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Unions
attack
stand by
A.W.U.
I Union officials today
\ strongly criticised a
I statement yesterday by
I the State Secretary of
| the A.W.U. (iytr. C.
j Oliver).
\ Mr. Oliver said he had
i already refused union
ijniembership to about. 100
tjapplicants and added that
-Tthe union would continue
jto decide who could and
who could not join,
j Under the State Gov-
,1 ernment's compulsory
unionism law which
: came into force last
night, workers must join
a union if they are not
| exempted.
The legislation provides
. also that under a penalty
of £100 unions must enrol
bona fide applicants,
v This morning the Min
ister for Labor and Indus
try (Mr. Landa) said he
I would inquire into the
f? A.V/.U's action.
Uneasiness
The dispute threatening
| between the Government
tnd the A.W.U. is causing
£ uneasiness among private
0 Labor members of 'Parlia-
1 ment.
a When Parliament meets
Jim March the Opposition is
m x pec ted to make strong
mnoves to have the Act re
pealed.
% State secretary of the
JLyl.P. (Mr. W. R. Col-
Igbourne) said today that
mir. Oliver's statement was
jhard to believe.
id "He must know indivi-
J duals will not be permit-
. j ted to apply their own
-J! interpretation to an Act
| of Parliament," he said.
J -"The Government will
s administer th eAct with-
3 out fear or favor to any-
v one.
| Secretary of the Milk
f and Icecarters' Union (Mr.
;j A. Thompson) said his
» union would exercise its
J right to see that, people
!; who were entitled to be
a members should be enroll-
1 ec-
a "It is hard to difleren-
tiate between our power to
1 force a man into the union
| and our power to refuse
| him membership.
| "The law is the law. If
| an individual breaks the
I law he should be punish-
;®d, so also should a union,"
Sie said.
| Mr. Thompson added
--|hat his union would deal
'.'ith disrupters within the
t Am ion and not without.
I
Hi
$