F.O.L. adamant that ban will continue

Press, Volume CXII, Issue 32966, 12 July 1972, Page 18

F.O.L. adamant that ban will continue

(New Zealand Press Association) AUCKLAND, July 11. Worker redundancy caused by union bans on French ships and aircraft was not embarrassing the Federation of Labour, said its secretary (Mr W. J. Knox) in Auckland today.

“It’s the Government that should feel embarrassed by its weak-kneed attitude to the French tests,” he said. Mr Knox was adamant that the F.O.L.’s will to continue the ban was not faltering under the pressure of time and the pleas of manufacturers and supporters.

The F.O.L. did take changing circumstances into account and watched the situation closely, he said. The ban would be fully discussed at the F.O.L. executive meeting in Wellington tomorrow, but he saw no likelihood of its being lifted.

INFORMATION SOUGHT Mr Knox said he believed it was time the New Zealand Government pressed the French Government for information about how long the tests would continue. "No matter how small we are, I feel the French are under an obligation to tell us what is happing on our own doorstep,” he said. "The Government should be able to find out from the French whether the present test series is going to continue.”

The F.O.L. ban was likely to remain in force as long as French plans remained indefinite or unknown, said Mr Knox. MR SKINNER Commenting on remarks by the Deputy Prime Minister (Mr Muldoon), to the effect that the F.O.L. did not know how to get out of its present position and was awaiting the return of its president (Mr T. E. Skinner) Mr Knox said that Mr Skinner was well aware of the ban. "I would remind Mr Muldoon that it was Mr Skinner who moved that we should impose the ban in the first place,” he said. Early this afternoon Mr Knox addressed a meeting of waterside workers and an almost unanimous resolution was carried pledging full support for the F.O.L. ban. About 1500 members of combined waterfront unions attending the meeting. TALKS WITH FIRMS Later in the afternoon Mr Knox met members of the Auckland Manufacturers’ Association for what he termed “amicable” discussions. Mr Knox said he had asked the Manufacturers’ Association to take up with the Government his demand for a public statement on when the tests would finish. The secretary of the association (Mr J. Whatnall) said tonight that the association would probably lend its weight to Mr Knox’s request. Most of the trade to French territories came from Auckland. SACKINGS DISCUSSED Mr R. R. Reid, or Reidbuilt Homes, Ltd, and Mr Knox met in Auckland today to discuss Mr Reid’s former policy of sacking one carpenter a week in protest against the F.O.L. ban on French cargoes. Mr Reid last week agreed to stop the sacking, last week, at least until he had spoken to Mr Knox. After today’s meeting Mr Reid said: “Mr Knox has accepted full responsibility for any redundancies which have occurred and which may occur as a result of the ban.” Mr Knox: We will take care of our own people and do our best to see that nobody suffers because of the ban. ANOTHER MAN OFF Mr Reid said his company had instigated the dismissals to make the F.O.L. publicly aware of the redundancies being caused by its policies. The company would try to keep dismissals to a minimum but if the ban continued he would probably have to lay off more men. Reidbuilt Homes today dismissed a third man. The company has been doing building work in French territories in the Pacific. The F.O.L. was prepared to

help the Fijian seamen who were laid off because their ships were held up by the ban, Mr Knox said tonight. Fijian seamen protested in Tauranga last week about the ban which has left their ship

i Capitaine Cook stranded in • the port. , Mr Knox said he had in- ' formed the secretary of the • Fijian Dockers and Seamen’s i Union that the F.O.L. was : prepared to help the men in > any way it could.