Industrial disputes

Press, 2 March 1981, Page 16

Industrial disputes

Sir, — There has been a flavour of Gilbert and Sullivan comic opera about the recent industrial strife. The picketers, protesting against the refusal of a 2 per cent rise in pay, looked incongruously well fed, well dressed, and prosperous as they happily played their part and posed for the TV cameras . before being marched off to prison. While the airport swarmed with stranded passengers because of the strike,'.Mr Knox flew back and forth to Auckland in chartered planes. Surely Mr Knox, did riot use scab labour? No, never!- Well, hardly ever.” — Yours, etc., E. MARTIN. February 28, 1981. Sir, — My sincere thanks go to the F.O.L. and its associates for helping to make our current wave of strikes possible. I have been campaigning for voluntary unionism for mariy years, and I think the Ravensdown and airport . disputes will help my cause immensely. With their protection of law breakers, blackmailing of companies, defiance of Government and inconveniencing of ' the public, they have very few friends left. I suspect that if a ballot on unionism was held tomorrow we would have about as many voluntary union members in this , country as there were .Voluntary prisoners in Mt Eden prison. — Yours, etc., R. P. LYLE. ’ February 26, 1981. , .