Sir Thomas predicts ‘worst year’

Press, 15 April 1978, Page 7

Sir Thomas predicts ‘worst year’

I PA Auckland A complete breakdown in industrial relations was asserted by the president of the Federation of Labour (Sir Tom Skinner) in an address to Tamaki Rotarians. There was a total lack of communication between worker and management, Sir Thomas said. He predicted that this could be the worst year iir New Zealand’s history for industrial troubles. “My prediction is that this year will be the worst . . . and will surpass work stoppages in any other developed country,” he said. “Australia at this time is the only country with a blacker record than ours. This is the direct result of the Government’s continual interference.” Government “interference and intimidation” were the causes of worsening em-ployer-worker relations, Sir Thomas said. The intimidation was “the threat to run State ballots in our own organisation, and interference in wage negotiations by Government regulations.” The Government had directly interfered in industrial relations by holding down wage rates' while it allowed prices to go up. Employers were running to

the Government for help in- i stead of trying to fix the ' problem by negotiating them-1 selves. ] Unless it was left to the i parties to solve their differ- I ences, the present state of ’ affairs would continue. Com- i munication between workers and management was a prob- ’ lem. 1 Elaborating on this prob- ’ lem, Sir Thomas said: “We 1 used to have regular meetings with the Employers’ Federation. Any problems with either organisation that ; we had, or could see looming, would be discussed in- | formally. Those meetings 1 served a very good purpose. “We have not had a meet- , ing with the federation since the retirement of Mr P. J. Luxford (the former executive director) and that must be nearly a year ago.” Too often trade unions were portrayed as “villains” on the industrial stage, but the recent freezing workers’ dispute had prompted the , Prime Minister to say: “I am appalled by the attitude of > the companies throughout this dispute.” “Well, it is easy to see who 1 the villains are in this dis- : pute,” said Sir Thomas. The executive director of i the Employers’ Federation ' (Mr J. W. Rowe) said !

that his organisation would welcome renewing informal discussions with the F.O.L. For the last few months they had tried to have such discussions but for various reasons it had been impossible, he said. Mr Rowe said he agreed with Sir Thomas that talks between employers and workers were the only effective way of improving industrial relations. Referring to the newly formed Arbitration Court, Sir Thomas said: “It will not be a success if personnel take irrevocable stances. Already, we have a member of the court criticising our wage claim even before he has sat in the court and heard the argument.” Sir Thomas also criticised the greater reliance being placed on compulsory or arbitrarily appointed conferences. “If industrial relations are to improve, this trend must be reversed,” he said. The only satisfactory settlement was one that had been hammered out between the parties concerned. “It then becomes more or less a personal matter to be respected by both sides. It will need the good will of all sides. We will play our part. Let us hope others will do likewise.”