LEADERS AMUSED

Otago Daily Times, Issue 27039, 25 March 1949, Page 5

LEADERS AMUSED

MOSCOW’S NONSENSICAL CLAIM BRITISH TUC SECRET POLICE NZPA Special Correspondent Rec. 9 p.m. LONDON, Mar. 24. Moscow radio has announced, to the amusement of the trade union leaders, that the British Trades Union Council is to establish a secret police organisation. “ From now on,” said the commentator, “ Mr H. V. Tewson, general secretary of the TUC, Mr Arthur Deakin and Sir George Chester (members of the TUC General Council) will have their own Scotland Yard. Any local trade union organisation which does not answer the requirements of the TUC chiefs will be dissolved. Any union official who refuses to have his opinions dictated by the Transport House Executive may be deposed and

excommunicated. Trade union leaders are playing a dangerous game. They will find that they have over-estimated their strength. Political persecutions and strict trade union police will not stop workers in their struggle foxunity and in defending their rights.” A spokesman of the TUC said: “ The suggestion that we have a secret police is nonsense. We have democratic consultations every month with a committee representing the trades councils. We have a TUC department which concerns itself solely with relations with the trades councils. We have an annual conference of trades councils, and of course we have an annual Trades Union Congress. “The relationship between the TUC and the trades councils is close and organic and we have no need to invent a secret police to get the ‘lowdown’ on Communist infiltration. Nor do we need a police system to combat Communist trickery and subtei'fuge.” The Daily Telegraph, in a leading article, says wide publicity and not a mere denial should be given by the TUC General Council to the Moscow allegation. The paper adds that no one familiar with trades unions could picture the trade union leaders organising a British equivalent of the Soviet NKVD (Secret Police).