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Why Not A Secret
Ballot ?
wertete
4'
Report thal Mr. Chifley may ask unions to agree to a secret ballot
before agreeing to stop work should not cause many people to wonder
i -except perhaps to wonder why this has not been done long ago.
To me, one of the i
'mysteries of industrial
affairs is why there has.
been any opposition to
secret ballots by so many unions
when important industrial prob-
lems are being considered.
After all, the unions owe
their very existence, as part
of democracy, to th« secret
ballot.
Its origin, of course, in elec-
toral affairs was . to protect
the poor man against the un-
scrupulous rich man and the
weak against the tyrannical
strong.
Obviously, in the early days
of the vote, when there was
no secrecy about how a man
voted, many men suffered for
their opinions.
The secret ballot enabled
them to express that opinion
and still keep it a secret from
the public.
Without it¡ most of the
democratic institutions we
know today would be still in
the realm of theory. The
chief opponents of the secret
ballot were the people who
had their own selfish ends to
serve.
I don't see why its applica-
tion should be any different
in unions now.
Bod Old Days
We have all heard of some
of the unions in the bad old
days. A few big brawny agi-
tators, when the call came
yes or no to strike, would put
the issue in this way: "All in
favor of a strike go to the
right; B-'s to the left!"
Naturally, nearly everybody
except those who had strong
opinions and strong fists went
to the right.
I don't say that is the prac
tice today, but many men
still fear to vote against
a noisy minority which is
in favor of a strike be-
cause of a mistaken idea
that they may be regard
ed as scabs-particularly
in these days when we have
Leftist minorities who know
what noisy propaganda can
do.
With a secret ballot, all
¡these scruples would be
catered for and there need be
no reason for any man to fear
ibei.^g pilloried for his opinions,
[whether they be for a strike
or against a strike.
Protection
Actually, it would mean
protection to both sides, for
on occasions workers who vote
for a strike and are in the
minority may become known
to unscrupulous employers and
may become marked men.
Therefore, a secret ballot
[would be protection to all
forms of opinion within a
union.
I Secrecy would also mean
Jthe absence of much ill-feel-
ing and, very often, protracted
meetings.
* * *>
WHERE are, of course,
certain technical ob-
jections to be overcome, but
none that could be reasonably
expected to stand in the way
of introducing this innovation.
To me, a secret ballot would
be the means of preventing a
lot of ill-co:.sidered strikes
fomented by noisy minorities:
it would make for calm think-
ing instead of a snap vote
that is often secured on a
_ _i_
show oí hands or on the
voice.
And, furthermore, it would
enable men to reconsider their
opinions in a prolonged strike
without being accused of rat-
ting or scabbing on their
mates. .
It wrould protect any man
in a union whatever his in-
dustrial views..
In brief, a secret ballot in
industrial affairs would guar-
antee fair play as it does in
our national affairs.
And after all, fair play is
all we want whether it be in
voting for a strike or voting
for a new Government.
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