Trade with Chile

Press, 30 May 1981, Page 14

Trade with Chile

Sir.—Anything reducing youthful unemployment, even slightly; warrants urgent priority. Why not a spearhead task force of youthful unemployed to confroht the F.O.L. hierarchy. Messrs Knox, Douglas and Anderson, with a' logical request to lift their six-year-old Chilean trade ban which drastically reduces our valuable export revenue, and wdbse. undeinocratically, boosts unemployment. Surely, the F.0.L., as "champions of working people,” would not so lack compassion on humanitarian grounds, as to wantonly hinder our youth desperately seeking any work. Governments cannot influence this FIO.L. stranglehold. but unemployed youth, morally supported by nearly 100 per cent of New Zealanders, might tip the scales. Alternatively, a strong protest march demonstrating nationwide rejection of this unjust job-killing ban, might work. With nothing to lose it is surely worth a try. — Yours, etc.,

JOHN LESLIE May 28, 1981,

Sir,—M. T. Moore (May 27) claims that three correspondents have exaggerated the value of lost trade with Chile through continuance of the

Federation of Labour ban and doubts that trade with that country would be worth $lOO million annually. Your correspondent quotes the estimate of the IMinister of Overseas Trade, Mr Taiboys, who. estimates that Chilean trade could he worth $2O million. In a recent television interview on the trade ban a Chilean official in advocating resumption of trade with his country estimated that New Zealand is losing over $6O million without taking into account the spin-off into neighbouring - countries. The exact figure of the lost trade will never be known but it is ironical that we should align ourselves with communist Cuba in being the only two countries to continue the farcical ban at the whim of the president of the Federation of Labour, Mr Knox. — Yours, etc.,

L. J. STEVENS. May. 27, 1981.