No F.O.L. man on authority

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32564, 25 March 1971, Page 1

No F.O.L. man on authority

CA'ew Zealand Press Association) WELLINGTON, March 24. The president of the Federation of Labour (Mr T. E. Skinner) said tonight that the action being taken by trades councils on the Stabilisation of Remuneration Bill was the most effective means of protest.

Trades councils in many parts of the country have recommended affiliated unions to take protest action, and this has resulted in stop-work meetings and 24-hour stoppages in several places. Mr Skinner said the F.O.L. supported and encouraged the trades councils’ actions. He also said tonight, after a meeting of the F.O.L. national executive, that the F.O.L. would not nominate

anyone for the proposed Remuneration Authority, although it had been invited by the Minister of Labour (Mr Marshall) to do so. Mr Skinner described the Government’s suggestion that members of the authority should not represent sectional interests as “windowdressing.” It would be difficult to find such people in New Zealand. He predicted that the chairman of the authority would be a supporter of the Government, and would come from the business field. Mr Skinner advocated two members nominated by employers, two by workers’

organisations, and an independent chairman agreed to by the parties or appointed by the Minister of Labour. Mr Skinner said the F.O.L. still opposed the principle of i the bill, and the fact that it applied to only one section of • the community. He said the Government, while it asked everyone else Jto tighten their belts, was the 'worst inflationary offender j because it was ploughing ’ money back into circulation.