Ban to stay

Press, Volume CXII, Issue 32977, 25 July 1972, Page 1

Ban to stay

(New Zealand Press Association)

WELLINGTON, July 24. The Federation of Labour ban on French shipping and aircraft will continue. A federation executive special meeting today decided the ban will remain in force until the present series of French nuclear tests in the South Pacific is finished.

After the meeting, the president of the F.O.L. (Mr T. E. Skinner) said that when official information was received from the New Zealand Government that the tests were completed the matter would be discussed again with the Australian Council of Trade Unions with a view to lifting the ban.

Mr Skinner said the F.O.L. executive would meet immediately the Government assured it that the tests had ended.

“Mr Marshall has assured us that the Government is leading the protests against the nuclear testing so he should know when they are going to end,” Mr Skinner said.

“But it looks as if he does not know what the French testing programme is.” Mr Skinner also said this afternoon that the New Zealand representatives of the French Sofrana shipping line had been in touch with him.

The line’s Auckland representatives had earlier sent

circulars to Auckland manufacturers saying they had information the tests would end this week-end, and its ships would prepare to return to New Zealand.

But Mr Skinner said: “To the best of my information they’re just assuming what’s going to happen.”