Stopping work for a doubtful purpose

Press, 6 March 1978, Page 16

Stopping work for a doubtful purpose

By

CEDRIC MENTIPLAY

It is possible that the secretary of the Auckland Trades Council (Mr G. H. Andersen) did his movement a disservice when he announced the month-long series of politically-moti-vated stop-work meetings as being aimed at removing the National Government. The use of stop-work meetings to discuss such matters as wages, conditions, and hours of employment is well-supported in the union movement. To use such meetings in a partypdiitical way is something which many union members find hard to stomach — and these dissenters are not necessarily National Party supporters. Mr Andersen outlined the programme with some frankness When it was first announced. Stop-work meetings would start at 8 a.m„ would last until 9.30 a.m..

and would continue on a daily basis until April 3. He used the term ‘Tally" to describe the meetings, which suggests a confusion of terms and objects from the beginning. Since he spoke there has been a further confusion, in that the earlier Auckland meetings have been dubbed "unemployment advisory meetings.” This would not be out of line with the original subject-matter, which Mi Andersen outlined as: The rights of the unemployed, taxation reform, trade union rights, . social control over industry and investment, and the right to a •proper living wage. This is a wide spectrum; wider still if you admit his other dictum: “We want to hear what the workers have to say about unemployment.” Unionists would accept most of these as legitimate

areas of concern, though mere is an interlarding of socialist principles and theories. There would be ho complaint if such meetings were held outside the normal 40-hour week. The employers are obviously not the only source of complaint. Last Friday the lack of interest in the meetings among employees in Auckland meant the cancellation of one meeting and produced a negligible attendance at another. Workers already threatened with economic stringency are being asked to pay to sit and listen to political addresses by Labour members and others. Many are reluctant to do so. The first Auckland meet-

ings were described by Mr Andersen as “a resounding success.” No details are available of how much working time was lost in the New Lynn factories, or how much pay was lost by union members who attended. By the time these meetings end, and there will be a score or more this month in the greater Auckland area alone, the audiences will have heard a great deal more of the Parliamentary Labour line, plus something about the elements of socialism, including “ideal governments” and the socialisation of the means of production, distribution and exchange. There is plenty of time for industrial and political Labour groups to hold meet-

ings outside normal working time. It seems there has been no attempt to do so, and no attempt to hold those mass marches which used to display Labour solidarity a half-century ago. For those who want to read the fine print on Leftist philosophies. there is ample room in adult education classes, and a chance for the activists to do more there. But why encroach on working time, unless one object is to increase hardship, further decrease work opportunities, and so promote industrial dissension?

There is a strong feeling that the times are out of joint for this kind of demonstration, and that unions and Government should be shar-

ing the common object of promoting production. There is also the feeling, as expressed by the president of the Wellington Regional Employers’ Association (Mr G. B. Tait): “The loss of production and interruptions in some industries and businesses caused by these stoppages could gen-' erate more unemployment, such is the delicate financial position of many firms. Noone can afford to lose income at the moment — employee or employer.” There is also the suggestion that the meetings' are being held too early to achieve any political result, apart from making the average worker weary of the whole political involvement. Perhaps the political and industrial Labour movement expects an early General Election. Unless this occurs, much of the impact of these meetings will have dissipated before the election.

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