National Candidate Criticises Union Leaders

Grey River Argus, 8 November 1949, Page 8

National Candidate Criticises Union Leaders

Continuing his tour of the Buller Electorate, Mr. McDonald, National Candidate addressed meetings at Charleston and Granity. He was given an attentive hearing. He dealt with many points of the National Party’s policy. He claimed there was a feeling of frustration and growing public concern about the Government’s record of appeasement to minority groups of what he termed, “wreckers holding the country to ransom.” Messrs Barnes and Hill were not worried about the consequences to, New Zealand, if primary produce were not exported and if overseas shipping companies were forced to withdraw vital shipping owing to the policy promoted by them and carried out. by their dupes. He said the National Party had proposals to • amend the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act to provide for secret ballots. These would destroy the power of Ihe wreckers. It was surprising too, that Mr. Baxter, secretary of the Federation of Labour, who advocated the need for industrial discipline, opposes Mr. Holland's proposals. The Government. in consultation with the Federation of Labour, introduced an amendment to the I.C'.A. Act in 1947. requiring secret ballots to be taken prior to strike action and for the election of Union Leaders. Under the pressure from ' militants, the Minister withdrew many of these proposals. He said Mr. Baxter attempted to destroy public confidence in the Electoral Department”. The members of phrase “Prime Minister’s own Electiral Department.” The members of the Government were elected under th e control of the Electoral Department. Did Mr. Baxter suggest they were unfairly elected? If it is good enough for Members of Parliament to be elected under the control of the Electoral Department, surely it is good enough for Union Leaders,” said Mr McDonald. The honest has nothing to fear from the National Party’s proposals. On the contrary, they would get protection from industrial victimisation. Union Leaders clung to old prejudices and class hatreds and insisted that Union members had no standing in industry. It was time that workers realised that industrial training was so expensive that employers desired continuity of employment as much as any worker.