Ab Disputes In Russia

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 32164, 6 December 1969, Page 52

Ab Disputes In Russia

(N.Z. Press Association} WELLINGTON, December 5. Major industrial stoppages such as the Wainui dispute find the Wellington waterside dispute could not occur in Russia, three visiting Russians said in Wellington today-

worker and trade union participation in Government and management was the basis of the Soviet system, and workers had their own interests in not disrupting production, they said in an interview. The visitors are Professor N. Matkovsky, Mr V. F. Zharkov, secretary of the Australian and New Zealand Soviet Friendship Societies, and Mr V. Dyuzhev, a hero of Soviet labour.

All three visitors said they had no personal knowledge of, or contact with, the trade union disputes at present affecting New- Zealand. They had visited one trade union meeting, but had just ex-

changed greetings with the members, and left they said. “We know people are always curious how we manage without strikes in the Soviet Union,” said Professor Matkovsky. “People envy us that we don’t have strikes.” The major reason was that under the Soviet Socialist system everything belonged to the workers, who participated in national and local government and in the administration of industrial and business enterprises. Decisions were made at council meetings at all levels. In industry, workers, trade unions and management par-

ticipated in decisions on increases in production or pay, improvements in conditions or decisions on new products. If workers were dissatisfied with the performance of their leaders, or if management did not satisfactorily achieve expected targets, changes were made. Most differences were resolved by discussions of management committees in which workers could be acting as trade union delegates and industry managing directors. Asked what happened if the parties failed to agree, Mr Dyuzhev said these confrontations occurred. “These disagreements are referred higher, to collective organisations of management or to the influential All Society Trade Union Council” he said.