Bolger view comes in for criticism

Press, 14 April 1980, Page 14

Bolger view comes in for criticism

PA Wellington The Minister of Labour (Mr Bolger), has been accused of “arrogance and dictatorship” for his refusal to implement a cost-of-living wage adjustment. The accusation came from the chairman of the Combined State Unions, (Mr D. H. Thorp), “I am amazed that the Minister of Labour should announce negotiations on wages in one breath and pronounce on the single most urgent and important aspect of those talks in the next. That is not negotiation and democracy. It is arrogance and dictatorship, and it can do nothing to rebuild shattered industrial relationships in. this country,” he said. “The Minister of Labour must either have a very

poor sense of timing or a very low regard for New Zealand workers if he thinks that his lame excuses for not making a cost-of-living adjustment to wages are going to be accepted.” Fiddling with statistics could not hide the harsh everyday experience of people who were struggling against price increases. It was “ludicrous” to argue that last year’s wage increases could cover this year’s price increases. “Those increases were negotiated before any of the price increases that have shown up in the September and December consumer price figures were known. There has been no compensation for cost of living increases since then,” Mr Thorp said.