‘Political pressure changed employers’

Press, Volume CXVI, Issue 34127, 13 April 1976, Page 29

‘Political pressure changed employers’

(N.Z. Press Association? AUCKLAND. Political pressure had been brought to bear on the Employers’ Federation to change its stand on the planned Government ballot on compulsory unionism, said the president of the Federation of Labour (Sir Thomas Skinner). The Employers’ Federation, in its latest newsletter, announced that it had decided not to oppose the proposed

Government national voting on voluntary or compulsory unionism. The previous policy had been consistently against any move towards voluntary unionism. Sir Thomas told the Eden Park stop-work meeting today that the employers approved the existing compulsory unionism clauses in every industrial award because the employers were parties to the award negotiations. “I am sure in my own mind that political pressure has brought about this change," he said later. “The employers, although they are not openly supporting the Government

proposition, are not now opposed to it either. “It’s not for the employers to interfere in the issue at all. If they, want to be the meat in the sandwich when the time comes for us to vent our feelings on this ballpt, then there will be a few sad people around.” He told the rally that the trade union movement would strongly defend itself against “State dictatorship’ ’on the ballot issue. “We have a policy that we don’t work alongside nonunionists,” said Sir Thomas. “That’s how it will be if the Government goes ahead with its policy on this ballot.”