International labour standards of freedom of association and the industrial relations in New Zealand

Abstract

The right of people to form associations for any lawful purpose is one of the essentials of a democratic community. To deny this right is to take away one of the main foundations upon which the State itself is built, as the formal or tacit agreement of its citizens to associate together for purpose of government lies at the basis of democracy. J. H. Richardson, An Introduction to the Study of Industrial Relations, pp. 141-142. That is to say the organisation of workers and employers on an occupational basis is one of the most significant features of modern industrial society. These associations have a direct and decisive influence - often more far-reaching than that of social legislation itself - on the living standards and way of life of the people as a whole. They leave their mark on social and economic life in most countries and in some of them have often deeply influenced, and on occasion directly shaped, the economic, political and social system. Therefore, it is natural that the study of the freedom of association should occupy a central place in trade union movement, for it is of the utmost importance that we be familiar with the circumstances in which such organisations are founded and the conditions which must be fulfilled if they are to be free to perform the functions which are now generally recognised to be theirs.