The economy

Press, 4 September 1980, Page 16

The economy

Sir, — I wish to comment on the remarks attributed to Mr C. W. White, president. of: the Canterbury Employers’ Association (“The Press,” August 30): “The drivers, pressing for a 13.5 per cent increase, must be oblivious to the delicate balance between maintaining incomes and preserving jobs?’ Mr White must be totally oblivious of the great imbalance between runaway inflation and the obvious needs of workers to continue to feed, clothe and house themselves and their families. Mr White might care to consider how either employer or workers can effectively counter the deliberate Muldoon policy of mass unemployment in the i alleged restructuring of the economy and industry of our divided nation. I believe Mr White would be far better advised to remark on the factual cause instead of attacking the inevitable effect. — Yours, etc., ARTHUR MAY. August 31, 1980.

- Sir, — To be anti-union .goes against the socialist grain. This attitude is under-

standable as the Labour Party has made the fatal mistake in relying on trade union contributions to be the mainstay of party finance. When the 45,000 plus members of the Clerical Workers’ Union pay in the princely sum .of $1,350,000 annually, the trade union lolly is much.prized. It takes just 21 head of staff at the union’s headquarters in Auckland . to process the steady stream of . contributions and the salaries of the staff would make the.singleincome families envious. After almost 25 years as a retailer I can assure M. T. Moore (September 1) that I am indeed anti-union and am particularly opposed to the way unions do not account to their membership nationally. There is no Utopia but only a socialist pipe dream of cradle to the grave protection. — Yours, etc., L. Jf STEVENS,

Oamaru. September 1, 1980.