M.P.’s warning to militants

Press, 13 July 1976, Page 17

M.P.’s warning to militants

PA Nelson. If militant factions in the trade unions persisted with roiling strikes it would strengthen the National Government’s hand to implement penalty clauses in various awards, the member of Parliament for Oamaru, Mr J. H. Elworthy, said in Nelson on Saturday. He was one of a panel of speakers taking part in a regional party seminar attended by more than 150 people from the Nelson, Tasman, Marlborough, and West Coast electorates. Mr Elworthy said economic restraints were vital if the country was to recover from its internal and external balance of payments. “However, there are sections who are seeking to disrupt the Government’s efforts through industrial unrest,” he said. “The present wage claims are critical because of the effect they could have on the economy.

“The rolling strikes around the country are being called for political rather than economic reasons. "If they become more concentrated they will strengthen the Government’s hand to implement penalty clauses against the militant factions,” he said. Mr Elworthy also accused certain publications of disrupting Government efforts to restore the economy. The Government had been accused by a new weekly of governing by rumour and this caused him some concern because it was far from the truth. As an example, he quoted the rumour of the aggregation of income for tax purposes. ‘‘This originated from a reporter who made a speculative remark and it was turned into a story,” he said, “however, this is part of the price we pay for a free press.”