The Federation of Labour affords a means of consultation and collaboration among the various trade unions of New Zealand. It is the lineal descendant of the Trades Union Councils, the Alliance of Labour, and other workers' organisations which flourished in the earlier years of the century. In 1936, following the accession to power of the Labour Party, it was felt that the different sections of the trades union movement should be united to pursue Labour's common aims. Accordingly, from 14 to 19 April 1937, the delegates from 212 industrial organisations, representing 170,800 trades unionists, assembled in Wellington for the Industrial Unity Conference. Although the conference was called at the request of the Labour Government, it was convened by a small committee of union officials: F. D. Cornwell (Trades and Labour Councils' Federation); Arthur Cook (New Zealand Workers' Union); and F. P. Walsh (Wellington Seamen's Union). In spite of the apparently broad basis of representation, the largest delegations came from two national trades unions organisations – the Trades and Labour Councils' Federation and the Alliance of Labour – while three important unions, the New Zealand Workers' Union, the New Zealand Waterside Workers' Union, and the Union of Railwaymen, were also well represented. After being formally opened by the Acting Prime Minister, Peter Fraser, the conference drafted the constitution of the New Zealand Federation of Labour. In its general outline this followed the form of organisation favoured by New Zealand political groups since Seddon'sLiberal Party. Plenary power is vested in the annual conference to which all affiliated organisations have the right to send delegates. This body, besides deciding important policy matters, elects the national council of the federation and its national executive.
The national council consists of the national executive together with one representative of each of the 20 district councils from among its conference delegates. It meets at least every six months and must be consulted by the national executive in matters of national importance. The national executive carries out the functions of the federation and is responsible for implementing the policies laid down by the annual conferences. It consists of the president, vice-president, secretary-treasurer, and four members who must be Wellington residents. The national council may establish district councils in any area where there are five or more affiliated organisations representing a minimum combined local membership of 5,000, or it may establish trades union committees where the combined membership of the affiliated unions is not less than 1,000. These district councils organise the workers within their respective territories and act as local agents in giving effect to decisions reached by the annual conference.
As originally constituted, the federation's objectives were as follows:
In 1951, following the breakaway of a section of militant unionists, the constitution was revised and the scope of the federation's objectives broadened so as to make them more consonant with the ideas and aspirations of the international trades union movement. In one respect, however, there would appear to have been a retreat, since it is now laid down that one of the federation's objectives is “to work for a more equitable share of the national income and ultimately production for social use and not for private profit”. A swing back towards its former militancy became evident at the 1964 annual conference, the first held since the death of F. P. Walsh. On that occasion the secretary urged that “ultimately production for social use and not for private profit” was a more worthy aim for the federation than the New Zealand Labour Party's objective “to promote and protect the freedom of the people and their political, social, and economic and cultural welfare”.
The first officers of the federation were: A. Mc-Lagan (United Mine-workers' Federation), president; R. Eddy (New Zealand Workers' Union), vice-president; F. D. Cornwell (Wellington), secretary-treasurer; and F. P. Walsh (Wellington Seamen's Union) and E. Canham (Wellington Waterside Workers' Union), resident members of the national executive. The federation is financed by a “capitation” levied upon each affiliated union in proportion to its membership. Only unions which are currently financial affiliates may participate in the federation's annual or special conferences.
Although the total membership of the federation is not known, some indication of its strength was given at the 1962 annual conference when the credentials committee reported that the delegates present represented 126 financial affiliations and 231,899 trade unionists. This constitutes no mean force in the New Zealand economy.
by Bernard John Foster, M.A., Research Officer, Department of Internal Affairs, Wellington.