The ethnic origins of trade union secretaries

Abstract

A political satirist recently wrote of the FOL Conference: "You are imrnediately conscious ... of the wide racial range of delegates represented. The predominant groupings appear to be Maori. Pakeha and Irish" (Welch. 19R6. p. 13). This comment if it is to he taken seriously. could hardly refer to persons of Irish birth. It could however be interpreted to mean persons of Irish ancestry. The role of Irish persons or persons of Irish descent in New Zealand unions has not been documented but in exami ning the names of the secretaries of registered unions of workers and ernployers for another purpose (Brosnan. Walsh and Rowe. l9R5) we could not help but notice the plethora of Celtic names arnong the secretaries of workers unions and the relative dearth arnong the secretaries of employcr unions. This is not the first such observation. Hov.'ard Elliott the leader of the Protestant Political Association. complained in 1917 of''the preponderance of Irish narnes a rnong delegates to the 191 7 Labour Conference" (Davis. 1974).