'An elephant to crack a peanut’

Press, Volume CXIV, Issue 33583, 11 July 1974, Page 9

'An elephant to crack a peanut’

| (New Zealand Press Association)

WELLINGTON.

The Government has been accused of using the Marine and Power Engineers’ Institute Industrial Disputes Bill as window dressing.

The secretary of the Institute of Marine and Power Engineers (Mr D. J. Munro), said his first comments on hearing that the Government was forcing the bill through in one day would not be printable. “It’s like getting an elephant to crack a peanut because the Prime Minister daren’t touch the big militant unions,” he said. “Ha hasn’t got the guts to tackle them,”

The institute would carry on regardless, Mr Munro said. The bill would not affect the institute's machinery very much.

“But from our point of view, it is very dangerous to bring in a bill such as this in such haste, and without prior consultation with the Opposition or ourselves. “And there is no need for it, because we are sticking to the law.”

After last Saturday’s refusal by the institute to man the Cook Strait ferries because of an industrial dispute, it had obeyed an order of the Shipping Industry Tribunal and had returned to work immediately, he said. The institute would appear before an independent arbitrator, as ordered, on Thursday, Mr Munro said, It would abide by his decision.

The Government’s action placed those organisations not affiliated to the Federation of Labour in great danger. “All it means is that if the Government thinks we are not good boys in the future, they can step in, sequester our funds, and take our property,” Mr Munro said.