“POLITICAL BLACKLEGS”

Greymouth Evening Star, 12 February 1947, Page 2

“POLITICAL BLACKLEGS”

PRIME MINISTER AT LABOUR CONFERENCE MR. BARNES’S VERSION WELLINGTON. Feb. 11. The Prime Minister (Mr Fraser) called the New ; Zealand Waterside Workers’ Union 'delegates at the recent special Federation of Labour conference “political blacklegs,” according to the national president, of the union (Mr H. Barnes). This, says Mr Barnes in to-day’s issue of the New Zealand Transport Worker, was perhaps the culminating point in a dispute in which the shipowners had from start to finish stood on the sideline watching the Government fight their battle for them. Mr Barnes says the attempted resolution that all disputes should be referred to the national executive, of the federation, in effect outlawing direct action on the part of the workers, was an example of Fascism rearing its head in New Zealand. “To the everlasting credit of the host of delegates who opposed the motion,” he says, “the head,, wobbled badly and finally disappeared on a point of order as to its legality.” “It has got to be remembered,” Mr Barnes says, “that at this conference we had the unprecedented scene of the Prime Minister, the Minister of Finance (Mr Nasjj) and the Minister of Labour (Mr McLagan) being, in attendance and leading the attack against the watersiders. The Prime Minister, in effect, diverted the issue from a debate on workers’ rights to a motion of confidence or no-confi-dence in the Government; “The result can occasion neither him nor his colleagues any satisfaction. On the contrary, it demonstrated beyond doubt, that there are enough workers in this country cognisant of the growth and development of Hitler and Mussolini who have enough couruge to say- ihese things shall not.happen in New land.’ ” “Blow for Decency “To the credit of our own union members and those who supported us in this struggle, the purpose of the conference was not achieved,, says Mr Barnes. “Instead of isolating us from the rest of the trade union movement, the reverse was accomplished. The longer it went the stronger we got. A mighty blow was struck for decency and the common people.” Mr Barnes says that it is necessary to look further than the watersiders claims and the action they tqok to secure them. “The reason for the combined offensive of the united forces of reaction against the union was that the step it had taken represented the first real post-war claims of the workers of this country to a slice of the much promised new order,” he said. _ “We had to be bashed into submission in order to cow the working class of this country into. accepting the reduced standard of living That is the lost of most New Zealand industrial workers to-day. “These words I use advisedly, he adds. “The industrial worker who can maintain himself and his dependants on his net return for working a 40-hour week is piacticallj non-existent. He is either dependent on overtime work, other members of his family are working, or he has assets that are not the lot of the common worker.” . Mr Barnes says he believes that the Government has reached the stage that inevitably faces all social democratic governments. The war, he says has imposed another crippling burden of debt on an impossibly overtaxed community. “If the orthodox channels of capitalism are going to be pursued then the purchasing and consuming powers of New Zealand s workers have to be reduced,” he continues. “Unlike the direct methods Mr Coates and Mr Forbes used to. achieve this result, more scientific means are being pursued to-day, but the net result is the same. What. was. done directly is now being done indirectly. Taxes such as sales tax,, subsidies to big business, the artificial exchange rate, and the rationing of consumer goods all combine to have the same effect The consuming power of the New Zealander is reduced while credits accumulate overseas. “Orthodox Capitalism” “That is orthodox capitalism, and that course is being followed to-day, he says. Mr Barnes said that the alternatives were: (1) genuinely to socialise industry for the benefit of the community, and (2) to break away from orthodox financial channels, recognise that New Zealand has a crippling burden of debt than can never be paid and plot a course that will enable the people, as distinct from the bond holders, to. enjoy the full fronts of their production. “The industrial movement, says Mr Barnes, “should be strong enough to maintain and improve the workers conditions irrespective of what party is in power.” He is certain, he states, that the federation conference convinced a very large body of responsible trade union opinion of the wisdom of this maxim. A. solid core of trade unionism was revealed that augured well for the workers of New Zealand and foretold doom for those who sought to split and betray the Labour movement. , , , “We fight for the workers' elementary rights, and if action has to be taken, it will be taken, backed by every docent trade unionist in the country and strengthened by our affiliations overseas,” he adds.