Move to silence Russians fails

Press, 11 May 1984, Page 4

Move to silence Russians fails

A move to ban members of the Russian delegation from speaking to the conference was rejected overwhelmingly. A remit from the Freezing Industries Clerical Officers’ Union was not put to the conference, on the recommendation of the constitution and administration committee which vetted the remit. It read.— “That the conference expresses its concern at the growing communist infiltration of executive positions within the trade union movement in New Zealand, by not allowing an opportunity for members of the Russian delegation to speak to the conference.”

The promoter of the remit, Mr M. Cullen, of the clerical union, rose to speak to an undertone of subdued booing.

He said the failure of the federation to take a strong stand against the shooting down of a South Korean airliner by a Russian fighter had brought to a head doubts felt about how the federation was being run.

But the federation’s secre-tary-treasurer, Mr K. G. Douglas, said the administration committee felt that Mr Cullen’s remit did not cover what he said it was intended to cover. The federation did not have a delegation from Russia as such, but from the Russian trade-union movement.

Mr A. Broker, of the Hawke’s Bay Storemen’s Union, was applauded by delegates when he said that people’s private political affiliations had nothing to do with what the federation was about.