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Salient. Victoria University Student Newspaper. [Volume 39, Number 2. 11th March 1976]

National's Blackest Scheme — (Or how to Thrash Labour for Ever)

page 16

National's Blackest Scheme

(Or how to Thrash Labour for Ever)

This column will appear regularly giving opinions from workers on things that affect their lives and their working environment.

Every day we read and hear of the activities indulged in by Trade Unions. One of the more contentious issues of the 1975 General Election was the Unions, especially a few of the more vociferous ones. It seems that with the cementing of middle class attitudes in most New Zealanders, people have shied away from the Labour movement - both the industrial Labour movement and the Political wing of the movement, the New Zealand Labour Party.

The relationship between the Unions and the Labour Party could be stronger, indeed some Political Scientists have said that Labour will only return to the Government benches when it is able to encourage a more active participation in Party affairs by Union members.

Voluntary Unionism

As an election promise the National Party stated that the membership of "Unions would become a voluntary decision by workers themselves. As the Party explained, all workers would have the chance to vote for a system of either voluntary or compulsory unionism. Very fair and democratic you say. But is it?

Under the proposed National scheme all employees of a company will get a chance to vote on the issue regardless of whether they should be in the union or not.

For instance, take a large construction company with a swag of carpenters and labourers as well as a few drivers, engineers and clerical staff, who are all covered by their separate unions. No only will these people vote on the issue but so will all salaried staff, including top management in the company!

It makes you wonder whether the National Party is trying to give all workers the right to choose whether or not they belong to their union - or are they after another, and far wider reaching goal?

If the National Government does hold the ballots for voluntary vs. compulsory unionism in this manner then some unions will suffer severely because of the unfair opportunity given to management and non-members to participate in the decision making process of the individual unions.

Snowballing Effect

The weakening of individual unions will have a snowballing effect. Not only will services to members be cut back through lack of resources but a far wider reaching event would also eventuate.

A large proportion of funds which support the Labour Party comes from Union Capitation Fees. Through the Capitation system unions which are affiliated to the N.Z. Labour Party pay 20c per member to the Party. (It must be pointed out that not all Unions are affiliated to the Labour Party).

Largest Affiliates

Of all the Unions in New Zealand which are affiliated to the Federation of Labour the Engineers Union (approx. 40,000) and the Hotel Workers Union (approx. 30,000) are the largest, and they are also affiliated to the Labour Party.

Therefore we ask (and answer) the following:-
1)If you wanted to cripple both the Industrial and Political Wings of the Labour Movement how would you do it?
..By cutting back the resources of the Unions.
2)And how would you do that?
..By cutting back the number of Fee paying members of Unions.
3)And how would you do that?
..By running a ballot system in a manner which would ensure the result that our Government wanted.

The only conclusion to be taken from this is that the National Party scheme of ballots to decide the issue of compulsory unionism is no high flying sign of democracy and decency at work, but rather a shabby and underhand attempt to severely weaken the strength and financial resources of the Labour Party and the industrial labour movement as a whole.

Drawing of a large man holding a gun