Insurance unions form confederation

from a special correspondent A significant development in the growing unionisation of "white collar" workers took place last week, The National Union of Insurance Workers, the Guild of Insurance Off icials, the National Union of Co-operative Insurance Society Employees and the Co-operative Insurance branch of the Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers have formed the Confederation of Insurance Trade Unions, The first chairman of the confederation is to be Mr. Maurice Reynolds, general secretary of the G.I.0., the vice-chairman is to be Mr. Gordon Cree, from the C.I.S., agents' branch of U.S.D.AW., and the secretary Mr. John Jones, of the Refuge Assurance section of the N.U.I.W. The decision to form 4 confederation followed talks about the possibility of further amalgamations among insurance unions, As a first step it was decided to form 4 confederation and the constitution of the new body was discussed with the T.U.C., which raised no objection to the proposal. There are to be two main objectives for the Confederation of Insurance Trade Unions, The first is to be the discussion of "all matters of common concern to employees in the insurance industry," and "taking of such action arising therefrom as may be deomed fit provided that the confeder@tion shall not take decisions upon any matters which may conflict with the rules of any of its constituent members." The second main object is the organisation of deputations to discuss issues with Government departments and promote propaganda campaigns. There has been talk of the need for common action for some time but the Government's prices and incomes policy has given this more impetus. The T.U.C.'s vetting committee has had to give considerable attention to the insurance world because some of the claims in the pipeline would involve increases of up to 50%, It is to be hoped the new organisation will take a firm lino,