LABOUR DISSENSIONS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 21098, 4 February 1932, Page 11

LABOUR DISSENSIONS.

FACTIONS IN AUSTRALIA.

WORKERS' UNION STATEMENT,

HOSTILITY TO MR. LANG. [FROM OCR OWN CORRESPONDENT.] SYDNEY. Jan. 2S. A definite indication that unity in the Labour movement in Australia will be achieved only by sacrifice on the part of the Premier of New South Wales, Mr. Lang, who has been responsible for the disruption, is given in the report of the secretary of the Australian Workers' Union, presented to the annual convention in Sydney this week. "The split caused by the Lang Planners in the Federal Parliament, and the political contortions of Mr. Lang himself in the New South Wales Parliament," says Mr. Graynaler, "undoubtedly caused a wave of prejudice against Labour Governments to sweep the whole of Australia. Unions are now left to the mercy of the anti-Labour Federal Government. which is already straining at the leash to cripple arbitration so as to bring about greater reductions in salaries and wages. Now we can only hope that the lesson of the last Federal election will lead to a proper consolidation of Labour forces throughout the Commonwealth; and a more rigid adherence than in the. past to the real policy and platform of the great Australian Labour Government. "When the Federal Labour Government was treacherously betrayed it had already saved the arbitration system, and was, with the approval of the Inter-State Labour Convention, holding the fort for the workers against those who sought to destroy their living standard. That be-

trayal was one of the most shameful pages in the history of the Labour movement. It was accomplished by a small group of Lang Plan supporters, after a discussion of the position with the anti-Labour forces.

"It is significant that the intention to throw the Federal Labour Government from office was known to the Nationalist organisers in Sydney long before the fatal division bells rang in Canberra. The few Lang Plan candidates, representing only a faction in New South Wales, could not hope to form an administration that would be of any assistance to the workers. They could only jeopardise or destroy the. things that Labour in the Federal sphere was fightjng against odds to uphold." Following the reading of this report the convention decided to express its "uncompromising hostility" to the Lang Government on account, of various acts for which it was held responsible. The general feeling seemed to be for a ready endorsement of all that the general secretary had said. The Australian Workers' Union, the strongest Labour organisation in Australia to-day, is more bitterly opposed to Mr. Lang than ever before. And it can be said for certain that Mr. Lang will never make overtures for a settlement.