‘Crude’ methods of P.M. attacked

Press, 27 October 1976, Page 4

‘Crude’ methods of P.M. attacked

PA Auckland The Muldoon Governiment’s crude attempts at j splitting the working class by raising the bogy of a Left •wing dominated by the Unity Party had ifailed, the party’s annual conIfeience was told. The other bogy, that the jF.O.L. president (Sir Thomas I Skinner), was a prisoner of [the Left, had also misfired, isaid the party’s president, Mr (George Jackson, in his annual report. Mr Jackson said more workers were taking part in strikes and collective action (than for a quarter of a century. The protests were against (breakdowns in wage and award negotiations, Governjment anti-trade union legislation, and United States; •nuclear warships. The background was increases in living costs, removal of subsidies, a general wage increase that fell behind price rises for the third consecutive time, and a wage freeze accompanied by a price freeze on some items after prices had generally rocketed. Certain militant union leaders had been singled out for decapitation by Mr Muldoon, but he had found he was dealing with the organised F.O.L. and not an isolated sector, Mr Jackson said. As more unions had be-

Jicome involved in actions, in- | eluding many with no record -iof militancy, he had t charged the Socialist Unity with “orchestrating” the opposition to his plans, 1 Mr Jackson said. 5 * “Above all, Mr Muldoon’s ij anti-Soviet policies must be -(seen as the stalking horse behind which he advances. i Anti-Sovietism in foreign s policy and anti-labour at f home are the main imperial- , ist policies of capitalism r against social change.” -i The party’s strategic aim (must be for social control Hover the conditions of monijopoly, with worker participadtion at every level directed (at meeting consumers’ needs (and not the profit of capital, tin this way the workers I|would win social control, and -l ultimately social ownership, iof the basic and decisive means of production. “This could come only from mili- ■ tant united action by the ■ workers themselves.” I Even card-carrying Communist journalists from the I Soviet Union and East Ger- ■ many were not permitted to attend the main session of : the conference. Reporters from both those countries were in Auckland for the conference, but they were excluded from the working sessions, as were New Zealand reporters. Coverage was restricted to Mr Jackson’s address, and the two guest speakers on Saturday night and last night.