WATERSIDERS DISGUSTED

Chronicle (Levin), 5 December 1947, Page 5

WATERSIDERS DISGUSTED

Press Association)

Political Pensions Called A Grab

(Per

WELLINGTON, Dec. 4. In strong terms the New Zealand Waterside Workers' Union at its biennial conferenee at • Wellington today, denouiiced the1 pensions scheme for politicians passed by the reeent session of Parliament. • £lt is much to be regretted," an offieial ' announcement said, "that the politicians", lextreme coOsideratioA for themselves was given practical effect in thd Uniise of lieprcsentatives before watersiders could give full consid&ration to the question." Significance must be attached. the statement continued, to the fact that the politicians, whose conscience had evidently pricketl them, allowed only an absurdly brief time- before the Hotise rose hurriedly for the recess, for people to express their undoubted opposition to the "grab". The watersiders conferenee protested with the utmost vigour against what it regarded as a preferential pcnsion scheme for ])oli* ticians only. The conferenee could not see any good reason. for not paying benefits comptirable with those bestowed by politicians upon themselves, to any other group of the community. With those democratic considerations in mind, tlie conferenee demanded that social security benefits and pensions such as those ju'tiicli wero, due to ^\,ar sci'vice, sliould be increased to the precistf a^iouni which the politicians thougltf propor for themselves. "Those politicians who voftU for this measure may honestly feel tliat they need £8 a week when they fetire or are rejected after a period of service in the llouse," commented the national president of 'the union, Mr. Barnes, "but why should New Zealand politicians tell the world that they have the best soeial security scheme on eartli — a scheme wliich allows only £2 5s Aveckly to everyone else provided that the -benoficiary reached the qualifying age? jMoreover, the politicians may not have to wait until they i-each ad vanccd years before they are paid £8 a week. Keep this in mind and L ask the democratic people .oi New Zealand to do so too. Tlie trade union movement is ol'ten aceused bitterly by its critics of promoting class activity or class war. [ say emphatically that what Ihe politicians have done is elass legislation in its Aforst form." Another delegate said: "Guilty men" should know what unioniists and pulilic thought of themT