Leadership ‘not on line’

Press, 10 May 1982, Page 6

Leadership ‘not on line’

PA Wellington The Labour Party’s president, Mr J. P. Anderton last evening rejected any suggestion that the leadership of Mr Rowling was on the line over the question of union affiliation with the party. Debate on the question

was neither healthy nor unhealthy but democratic, Mr Anderton said on T.V.N.Z.'s “Newmakers” programme.

The news media played up splits in the Labour Party, Mr Anderton said, but treated National Party “dissidents” such as Ms Marilyn Waring and Mr M. J. Minogue as if they were “knights in silver .armour," he said.

The party would be doing what Mr Rowling asked it to do by debating the subject at this week's national conference, he said. Mr Rowling would accept the outcome. There might be less “blood on the floor” than the news media expected, he said. Mr Rowling was right to raise the issue and a working party was looking into ways to make union affiliation more effective or look into how it could be changed. The news media could be surprised when they saw the working party’s report, he said. Mr Anderton said there

was a double standard in the public perception of trade unions.

Asked why efforts by Mr Rowling and himself to educate the public in the role, of the unions had failed, Mr Anderton said that to think one person could change the attitudes of 100 years, one would have to be “out of your head.” It was impossible to get headlines saying that several-, thousand trade union members worked productively today, he said. But if one trade union or a member, was “playing tip,” it was all over the news, he said. ; ?

A recent survey asking people what they thought of trade unions was like asking them “if they supported wifebashing,” he said. “But if you asked people if they thought trade unions had improved working conditions and pay, they would say, ‘yes’. “Virtually everyone, 'belongs to a trade union .. .

and they believe their own cause is just (when it.comes to a strike),” he said.