CLAIMS BY UNION

Press, Volume LXXXIV, Issue 25445, 17 March 1948, Page 4

CLAIMS BY UNION

“ NOT FOREIGN-SPONSORED MOVEMENT” (P.A.) AUCKLAND, March 16. A denial that the carpenters’ dispute was part of a “world-wide and foreign-sponsored movement to overthrow all accepted - forms of law and order,” as the secretray of the Electrical Workers’ Union (Mr G. Albright) was recently reported to have said, was made by the secretary of the Auckland-Carpenters’ Union (Mr D. McEwen). He said Mr Albright had presumed to pronounce judgment on the merits of the carpenters dispute, not only in opposition to the decision

of the Auckland Trades Council, but also contrary to the national council of the Federation of Labour, which unanimously resolved that the carpenters had a just case and would supportthem by every means in its power to effect a satisfactory settlement. It wag a recognised convention in the trade union movement that when a union discussed a matter concerning another trade union the union discussed was invited to send a representative to state its position, said Mr McEwen. Had this been done by th e Electrical Workers’ Union, the suggestion that the carpenters’ dispute was part of a “world-wide and foreign* sponsored movement” would have been laughed out of the meeting room.