ATTITUDES TO POLITICAL AFFILIATION IN A PRINTING TRADE UNION
| DOI | http://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9485.1965.tb00687.x |
| Published date | 01 June 1965 |
| Date | 01 June 1965 |
| Author | A. J. M. Sykes |
ATTITUDES TO POLITICAL AFFILIATION IN A
PRINTING TRADE UNION
A.
J.
M.
SYKES
I
THE object of this paper is to examine an important but obscure
problem of trade unionism at the present day: that of the relation-
ship between the active and the non-active members of trade unions
and the part that each plays in the creation of trade union policy.
The problem will be examined in the light of certain evidence from
one trade union; the Scottish Typographical Association (S.T.A.).
The evidence consists of the eight ballots which have been held by
the union in the period
1920-63
to decide whether the trade union
would or would not set up a political fund. On the occasion of each
ballot the officials and active members have supported the setting up
of a political fund but each time it has been rejected on a ballot
vote of the general membership.
Before discussing the evidence proper it is necessary to give some
background information on the provisions of the
1913
Trade Union
Act as it affects political affiliation by trade unions in general, and
on the method by which the S.T.A. carries out its ballots.
The
Trade
Union
Act
of
1913
It is not necessary to go into the details of this Act. Broadly,
the Act permits trade unions to set up a special fund,
‘A
Political
Fund’, from which they may spend money on ‘Political Objects’.
The approved political objects include maintaining a Member of
Parliament, paying the election expenses of candidates for Parliament
or any public office, and paying costs
of
meetings or distributing
literature for such candidates. Certain conditions are laid down in
the Act. The most important are:
(a)
that
a
union which wishes to
have a political fund must take
a
ballot of its members, and
a
majority
of those voting must be in favour before the political fund can be
established;
(b)
that
a
contribution to the political fund must not
be made a condition of entry to the union: and,
(c)
that
a
member
who does not wish to contribute to the fund must not be excluded
from any benefit or placed under any disability because of his refusal
to contribute.
161
162
A.
J.
M.
SYKES
The Scottish Typographical Association
The points to be considered here are:
(a)
the stages by which
a
ballot under the Trade Union Act is reached; and,
(b)
certain peculi-
arities of the S.T.A. which have
a
bearing
on
the question of member
participation.
In the S.T.A. a decision to establish a political fund
is
made in
two stages: first agreement to hold
a
ballot must be reached; second,
there is the ballot itself. The first stage, agreement to hold a ballot,
must be obtained at the Delegate Meeting of the union. Delegate
Meetings were held once every four years up to the last war and have
been held once every three years since the war. The resolution to
hold a ballot must be proposed by
one
of the branches and it is then
included on the Preliminary Agenda for the meeting; all branches
receive copies of the Preliminary Agenda
in
order that the members
may discuss the various resolutions at branch meetings, propose
amendments to them if they wish to. and instruct their Delegates as
to how they shall vote at the Delegate Meeting.’ A resolution to
hold a political ballot must receive a majority of votes at the
Delegate Meeting.
The second stage consists of the ballot proper. In the past the
pattern has been that the date of the ballot and other arrangements
are left to the Executive Council to decide. They have fixed a date,
arranged for articles on the ballot to be published in the Journal and
meetings held in branches, and, finally. issued a ballot paper to each
member accompanied by
a
leaflet explaining the reasons for the
ballot and giving the recommendations of the Executive Council.
There are certain special features of the S.T.A. which are not
usually found in unions outside the printing industry and which have
a bearing
on
the problem of membership participation in union
affairs.
(1)
Although the officials often complain of low attendance at
meetings it is better than in most unions because many branches,
including Glasgow the largest, have
a
rule that each Chapel
must
send one delegate to the branch meeting-very member,
of course, has the right to attend if he wishes. This rule ensures
a minimum attendance of two from each works: except in the
smallest works there are two Chapels, Case Chapel for com-
positors, Machine Chapel for printing machinemen.
(2)
The S.T.A. has a monthly Journal
The
Scottish Typographical
Journal (S.T.J.)
which has been in continuous existence since
Rules
of
the
Scoftish
Typographical
Association,
1946
and 1962. Rule
41,
‘Delegate Meeting
.
The Rulebooks quoted here are those
of
1946,
and
1962, as there has been little change
in
the
rules the rule numbers and
contents-xcept where otherwise indicated-are the same in both Rulebooks
and the following references apply to both Rulebooks.
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