MILITANT POLICY

Otago Daily Times, Issue 27358, 6 April 1950, Page 6

MILITANT POLICY

Urged On National Unions FIXED WAGE ATTACKED The abolition of wages stabilisation and a more militant trades union policy were advocated at a mass meeting of workers at the Hillside workshops yesterday. The meeting was called to discuss the Government Railway Tribunal’s decision on wages claims, and it was unianimously decided to bring these two points before the national trades unions. This was announced to the Daily Times yesterday by the president of the Hillside branch of the Railway Tradesmen’s Association, Mr V. G. Robinson, and the president of the Hillside branch of the Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants, Mr L. J. McKay. A resolution carried by the meeting stated: “That to enable us to proceed for a general increase in wages we instruct our respective national executives to urge at the Federation of Labour Conference the abolition of wages stabilisation, and with a view to obtaining this increase to meet the steadily rising cost of living the national executives be instructed to formulate and adopt a more militant policy.’’ Speakers to the resolution strongly condemned the Government's wage pegging policy in contrast to the ease with which more favourably placed sections of the community were able to secure a still larger - share of the national income. It was clearly understood by all present that, in asking the national executives for a more militant approach, when the time arrived for its policy to be carried out the men would stand solidly behind their organisations.