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Unions
attack
stand by
a-WpU;
Union officials today
strongly criticised a
statement yesterday by
Lhe State Secretary of
A.W.U. (Mr. C.
Oliver said he had
a, dy refused union
membership to about 100
applicants and added that
the union would continue
to decide who could and
who could not join.
Under the State Gov
ernment's compulsory
unionism law which
came into; force last
night, workers must join
a uriion if they are not
exempted.
The legislation provides
also that under a penalty
of £100 unions must enrol
bona fide applicants.
This morning the Min
ister for Labor and Indus
try (Mr. Landa) said he
.would inquire into the
A.W.U's action.
Uneasiness
The dispute threatening
between the Government
and the A.W.U. is causing
uneasiness among private
Labor members of Parlia
ment.
When Parliament meets
in March the Opposition is
expected to make strong
moves to have the Act re
pealed.
State secretary of the
A.L.P. (Mr. W. R. Col-
bourne) said today that
Mr. Oliver's statement was
hard to believe.
"He must know indivi-
. duals will not be permit
ted to apply their own
interpretation to an Act
of Parliament," he said.
"The Government will
administer th eAct with
out fear or favor to any
one.
' ' Secretary of the Milk
and icecarters' Union (Mr.
, A. Thompson) said his
union would exercise its
, right to see that people
who were entitled to be
'members should be enroll
ed.
. "It is hard to differen
tiate between our power to
yforce a man into the union
iand our power to refuse
'him membership.
"The law is the law. If
an individual breaks the
law he should be punish
ed, so also should a union,"
he said.
Mr. Thompson added
that his union would deal
with disrupters within the
union and not without.
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