Proposed union merger questioned

Press, 12 August 1982, Page 3

Proposed union merger questioned

PA Wellington A merger between the Public Service Association and the Federation of Labour would be wrong if its aim was greater power of coercion, said the Minister of Labour (Mr Bolger) yesterday. “There is nothing intrinsically wrong in the unions joining together ... if they are joining together for a constructive or positive purpose,” he told reporters. . “If ... it is just to give them more clout because they claim that they are under some attack .... that would be wrong and quite negative; it would be of no benefit at all to New Zealand.”

Mr Bolger said he would have to know the precise intent of the unions’ motives before forming a clear opinion on it. No legislative authority would be needed to form an umbrella organisation, but Mr Bolger said previous attempts at a merger had been rejected by the P.S.A. membership. Saying he was “sceptical” about their motives, Mr Bolger said there were a number of areas, such as the introduction of new technology, where a combined approach would be helpful.

“But if the attitude is wrong, of course the end result will be wrong.” Labour's associate spokesman on labour, Mr E. E. Isbey, supported the concept of a New Zealand Council of Trade Unions.

Mr Isbey forecast that “a new era of industrial peace” could stem from the move to place 750,000 workers under the same confederation.

“This coming together will eliminate the time lags, the overlapping, the leap-frogg-ing, the catching-up processes, and all the other countless strains and irritants of industrial relations,” Mr Isbey said.