I.C.F.T.U. ‘could expel F.O.L.’

Press, 24 May 1985, Page 12

I.C.F.T.U. ‘could expel F.O.L.’

PA Wellington The International Confederation of Free Trade Unions could expel the Federation of Labour, according to Electrical Workers' Union secretary, Mr Tony Neary. Mr Neary said the Western world’s major international trade union organisation might take the expulsion step because of the involvement of the F.O.L.’s president, Mr Jim Knox, and secretary, Mr Ken Douglas, in a trade union conference on Development and the New International Economic Order held in New Delhi in February. Mr Neary agreed with a comment by the I.C.F.T.U.’s Director of Communications, Mr David Brombart, who said in January that the New Delhi conference had been organised under the auspices of the Com-munist-dominated, Praguebased World Federation of Trade Unions. Last November Mr Douglas represented the F.O.L. at a meeting of the New Delhi conference steering committee on his way to the Soviet Union. At the New Delhi meeting in February Mr Knox was

appointed chairman of the Asian and Oceanic trade Union Co-ordination Committee which was constituted to review matters arising from the conference. The F.O.L. was authorised to participate in the New Delhi conference when the 1984 annual conference endorsed a communique with the Soviet All Union Central Council of Trade Unions.

The communique endorsed co-operation in holding the conference on the international economic order, Mr Douglas told this year’s F.O.L. conference. Mr Neary said because of the activities of Mr Knox and Mr Douglas he doubted whether the LC.F.T.U. would allow the F.O.L. to continue its affiliation.

“It is quite possible they might just throw them out altogether,” Mr Neary said. Commenting on Mr Neary’s remarks, Mr Knox said Mr Neary could say what he liked. “The LC.F.T.U. has no power to do anything about it at all,” he said. “As far as I am concerned he can say what he likes. I am not intested in what Mr Neary says ... “I am telling you right

now I have no comment to make,” Mr Knox said. Mr Neary said one of the main reasons the Electrical Workers’ Union disaffiliated from the F.O.L. last year was because of the activities of Messrs Knox and Douglas. “The F.O.L.’s participation at the New Delhi conference was in total breach of the constitution of the LC.F.T.U,” Mr Neary said. Speaking at the F.O.L. conference in Wellington earlier this month, Mr Douglas said the F.O.L. has been criticised by the LC.F.T.U. for participating in the conference.

Mr Douglas said this was contrary to reality. He said organisations participating in the conference had comprised the All Indian Trade Union Congress and about 20 other union organisations.

The secretary of the Coordination Committee (set up at the New Delhi conference) and vice-president of the All Indian Trade Union Congress Mr K. G. Sriwastava, was in New Zealand for talks with Mr Knox recently.