Left-Wing Bid To Alter F.O.L. Report Rejected

Press, Volume XCV, Issue 28266, 2 May 1957, Page 12

Left-Wing Bid To Alter F.O.L. Report Rejected

(New Zealand Press Association)

WELLINGTON, May 1. A Left-wing move to amend part of the annual report of the Federation of Labour dealing with

union delegates visiting Communist countries was defeated at the federation’s conference in Wellington today. The report, dealing with international trade unionism, appealed to all affiliates “to reject the incessant efforts of Communist countries to seek exchanges of trade union delegations with democratic countries.”

These exchanges, the report said, were designed to mislead the workers of the free world into accepting as bona fide trade unions organisations run by Communist parties and aimed at facilitating Communist infiltration into democratic countries in the interests of Soviet imperialism. Mr J. Hunter (Engineers’ Union) moved that this section of the report be struck out, and the motion was seconded by Mr R. H Mitchell (United Mineworkers). There was plenty of reputable precedent for sending such delegations from New Zealand, said Mr Hunter. The New Zealand Government had invited a Soviet agricultural mission to visit New Zealand, the Australian Council of Trade Unions was sending people to China, and the British Trades Union Congress took part

in delegations. His union had received an invitation to send a delegate to China this month, and the delegate was even now in Peking, Mr Hunter said. Mr G. H. Anderson (Northern Drivers’ Union) said that the sending of a delegation did not mean the union concerned was making a public declaration that it agreed with the political system operating in the country visited. “Gross Interference” The appeal by the federation was a gross interference with the autonomous rights of trade unions, Mr Mitchell said. The federation had no justification for telling unions that they should not send delegates when invited to do so.

Opposing the resolution, Mr W. A. Fox, M.P., said there were many misconceptions about the purpose of these invitations. They had only one purpose: to further the interests of the Communist Party. Mr J. Freeman (Timber Workers’ Union) asked delegates if their unions would accept the hospitality of the Franco Government of Spain. He would remind delegates, he said, that Russian tanks had turned their guns on workers in Poznan and Budapest. The resolution was defeated on a show of Hands.