F.O.L. wants unity in its ‘troops’

Press, 10 May 1984, Page 3

F.O.L. wants unity in its ‘troops’

By

MICHAEL HANNAH,

in Wellington

The Federation of Labour did not want to commit itself to a national strike and then wonder where its troops were, said its President, Mr W. J. Knox, yesterday. Speaking on the progress of wage-fixing talks, Mr Knox told the F.O.L.’s annual conference that he had been asked by union members at several meetings if it was not time for a national strike.’

“If and when we’re ready to have a national strike, then we’ll consider it at that time,” he said. The F.O.L. did not want the embarrassment of committing itself to an action of such magnitude, only then to look around and ask where its troops were, and wonder whether they were ready to fight, he said.

Mr Knox believed unionists were now giving the F.O.L. a response that they knew they had to fight, even those worried about unemployment.

Mr Knox’s references to a national strike, however, were muted by later references to discussions he plans to hold with “captains of industry” and to the F.O.L.’s willingness to continue negotiations with the Government and employers on wage-fixing policy.

He told the conference that the federation had never closed its door to future meetings to discuss wages policy with the Government and emplo ?rs. “We are prepared to go into discussions at any time,” he said.

He was prepared to have a meeting after the F.O.L. conference ended and before he travelled overseas on May 20 for the annual meeting of the International Labour Organisation. The secretary of the

F.0.L., Mr K. G. Douglas, said earlier that the federation had been subjected to “numerous provocations” which would have justified its withdrawal from the wage talks. “For instance, the announcement and subsequent introduction of the Industrial Law Reform Bill was done with no consultation or advice from the Federation of Labour or Combined State Unions,” he said.

“The first announcement was made as the Federation of Labour’s representatives were leaving a meeting of the wage policy reform talks, in which the Government and employers’ spokesmen had for the whole of the meeting maintained silence as td the initiative that was being put into place outside of that meeting.”

Mr Douglas said the F.O.L. had seriously considered its reaction to the “provocations” and had decided to remain in the talks, rather than give the Government the chance to assert that the F.O.L. was walking away from the talks and from its responsibilities.

He also justified the F.O.L.’s decision to accept a general wage order rather than go through a wage round, saying it had been a “Hobson’s choice,” or no choice at all, as the federation was keen to retain a presence for union members to show that it was working for them.