Union Describes F.O.L. Appeal As A “Phoney”
(New Zealana Press Association) NEW PLYMOUTH, December 18.
Describing the appeal as a “phoney,” the Patea Freezing Workers’ Union has stated that it is extremely unlikely to contribute to the Federation of Labour’s appeal for assistance in meeting the costs of the recent libel action which involved members of the Management Committee of the Wellington Trades Council.
The secretary of the union (Mr T. C. Gallagher) today released a statement which he said had been prompted by the trades council’s claim that the response to the appeal had been gratifying. The statement said:
‘‘Mr Walsh and his friends on the management committee of the Wellington Trades Council have presented the trade union movements with a fait accompli in their appeal for funds to pay the damages of the Neary and Solomon cases. x “Because of the factors involved, the national council and the annual cdnference of the Federation of Labour should have considered the question before the appeal was initiated. “This appeal is not from the Federation of Labour, as claimed in the statement, but from the national executive who, it appears, are completely dominated by Mr Walsh. “Reference to majority decisions will cut no ice when the facts of how these majority decisions were obtained eventually become known to the rest of the trade union movement.
‘‘Will the effect of unionists contributing to this phoney appeal mean that now Mr Walsh can say anything he likes about anybody opposing him without incurring any personal responsibility should these statements be libellous?
“Our union has gradually come to the opinion that Mr Walsh has got too big for the trade union movement, and it considers that
the words of Mr Walsh in the past are very applicable today—‘lf any person or group refuses to adhere to the rules of any organisation they may belong to, then they should recognise that their proper place is elsewhere. They are not unionists, they are individualists.’ ■
“Much as the Patea Freezing Workers’ Union has always contributed to genuine Federation of Labour appeals in the past, it is extremely unlikely that anything will be contributed this time.”
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Bibliographic details
Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 29082, 19 December 1959, Page 12
Word Count
358Union Describes F.O.L. Appeal As A “Phoney” Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 29082, 19 December 1959, Page 12
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