WATERSIDERS SORE

Chronicle (Levin), 13 June 1947, Page 5

WATERSIDERS SORE

i-pre$s . Association

.. "Insidioas Propaganda In • Labour Movement"

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WELLINGTON, June . 13 . Anti-Labbrfr 'had aiivdys6 attacked the New • Zealand Water'Side WorkerS' .tJhion, but- there Was now an insidious undergrdund propaganda taking piace withih the Laboiir mo'vement, states the nationai secretary of the uhioh,- Mf, T. Hill, in the eurreiifc issue of the official publication of federatecf waterside Wofkefs. Bfatements such as "the Wharfies Will piit the . GOVernment Otif' aiid "the -Government should use 'scab' labotif and I w'oltl'd support them" Weffi coming from the lips of alleged trades unionists. Mr. Hill said this Was a Serious situation. The a-ttaeks We're iiot v/arranted. The watefsiderS'' record in the Labour party ahd trade union moVement was " second to none. Mr. Hill says the tinidn has been affiliated with the Labotir Fafty for 25 years and has assiSted hnanciallv every election carbnaign. in 1938- every member of the union gave £1 fbr the election. This Was repeated in 1943 and 1948. "At the 1935 conferehce of the Alliance of Labour," Said Mr. Hill, "We fought for support for Labotir in the general election, althottgll some people now proriiinently assoeiated with the GoV'ernment refused to give their support and described the then 24 Labour members- in very unparliamentary ianguage." Mr. Hill said the reason wliy the' union was being attacked was because it' was protesting about the iniquitous high cos't of KVihff and demanding a reduction in pr'Ofits and an easing of taxation, that it was nigh im'possible to live oii a worker's pay, and that the bulk of their wages Was earred in overtime hours and that they were then taxed on those earnings.