Pay-fixing bill ‘a bid to hold seats’

Press, 23 November 1983, Page 3

Pay-fixing bill ‘a bid to hold seats’

PA Wellington The Opposition yesterday claimed that the Government’s new industrial legislation was electorally-in-spired when a contentious bill about state pay-fixing continued its stormy passage through Parliament. The Labour state services spokesman, Ms Fran Wilde, said that the Government was making a desperate bid to hold provincial seats in the next General election in November, 1984, with such legislation as the State Services Conditions of Employment Amendment Bill. “There is no Springbok tour coming up next year but the industrial legislation like this bill and the other bills they have got before the House, provoking public and private sector unions, may just produce the desired result,” she said. Ms Wilde was speaking as the bill, which among re-cently-changed provisions, bans electricity workers from taking industrial action interrupting power supplies, reached the secondreading stage in the House yesterday afternoon. Earlier, the Minster of State Services, Mr Thomson, has branded as “dishonourable and unacceptable” the behaviour of electricity workers last month in saying they would take industrial action in opposition to the bill. The threat of industrial action by electricity workers was averted when

the Government agreed to have talks on the bill. This was after the Government threatened to invoke emergency powers. Ms Wilde’s reference to “other bills” during yesterday’s debate involved the Industrial Law Reform Bill, also before Parliament, which provides for voluntary unionism and youth pay rates. Talking about the State pay bill, Mr Thomson repeated that it allowed a new formula for fair pay relativity between public and private sectors. But Ms Wilde restated Labour’s opposition to the measure and said there was no motive for the bill, which was fair. “When we’re looking for a motive, the only answer that we can come up with is that it is political and elec-torally-inspired,” she said. “They have given away the metropolitan seats. They have given away the Wellington seats and the Christchurch seats and the Auckland seats. But they are now making a desperate bid to

hold the provincial seats.” However, she added, “this won’t save Gisborne... won’t save Whangrei and won’t save New Plymouth and Horowhenua (for National),” In his speech Mr Thomson outlined what the bill would prevent electricity workers from doing, through the clauses inserted after the Labour week-end “showdown” between the Government and power workers. He said the bill now aimed to prevent the electricity workers from stopping or limiting electricity generation in any way; denying electricity supply to consumers; or taking control of the electricity system away from the Electricity Division. “The final issue in this whole matter is who governs New Zealand — the Government, the elected representatives of the people or a few maverick unionists, notably those in the electricity industry in this country,” said the Minister of Education, Mr Wellington.