MOTUEKA DISPUTE

Dominion, Volume 29, Issue 300, 15 September 1936, Page 16

MOTUEKA DISPUTE

Communist Party Replies To Mr. Semple THE MEN DISMISSED In reply to the Hon. R. Semple’s references in Saturday’s “Dominion” to his disagreement with workers On the Motueka Aerodrome job, the central committee of the Communist Party of New Zealand yesterday issued a statement of which the following are the principal relevant parts:— “Mr. Semple makes the statement, ‘To suggest that I have victimised men because of their trade union principles Is an infamous falsehood.’ The facts are that five of the Motueka workers were sacked from the job subsequent to the dispute, and we believe were informed that they would never again be employed by the Public Works Department. Among those sacked were the local branch secretary of the union, the local vice-president and the check inspector. From the pay-sheets of the five men thus victimised it appears that they were among the best workers on the job. This should be known in view of the attempt of Mr. Semple to make it appear that only one man was sacked and this for reasons not connected with the dispute.

“Mr. Semple says the campaign of criticism —he uses the words ‘hate and slander’ —has been instituted by the Communist Party. We have criticised Mr. Semple for his anti-union stand in the Motueka dispute, and. for Ills threats of concentration camps, etc. However, we wish to make it clear that there never was a member of the Communist Party on the Motueka job. At no time did the workers at Motueka criticise the Labour Government nor the rates of pay provided by the Public Works agreement. The Communist Party made no public statement on the dispute at Motueka until after Mr. Semple had used the columns of the daily Press to threaten and abuse the workers of Motueka. “Mr. Semple would lay the blame for criticism of his actions on the Communists. Would he say that the two thousand members of the Auckland Carpenters’ Union are Communists? Would Mr. Semple say that the members of the other organisations, some of which are a part of the Labour Party, are Communists? We submit that the reasons for the criticism arise from a more profound cause than the actions of the Communist Party.” NO VICTIMISATION By Telegraph—Press Association. * Nelson, September 14. Mr. D. R. Park, president of the Motueka Airport Construction Branch of the New Zealand Workers’ Union, issued the following statement arising from various Press articles concerning the Motueka dispute:— “I feel it Is my duty to publish a statement on behalf of the Motueka branch. We appreciate the supporting attitude of our fellow-unions in our dispute, but there is one point I would ■like to correct as it may cause a certain amount of misunderstanding. After perusal of my union’s minutes and correspondence I find there is nothing to indicate that any official or member of this union has been victimised and discharged through this dispute, that is. other than normal shortening of hands through the work nearing completion.”