Govt rejects call for jobless talks

Press, 11 January 1978, Page 6

Govt rejects call for jobless talks

NZPA Canberra | The Australian Federal has rejected a second plea for a top-level meeting to discuss unemploy-i I ment. The Deputy Prime Minister (Mr Doug Anthony) rejected a National meeting on unemployment in a telegram yesterday to the president of the Australian Council of Trade Unions (Mr Bob Hawke). On Monday the Deputy Prime Minister sent a similar message to the New South Wales Labour Premier (Mr Neville Wran), who had sought a premiers’ conference on the issue. Mr Hawke had sent a telegram to the Prime Minister (Mr Malcolm Fraser) on Monday seeking the meeting but Mr Fraser is still on holiday and does not return to official duties until Friday. He instructed his deputy to deal with the matter yesterday.

Mr Anthony said unemployment would not be solved on a long-term basis by conferences and discussions, but by resolute adherence to the Government’s firm economic programme based on control of inflation. “People who support measures to control inflation, but who also call for action on unemployment do not

I seem to have sufficient understanding of the direct • cause-and-effect link between the two.” he said in his 13-paragraph message to IMr Hawke. i Mr Anthony said that the [Government’s basic objective iwas permanently to solve the i unemployment problem [through policies based prim■arilv on controlling unemiployment’s basic cause — initiation — but also covering a range of employment training programmes.

“The biggest contribution the trade union movement could make to reducing unemployment would be to firmly set itself against further wage increases in the present circumstances. Every wage rise in the current situation only destroys more jobs and job opportunities," he said.

“Efforts to control inflation are the most useful and effective action the Government can take to bring about a sustainable reduction in unemployment,” said Mr Anthony. “The amount of money the Government would have to spend to produce any significant impact on unemployment would be so large that it would lead to higher inflation or higher interests rates —and eventually both—and a consequent worsening of unemployment instead of a long-term improvement.”