Union secedes on eve of C.T.U. inauguration

Press, 17 October 1987, Page 8

Union secedes on eve of C.T.U. inauguration

PA Auckland The Freezing Workers’ Clerical Union has embarrassed the Federation of Labour on the eve of the inaugural conference of the Council of Trade Unions by quitting the F.O.L. and refusing to join the new group. Mr Michael Cullen, the union's national secretary, yesterday blamed Communist influence and the "complete lack of direction” in the trade union movement for the split from the F.O.L.

“Following on from that, we are not prepared to become an affiliate of the Council of Trade Unions.

“The running of the C.T.U. and its leadership poses problems to unions. It does not appear it will be an effective voice for the workers of New Zealand.”

Mr Cullen, speaking from Hamilton, said he had reservations about the composition of, the C.T.U. “and particularly the political philosophy of some of those placing themselves up for election.”

He said, “I am talking

about the ever-increasing influence of communism in the New Zealand trade union movement. “We do not see it as in the interests of the workforce to have a union organisation preoccupied with the furthering of Communist opinion.”

The favoured nominees for the three key positions in the new council are Mr Ken Douglas (president), Ms Angela Foulkes (vicepresident) and Mr Ron Burgess (secretary). Mr Douglas is the F.O.L. secretary; Ms Foulkes, the Bank Officers’ Union president; and Mr Burgess, the Post Office Union retiring general secretary.

Ms Foulkes faces a challenge for the vicepresidency from the Clerical Workers’ Association nominee, Ms Therese O’Connell. Mr Cullen said the union officially informed the F.O.L. within the last fortnight it was disaffiliating. It has joined a number of unions which for varying reasons, would not be attending the C.T.U. inaugural confer-

ence in Wellington on Monday.

Mr Cullen said that the union, with a membership of 1400, saw “no future” with the F.0.L., which was carrying most of its affiliates across to the C.T.U. The C.T.U. is an amalgamation of the F.0.L., the -. Combined State Unions and non-affiliated unions. He said the vote to quit the federation and abstain from the C.T.U. had been "most emphatic, because of the lack of direction and leadership and the political philosophies being put into force.” Much of the blame for the deteriorating position of workers belonged at the F.O.L. doorstep, said Mr Cullen. The last three wage rounds had proved conclusively that the F.O.L. was out of step with the needs of workers. "Some very low settlements have been made, purely, I think, because of the political considerations of people. “They have shown little consideration for the plight of workers. If a parent organisation is set up, the buck stops there.”