Unions asked to raise party fees

Press, 7 May 1980, Page 6

Unions asked to raise party fees

Parliamentary reporter The Labour Party wants more money from its trade union affiliates. The Leader of the Opposition (Mr Rowling) acknowledged this yesterday after a meeting of the party’s shadow cabinet. He was asked about the state of the party’s finances and a suggestion that it was about $200,000 “in the red.” “I don’t know exactly what the figure is,” Mr Rowling said. “All I know is that our financial situation has shown a consistent and steady improvement since the impact of the last election. That is no new thing. I can remember as president going through exactly the same trauma. “The income side of things, with which I am reasonably familiar at the moment, is certainly vastly better,” he said.

A meeting of party ■ > officials and delegates from? : affiliated trade unions had? discussed finances and the-: • indication had been that the J ■ delegates would take “some-? i thing fairly strong” back to ’ ; their unions. £.. ; “I am sure their people f ■ will respond,” he said. The request for more : money from the affiliates “had nothing to do with an; 5 ■ existing situation.” The re-s ■ quest was based on spreading subscriptions more, ■ equally. Ordinary members ! paid subscriptions to the? ■ party of about $2, but trade? : union members paid about : 20c. “We put it to the affiliated? unions that that was a disi proportionate affiliation fee—20c on the one hand for a ' trade unionist, and in many; electorates $2 or more for an • ordinary branch member — and they took the point,” he said.