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~—I .Trade Union Notes I ,-I

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— Trade Union Notes I I By Trade Unionist. A.U.C.E. I The Editor has handed me a very long letter (six foolscap sheets) which he received from Mr. R. J. Davies, one of the officials of the A.U.C.E. The letter deals with certain paragraphs in these notes of December 15th ult., and endeavours to justify the position and activities of the above organisation. It will be remembered that I ex- pressed the opinion that it was unfair to Co- operative Societies to single them out and com- pel them to pay higher wages and generally ap- ply better conditions of labour than the private employer, with whom the Co-operative Societies have to compete. I said, and it cannot be gain- said, that, with the co-operative employees well organised apart from their fellows in the same occupation all over the country, to impose such terms upon the Societies was to completely throttle them, and make them ineffective as competitors of private trading. I suggested also that what was required was a national or- ganisation wherein all engaged in the distribu- tive trades were organised, so that the conditions of employment could be improved all round; all employers having to observe same, and thus avoiding the possibility of some being more ad- vantageously placed than others. SOUTH WALES CONDITIONS. With regard to South Wales, to which special reference is made, I learn from Mr. Davies' letter, that the A.U.C.E. members and various Oo-operative Societies employing them agreed to submit the matters in dispute to the National Co-operative Conciliation Board, and to abide by its decisions. When the decision was given Mr. Davies informs us that several societies refused to accept it, and on this point I am in thorough agreement with Mr. Davies when he describes their refusal as discreditable. Having agreed to Imbmit the question at issue to a mutually ap- proved body for arbitration thereon, they cer- tainly ought to be loyal to the findings of that body. I understand that by now. all, or almost all, the Societies concerned have accepted. V DISLOYALTY OF AWARD. 1h. Davies, however, pursues this question of disloyalty to the inward to a much further length than the facts justify. He says: "The award in question laid it down very clearly that the employees of the societies concerned shall have I 7' free choice of a Trade Union." I have the Award before me, and this is what it says in this connection "This Conciliation Board sug- gests that all employees should be trade union- ists. and shall have the right to choose the union to which they shall belong." or i'J' MERTHYR CO-OPERATIVE SOCIETY. I It will be observed that it is only a suggestion, and not intended to be enforced upon the Socie- ties concerned. Mr. Davies makes special re- ference to the Troedyrhiw and Merthyr Co-ope r- eative Society, who were parties to the agree- ment, as having flagrantly violated the above quoted clause, by demanding that all their employees shall within a given time, join the national union catering for their particular class of work. Well, quite apart from all other con- siderations, it is clear that this Society is not guilty of any breach of the agreement, because, as I have pointed out the Board only "SUGGEST" a certain course of action. W SB FOR THEIR DEFENCE. Indeed, I should say that the action of the Troedyrhiw and Merthyr Society is a praise- worthy, and not a blame-worthy, action, inas- much as it is in accord with the deliberate reso- lution of both the Trade Union Congress, the authoritative body of trade unionists, and the Co-operative Congress, the authoritive body for Oo-operators. Here is Clause 1 of the general statement of objects of the United Advisory Oouncil of T.U. and Co-opera.tors:- "That having regard to the mutual inter- ests of the Trade Union and Co-operative Movements, the need for promoting a better understanding and closer working agreement, the carrying on of a joint programme for edu- cational and practical purposes, and to the de- cision of the Co-operative Movement to recog- nise the TVide Union rates of wages and con- ditions of labour as laid down bv the Unions affiliated to the Trades Union Congress, it is incumbent upon all Trade Unionists to be- come active members of their local Go-apera- tire Societies. "As those employed in the Co-operative. Movement will be guaranteed Trade Union rates of wages, etc., it is equally incumbent upon Co-operative Societies to encourage all their employees to become members of their respective trade organisations." It will be seen that the Troedyrhiw Society is loyal both to Co-operation and Trade Unionism, BONA-FIDES OF A.U.C.E. But, after all, the important consideration is the question as to whether the A.U.C.E. is a bona fide trade union. The Trade Union Con- gross says that it not, but Mr. Davies asks, Since when is affiliation to the Trade Union Congress been a hall-mark of trade unionism." He mentions the fact that of about 1,000 Trade Unions in the country, only about 250 are affi- liated. No one has ever contended that affilia- tion is the hall-mark but assuredly eligibility -for affiliation is. The Trade Union Congress is the recognised authority in these matters, and its declaration is emphatic that the A-1?.r?.E. is mot a genuine Trade Union. Mr. Davies con- tends that the A.U.C.E. is a genuine Trade Union, and further, that it is a Trade Union of the most recent and efficient type, because," lie says, "it is ibuilt upon the principle of union by industry. It is an Industrial Union, like the M.F.G.B." With all respect to Mr. Davies' opinion, the claim can only be described as ab- surd. The M.F.G.B. caters for all miners of •every description all over the country, quite ir- respective of the employer who emtilovs them. The A.U.C.E. admits to membership only those employed by Co-operative Societies, while tens of thousands of persons similarly engaged by other employers are debarred. If the employees of, say, Lipton's were organised in an exclusive organisation of their own, or the employees of any other of the many • multiple firms in the. country, w ho are engaged in exactly the same work as Co-operative Societies, they also, I sup- pose, would be entitled to claim that their union or unions were "Industrial Unions." The whole contention is ridiculous, and really does not de- serve serious consideration. WORKERS' WAR AIMS. It is gratifying to learn that the declaration I of War Aims submitted by the Joint Committee I III to the great Labour Conference on December 27 last, were carried with practical unanimity. Such unanimity upon the part of organised La- bour is, in my opinion, bound to influence the Government. In the past the Government has received the approval or the acquiescence of La- bour in all its actions, otherwise it would not have dared to go the length it has. Now it is reasonable to anticipate that the policy which the Government will adopt in the future will conform to the wishes of the Labour forcet. » DEALING WITH PROFITEERING. I One can also expect much good to result from the Food Conference of the 28th. There was an evident determination to deal with the profiteer and to secure a more equal distribution of the food available.

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