‘Lack Of Faith' By- Government

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31729, 12 July 1968, Page 1

‘Lack Of Faith ' ByGovernment

(New Zealand Press Association;

AUCKLAND, July 11. The decision last night not to amend the Arbitration Court criteria shows “a complete lack of faith on the part of the Government,” the president of the Federation of Labour (Mr T. E. Skinner) said in Auckland today.

The F.O.L. national executive would meet in Wellington on Monday to discuss the “whole ramifications of what had happened.” | In the meantime, direct bargaining between trade unions and employees would continue. Mr Skinner said the Government decision would only worsen the situation. “It certainly carFt help it," he said.

"I’m afraid it would have been much healthier, much cheaper and much better from everybody’s point of view if the Government had agreed to this amendment,” he said.

At the very time the country needed an injection of confidence to assist in the nation’s economic recovery the Government had chosen to sacrifice the interests and living standards of salary and wage earners, apparently because of a lack of unity in its own ranks, said the Post Office Association.

The statement was issued in Palmerston North today by the Dominion president (Mr J. G. Stapleton). The central committee of the Combined State Service Organisations had issued a statement strongly critical of “those elements within the Government circles responsible for turning down the constructive proposals” put forward by the Federation of Labour and the Employers’ Federation, said the chairman (Mr I. E. Reddish) today. “It is not correct to regard the proposal, now rejected by the Government, as being one to change the rules because of one unacceptable decision by the Court. "The intention of the amendment was to set out more clearly and properly the

role of the Arbitration Court in today’s situation. “It is spurious and misleading to see the Court as part of a structure for economic stablisation when all other elements of that structure—particularly controls on rents and controls on prices—have long since been dismantled,” said Mr Reddish.

The Parliamentary Labour Party today unanimously supported a call for discussions between the New Zealand Employers’ Federation and the Federation of Labour.