Mr Knox defends F.G.L.'S Poland stance

Press, 4 February 1982, Page 3

Mr Knox defends F.G.L.'S Poland stance

The president of the Federation of Labour, Mr W. J. Knox, has continued to defend the F.O.L. against criticism that it has not acted strongly enough in support of the Polish trade union, Solidarity. The secretary of the North Island Electrical Workers’ Union, Mr A. J. Neary, an avowed opponent of Communist elements within the federation, has been at the forefront of those who have criticised the F.O.L. leadership. He said that the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions, to which the F.O.L. is affiliated, had sent a telex to the F.O.L. urging a day of international trade union action in support of Solidarity. Mr Knox, in Tokyo for a trade union conference, denied yesterday that the F.O.L. had received such a telex and added that senior officials of the International Confederation, also in Tokyo, had told him that no such telex had been sent, writes Bruce Roscoe, Tokyo reporter for “The Press.” “The F.O.L. is playing its part as much as it is able,” said Mr Knox. “Four weeks ago I wrote to Mr Muldoon asking him to seriously consider sending food and medical supplies to Poland. The reply was not very helpful.” Mr Knox said he had written to the Polish Government that unless the leader of Solidarity, Mr Lech Walesa, was released from confinement, there would be no improvement in the Polish situation. “I also wrote to the

I.C.F.T.U. before coming to Tokyo suggesting that a labour’delegation be sent to Poland to. assess the situation and'l offered to participate in that delegation.” Mr Knox had been told by the president of I.C.F.T.U. in Tokyo, however, -■’ that it would be "difficult” to get such a delegation into Poland. Mr Knox said that the Tokyo conference viewed seriously the taking away of freedoms and rights of trade unions.

“It appears that some governments are now on the attack, particularly where new unions are formed.” While Mr Knox is in Tokyo, the secretary of the F.0.L., Mr K. G. Douglas, who is a member of the Soviet-aligned Social Unity Party, is attending a conference of the Soviet-aligned World Federation of Trade Unions in Cuba.

A report in “The Australian” on Monday said that the Soviet Union was financing the W.'F.T.U. and was trying to win over unions in the Pacific region. Mr Douglas and the three others in the New Zealand delegation will meet about 80 other Pacific unionists before the conference starts on February 10. The “Australian” reported that the Pacific group would plan a regional conference for next year to form policies to defend trade unionists against multi-national companies and anti-union legislation and to develop a comprehensive nuclear-free Pacific policy.