Industrial turmoil likely to grow as picket charges proceed

Press, 27 February 1981, Page 1

Industrial turmoil likely to grow as picket charges proceed

Parliamentary reporter

Widespread trade union disruption appeared certain to escalate today after a decision, yesterday by the AttorneyGeneral, Mr McLay, not to stay the prosecutions of the Ravensdown and Auckland Airport picketers.

The executive of the Federation of Labour will meet this morning to discuss the matter, firm in its stand that the charges should be withdrawn before there is any softening of the union line.

Mr McLay said, “Each prosecution will continue, the law will follow its course, and matters of innocence or guilt will be decided by the appropriate court. I can find no good reason on which I could base a decision to stay these prosecutions,” Mr McLay said that to •stay the prosecutions under the prevailing circumstances would be “the most transparent expediency.” (Report, Page 3).

The Leader of the Opposition, (Mr Rowling) later urged the six union officials in Mount Eden Prison to accept bail and return to the leadership of their unions. “Labour will not condone the breaking of the law by either side in a dispute,” he said. He said that a Labour government would make any necessary changes to the law to ensure the right to picket peacefully. The F.O.L. wants a show of force on the issue but it fears that this could split the Labour movement, reports the Press Association.

At two big meetings of trade-unionists in Auckland yesterday, the president of the F.0.L., Mr W. J. Knox, said that the Prime Minister (Mr Muldoon) might use the dispute as a reason to call a snap election on the law-and-order issue. Mr Muldoon sought a confrontation to destroy union strength. Other speakers made it clear that many unionists

did not support the call for strikes. At least 3000 people attended the meetings. Mr Knox first addressed a meeting of waterfront unions. Reporters were admitted only for the latter part of the main meeting which followed. This meeting passed resolutions calling for the immediate withdrawal of “scab” labour and nonunionists from Auckland Airport and for the immediate release of the unionists from Mount Eden Prison and the dropping of the charges against them. It also called for tire amendment of legislation which “prevents ‘a legal right to picketing” and for the exclusion of the police from industrial matters. At both meetings Mr Knox asked for care lest the Labour movement be split and at both he mentioned the possibility of a snap election. He said that the Minister of Labour (Mr Bolger) had lost his power in the last few days. Mr Muldoon was now also the Minister of Labour. “Never has there been such a major struggle looming since the one in 1951,” said Mr Knox.

It had not been brought about by the actions of unionists but by police and Government harassment and by the arrest of peaceful picketers. After the meetings Mr Knox said there was “no question” that the F.O.L. would widen the dispute. The dispute would widen itself.

He referred to a Wednesday evening telephone conversation with Mr Muldoon in which Mr Muldoon had said that the charges of trespass would not be withdrawn. He had reminded the Prime Minis-

ter that he (Mr Muldoon) had earlier said that this was an independent decison for Mr McLay to make. Now, because Mr Muldoon had not liked a statement in which the word “hostages” had been used, the charges would not be withdrawn. “Someone used the word, ‘hostages,’ and it upset him,” said Mr Knox. The president of ■ the Public Service Association, Mr D. H. Thorp, said later that the P.S.A. fully supported the F.O.L. The police should not be allowed to use technical offences to charge picketers. His executive would meet today but it was up to the members of the P.S.A. themselves as to how they acted. Section committees would consider what action to take.

The president of the Canterbury Trades Council, Mr W. R. Cameron, said last evening that it was up to individual branches of unions in Canterbury to ' decide whether to take any action. The council had last evening met and had passed two resolutions. The first was that the council endorsed the policy of the. F.O.L. in supporting the democratic rights of unionists to picket. The council recommended that all unions in Canterbury give practical support according to their position and the wishes of their members. The council had also voted that the dispute should be handed over to the F.O.L. immediately. The resolutions had been “very nearly unanimous.”