STRONG ATTITUDE AGAINST WATERSIDE WORKERS’ UNION

Grey River Argus, 24 March 1949, Page 4

STRONG ATTITUDE AGAINST WATERSIDE WORKERS’ UNION

Wellington Trades Council Decision on Dispute

P.A. WELLINGTON, March 23 Disgust at the "scurrilous abuse levelled ax the National t-xecutive or the Federation of Labour was expressed in a resolution adopted to-night foy the Wellington Trades Council after discussion of the correspondence which recently passed between officials of the New Zealand Waterside Workers’ Union and the l-ederation of- Labour.

The president of the Council, Mr F. P. Walsh, reported after the meeting that the whole of the evening was given to a discussion of the carpenters’ dispute at Auckland, and to correspondence which had passed between the National Executive of cne Federation and the Carpenters’ Union, and between the National Executive and Messrs H. Barnes and T. Hill (national officers of the Waterside Union). Mr Walsh said that the recentlypublished statement by the Federation of Labour in tne carpenters’ dispute was endorsed by the meetings by 95 votes to 15. The meeting was then asked to endorse the action of the National Executive of the Federation of Labour in refusing to discuss any matter with . the Waterside Workers’ Union, until a “scurrilous communication” from the union’s officials had been withdrawn, and an apology made. A motion endorsing the Federation’s action was carried, An amendment proposing that the matter be referred to the annual conference of the Federation was defeated by 93 votes to 17.

FEDERATION SUPPORTED On behalf or tne management committee of the Trades Council, a resolution was then put to the meeting, it was carried by t>3 votes to 2L It read as follows: “That this Trades Council pledges its fullest support io the National Executive ol tne Federation of Labour, in prosecuting the policy of conciliation and arbitration, as laid down by the annual conference of the New Zealand Federation of Labour, and in combatting, from whatever source it may come, any attempt to wreck or weaken the declared policy of the organised trade union movement.

"We treat with disgust and contempt, the scurrilous abuse, couched in such unreasonable and irresponsible language, which has been levelled at our National Executive by certain misleaders of a section of the Trade Union movement, merely because the executive courageously upheld the policy laid down by the conference,

“We condemn such unscrupulous and ariti-working class attacks, and disassociate ourselves from the persons responsible. We are of the opinion that such vindictive abuse arises from the disappointment of such persons, who have been baffled in their attempt to stage a general hold-up of industry, with the consequent wrecking and splitting of our industrial and political Labour movement.”

CIRCULAR LETTER Mr Walsh also handed to the press a copy of the circular issued by the National Executive of the Federation of Labour last week to all affiliated unions setting out the correspondence with the Waterside Union. This circular stated that the watersiders had accused members of the National Executive of the Federation, of exposing themselves as agents ,of the working class and of betraying all affiliated members by their publication of a “strike breaking document, in the carpenters’ dispute.