Tasman unions urged to work together

Press, 14 April 1980, Page 10

Tasman unions urged to work together

PA Wellington Trade Unions on both sides of the Tasman must work more closely together to be effective, according to Mr G. Crough. A research assistant at Sydney University, Mr Crough was speaking to a trade-union . conference in Wellington on new technology. It was also important, he said, that unions learned, particularly on the question of new technology, by the mistakes of their .overseas counter-

parts through the international union organisations to which they were affiliated. “There is no point repeating the same mistakes in response to the same technology and the same management decisions,” he said. Trade unions in Australia and New Zealand had to get together to establish greater links so they could share their information. Speaking about the banking industry in Australia he suggested trade

unions had to intervene in the managerial decision of bank ’management. This meant alternative plans to those proposed by management. , “In Australia, through the research I have been doing with the unions we have been attempting to predict what the banks are going to do and not just react to something that has already happened. “If unions can formulate what the corporations are doing to do, then they can develop alternative response in advance.”