F.O.L. behind Labour — Mr Knox

Press, 14 May 1981, Page 1

F.O.L. behind Labour — Mr Knox

Wellington reporter

In an ebullient address to the Labour Party conference in Wellington yesterday, the president of the Federation of Labour (Mr W. J. Knox) said the F.O.L. was "right behind” the Labour Party, but did not intend to "dictate” to it. •

To an amused and attentive audience he said that his statements a week ago to the F.O.L. conference that Labour Party policy was "incoherent” had achieved their end if it had got the party "off its backside" to work for a Labour government. The conference responded with a vote of thanks for Mr Kr.ox’s firm and capable discharge of the duties of his office, and a call for all union members to give $1 a head to support the F.O.L. in an election year.

Mr Knox had words for the Minister of Police (Mr Couch) and a promise of "the biggest industrial upheaval New Zealand had ever faced” if Mr Couch’s warnings of protest violence being met with police violence materialised.

Departing from his speech to comment on union picketing rights, Mr Knox said the Prime Minister (Mr Muldoon) had made no further moves on talks about “legal” picketing.

He had told unions to “go ahead and picket,” he told the conference, but in a more conciliatory tone than he used last week at the F.O.L, conference, he added, “but to do it in a correct manner.”

On the relationship between the F.O.L and the Labour Party Mr Knox said there was always the attempt to create exaggerated fears about union domination of the Latour Party. •

He ascribed this ’ behavior to a “lack of political consciousness” in large sections of the community. The F.O.L. was trying to change this.

It was also educating workers to see the real economic causes of the crisis faced by New Zealand.

His address to the Labour Party conference was important because it was another chance to rid New Zealand of the Muldoon regime. “Because it had no proper development strategy. New Zealand was in danger of a takeover, not by ‘Cossacks’ but by international financiers.”

“They are ones calling the tune.” he said. The National Government had said that overseas immigrants were taking over New Zealand housing. This had been revealed as a racist slur. Now people were pouring out, and taking their skills with them.

The F.O.L. had succeeded in repealing the Remuneration Act, and getting the right for a cost of living hearing, Mr Knox said. However, the Prime Minister had begun “floating the idea of a wage in* crease, tax-cut trade-off.” This was not discussed at all with the Government until February 1980, and then only in "very vague and general terms” Mr Knox said. “It has become clear to us that the Prime Minister is trying to confuse people within the trade union movement by saying agreement in principle had been reached on the trade* off.”

He was also trying to create public support for, such an approach. . Mr Knox said that the trade union movement was not in competition with the Labour Party. The party was represen* tative of groups other than ‘ the trade union movement. The essence of its relationship with the party was complementary.

The union movement was only - one group influencing policy-making in the party.