ONE BIG UNION

Waikato Times, Volume 120, Issue 19942, 20 July 1936, Page 3

ONE BIG UNION

EMPLOYEES 0F RAILWAY. l MOVEMENT FOR MERGER. ‘ FRANK'I‘ON GIVES SUPPORT. ‘ ‘Further support to the Dominion-I Wide proposals for the establishment of a. single union embracing employees I in all branches of the railway servich \vus given at a representative gather-i lug of Frankton Junction railwaymen yesterday afternoon when the plans‘ were outlined by pt'uiuine'nt Auckiandt ottlcials. .\t the present time tuut'l separate llllt‘tlta cater for the men em- ‘ pioyed in the sci-\icc and it is contended that greater strength would be obtained by a consolidated industrial assoctation. The genesis of the one union movement \\as outlined by Mr H. Stevenson of the Amalgamated Society of Hailway Servants, who said that the' representatiies or the four distinct unions were ‘liltlt'iilig "in Wellington with ncs'lixil'ilc results. Three years ago a i‘amnmhic l'i'L’t‘llilOfl had been given a itallttt taken in Auckland to determini- the feeling on the question of a single union. although the union executiu-s had in a certain degree obstructcd thr t'ormatiun oi" the movement. ‘l‘heir tactics had ibern iIS-l sisteri it}' the Government of the day. Mis».~talrtnrnl> had inr'cn issued [o| the ct'fct-t. that the new niovcment was a hrcakaway from the existing unions illii actually its sole purpose “as to achieve a increm- and so give greater \\ciuitt t.» the roprcscutaliuns oi" all railwa} vmp|n_\ccs. .\ir t2. Kcogh. ut‘ the Engineers. Fit'viuvu's anti lilcant-rs' Association. Itfltri‘ti that in Australia it similar movement had lnmight over 110.000 railway t'lllttltlMJt's unitcr thv' one union. while the same steps had been undertaken successfully in France. Spain and other mntincntai routitries. Three years ago in France there were 155 registered organisations in cxistcnce for railway c-m----pioyces. hut to-tiay they had been merged into one with many beneficial results. Opposition Dlooountod. .\ir Keogh discounted the opposition of the i-‘ranktou branch of the Locomotive: Association and said that branches or the one union movement ‘had been established or were in the process of formation at Paeroa, Palmerston North. VVanganui, Christchurch. Dunedin and \\'e'llington. Despite the rite misrepresentation that they were union \vreckcrs, the project was making progress as was indicated by the fact that 73 per cent of the start Joined at Lyttelton, while in Auckland 167 locomotive men. 50 members at the Railway Ufllcers‘ Institute , 1500 of the Amalgamated Society amt the 'l‘raclesmen's Associa—tion had joined. The Locomotive Association had not been successful in retaining the privileges in wage‘s and working conditions during the depression. "Is the Railway omcers' Institute a sort-at institution or an effective organisation?" asked Mr C. Shriffer. “in boom times it was successful in making progress but in recent years tts members suffered in common with other branches of the service. The indhidual unions du not offer sum—t'iPni. protection for inn-mlw‘rS. in the first. division most of the men are grade. '7 clerks and not. many will rise above it: therefore. they need a society that will mmrantee the'm something for their labour. The single union movement is popular with the Labour Government and now is the opportune time to reap the benefits which it can prmidc.“ Mood For Consolidation. Representing the Railway Tradesmcn's Association, Mr E. Jackson recalled that, in 192?. the British Trade i'niun '(zltllgl'l‘ss at Hull had passed resolutions to the effect that unions should he l‘t‘(llit'l'li to their absolute minimum with tho itchl ot‘ their opera—tions as wide as practicable. The workers were always on the losing; side on account oi" the lag hetwee'n‘ the “age increases or reductions and‘ the changcs tn the cost. ot‘ living. The: strength of unionism was tested by; adversity and since 1931 concessionst in many forms had been lost in the form of reduced wages, lost night rates and changed conditions in the‘ workshops—against which the Tradesmen‘s Association had ineii'cctually protested. "The policy of the last Government was to divide and conquer. To-day sectional Interests are being put. heforo the interests of all," Mr Jackson added. "All the 'i‘radcsmen‘s Asso—ciation got was an increase of id per hour \\ith a. nr'hulous promise that. never matcrialtsed.“ After hearing the proposed constitution. detailed by Mr Jackson, the meeting unanhnously decided to form a branch of the one union movement at. l-‘rankton and ttn-‘ following coniniittre was clentctl:--—".\lcssrs .i. S. I.)ncli tsm'rotaryL it. It. \\riu‘ili, l-‘. Mole, i“. L. liauuistcr. .l. Tapper, F. iiinecn. 1.. Ax’t-t')‘. J. “1 Shepherd. F. Hutton. .i. 'l‘oman and tl. .4. \\‘hiting. In answer to a question. Mr J. Torr}. sc'i‘t'i‘larv of the Frankton branch Ul~ thc Amalc'antatcd Hallway Servants Assoviatinn. cvplainctl that, equal rcpt‘nsv-ntalmn \\ntlltl ho given to all 'iit' t‘\l\iil|:’ unions on the proposed ‘inklt‘ mum-ii. \‘..tt~< ot‘ thanks wcrc‘ carriml to ttn- >[lt'.ii\t't‘>‘. \Voods‘ firtnt l’cppcrmint Cure For iutlucnza Holds.