Ball in Gabinet’s court — Mr Knox

Press, 2 March 1981, Page 6

Ball in Gabinet’s court — Mr Knox

PA Wellington New Zealand could have industrial peace after 11 a.m. today, said the president of the Federation of Labour, Mr W. J. Knox, on the television, current-affairs programme, “Newsmakers” last evening.- •#, - . The Prime .- Minister. (Mr Muldoon) had.-, been given a six-poirit proposal by the F.0.L., point five of which sought “a simple answer” to a question asking for immediate discussions on amending legislation concerning picketing. ■ • -■■ ■ “All he has to do tomorrow (after a scheduled meeting of the Cabinet) , is say, “Yes we will have urgent discussions; and then we will have industrial peace,” said Mr Knox. “We want discussions to

amend the Police Offences Act and other legislation to give us the democratic right to picket peacefully and in a disciplined way.” The Minister of Labour, Mr Bolger, said on the programme. that the Cabinet would meet at 10.30 a.m. today an J would?: report to Mr Knox by 11 a.m. It was a question of whether a change in the law was necessary and he had reservations about the possibiliy of arriving at changes acceptable tb all parties. “I believe they would be much more difficult to write than it appears on the surface,” said Mr Bolger. “I will have to look at -it and see whether it is to the advantage of New Zealand." Mr Bolger said that he “would have to , be a little pessimistic that-there could

i be unanimity on both sides • about changes.” There had been iimumer- . able pickets ih the past in New Zealand without arrests. “It is a question of wheth- • er trade unionists want to t test the law regardless of . what it is. Even if a change > is achieved there will still have to be some constraint. - Thevqpeston is whether the ; law would be less likely to • abuse 'by trade-unionists. They have to stay within ; the law.” . , £ Mr Knox said that the i right to picket peacefully . should be written into the law. “It’s long overdue: that’s been proven,” he said. Workers should be able to picket but that did not ini volve the right to obstruct i other workers.