P.M.’s actions on strikes ‘disaster’

Press, 7 April 1979, Page 6

P.M.’s actions on strikes ‘disaster’

PA ■*»*** Wellington The Leader of the Opposition (Mr Rowling) yesterday accused the Prime Minister (Mr Muldoon* of creating a situation where strikes were becoming part of the wage-negotiating process.

“That is entirely wrong: it is disastrous,” he told a news conference. Strikes should be only a very last resort when workers were driven to the wall but they were now becoming part of the bargaining process. The Government had in too many cases deliberately allowed things to fester, he said. For example, the Christchurch tunnel dispute could have been avoided if the

t;workers had been given the! a chance to have their case ' .heard. 11 a Bluff watersiders had I -given an assurance that they < 111 would accept the Waterfront i g'lndustry Tribunal’s decision I - on unloading fish, but the i tribunal would not visit i n; Bluff until April 26. Mr 1 v-Rowling said. : e| Some Government leaders! 'would not be averse to a . - ; huge show of strength be- j , a { tween the Government and 1 el unions whatever the cost. 1

“One suspects from the way things have happened I that the Prime Minister is trying to recover some sort of status or recover his crumbling image by trying to appear the tough guy in the industrial scene, whatever the consequences might be.” said Mr Rowling. ! He did not believe that ! the present spate of industrial disputes was related to | the coming Federation of ■Labour elections.