of Labour (Mr. MeLagan), who said the new union, with its 1020 members, clearly had a majority support of carpenters in the area concerned. It was willing to honour its obligations under the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act as well as accept the privileges conferred by the Act. "Refusal of the deregistered Carpenters’ Union to agree to the taking nf a secret ballot of carpenters on the question of go-slow is signi"cant," said Mr. McLagan. “It. teals away the last shreds of any pretence of democracy in the conduct of the affairs of the deregistered union. It exposes the tactics of an organised minority bent upo'n dictating to the majority at all costs, and it proves, beyond any possible doubt, that those responsible for the go slow are well aware that the majority of carpenters are opposed to go slow and would vote accordingly if given the opportunity. The Minister said the excuse given for refusal to (agree to a ballot was surprising In its lameness. The minority responsible for go slow had long been aware of a widespread desire for

a ballot. Hundreds of carpenters had publicly asked for a ballot and the excuse that a ballot was refused because no one had moved that it be taken would deceive nobody. “The boast that many carpenters are not working m the industry is also significant, in that it reveals one of the aims of the go slow organisers,” said Mr McLagan. “These gentlemen are concerned to keep a number of workers employed in the building industry at the lowest possible level, and to retard and hold up building, and especially to hold up the building of homes for our people. The answer to their boast is that 1020 carpenters have already indicated their readiness to expedite the building of homes by accepting their award and carrying on normal work, and their number is still growing. The new union, with its 1020 members, clearly has a majority support of the carpenters in the area concerned. It is willing to honour its obligations under the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act, as well as accept the privileges conferred by the Act. Subject to verification of its membership lists by the Department of Labour, and subject also to its rules being found in order and approved by the Registrar of Industrial Unions, it will be given registration under the Act.”