Timaru watersiders vote to cut ties with Labour Party

Press, 17 March 1982, Page 2

Timaru watersiders vote to cut ties with Labour Party

PA Timaru Timaru watersiders have voted to end their affiliation with the Labour Party as a protest’ against moves within the party to alter links with the trade union movement. This follows up a decision by the Wellington Waterside Workers. Union to cut ties with the Labour Party, a move described yesterday by the party’s president, Mr J. P. Anderton, as a little precipitate. The Timaru Waterside Workers’ Union discussed the matter at its annual meeting last week, and a secret ballot resulted in a decision to discontinue the affiliation.

Neither the president of the union, Mr T. R. Hanson, nor the secretary, Mr K. Munro, were prepared to comment on the decision yesterday.

However, sources within the union said that of the

more than 200 members who attended the annual meeting, less than 50 were opposed to the cut in the link with the party.

It is believed that as a result of the decision, the Labour Party will miss more than $lOOO paid each year as the union’s affiliation fee. The sources said there was widespread dissatisfaction within the union over the stand taken by the party leader (Mr Rowling) and the member of Parliament for Timaru, Sir Basil Arthur, on the issue. Asked if the dissatisfaction went as far as not supporting Labour in an election, a union member said, “I wouldn’t vote Labour at. pre.sent and I think a lot of others feel the same." The issue was raised at the

union's annua] meeting in response to comments by Mr Rowling and Sir Basil on the need for the party to be less directly aligned with the trade union movement. One union member said he felt that the ballot result was a protest action rather than a long-term cutting of ties with the party. It is believed that the ballot result has yet to be copveyed to the New Zealand secretary of the Labour Party, Mr J. F. Wybrow, who said yesterday that only Wellington watersiders had notified their intention not to retain affiliation. Sir Basil said he was aware of the move by the watersiders but he had no comment. “It is a.decision for them to make," he said.