THE UNWED LABOUR MEN.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1907, 15 November 1913, Page 6

THE UNWED LABOUR MEN.

THEIR DECLARATION, UNIONS' URGED NOT TO STRIKE. , The-' Dominion Executive of the Unitfid Labour' Party broke'its lengthy silence yesterday witti a ma»ifosto issued to its various affiliated unions! Though list issued by the executive to tho gen* eral pubJjCj tiro manifesto contains 9. very deii.nito statement of , poliey. It reads as follows:— ■- "Tho National Executive of ' theUnited Labour Party has devoted imieh . time and thought to the .present industrial trouble. We liavo mjulo no public declaration on the- crisis. Our silencelias been prompted because of our hopes ■ fcf and nltenipts at mediation. We have approached tho Strike CoMimitfeSe and the Executive of the Federation of La- , bo'ur with offers of mediation towards •settlement. Wo have been repulsed by . the committee arid the executive, Mn attempt has now been j-naelo to involve tte organisations affiliated with the United-Labour Party. Our unions have been, called upon to strike without consultation with yoiir executive and iti contravention of our constitution. Iu short, a policy of disintegration has I been followed, and your o-xeeutfro and its .jurisdiction ignored. That is to keeping with t-he past policy of disruption instituted by the Federation of Labour. We desire to point out thai, under our constitution tho present l trouble could not have arisen. The constitution of the Federation of Labour lias been treated as so much waste paper. Even the? provision' in the rules of the Wellington Waterside Workers' Union for a ballot precedent to ft strike lias been ignored. The result is eliftos, and tends to work irremediable disaster to organised Labour. Tho present fight is a- struggle between the Federation of Labour ami the employers. Heqinnmg with a trivial disagreement tho attempt is now mode to involve organised Labour in a general strike. The United Labour Party is opposed to the coheral strike- as a weapon at warfare. liiI ihisti'ial history lia.s amply proved its I failure in other countries, and there are many additional reasons why it must fail ftcro. Therefore this eseotitivo strongly opposes any extension of tiio strike, Extension will suisly bring further disaster and accentuate unnecessary suffering. We declare that, the J points involved in the present struggle could and should hnve btwi-i settled ori constihitional tines and without an appeal to force. As a party wo stand fo? ■constitiitiojial methods, and the present unfortunate disturbance has tremendously -strengthened <jut position as a. constitutional party. Our chief ,ind immediatti object in fss-tiing this declaration is to urge oat organisations ami mcnibers no-t to strike. To extend tbo strike will indict Mniecessa-ry sivf'feriuß on many .individual workers, iiijrtro the cause of Labour, and fl.mbarrass tlie connmusity. Wo therefore u.rpe your orfianisation not k> strike. A foij review of tlio whole facts of the present dispute and our proposals for the prevention of similar disasters in the- future will bo issued .later. On behalf of tlie executive of the United Labuur Party, (signed) J. T. Paul, President, - L. M, A. Reardeii, Seereta-ry-Trea-S' .U-tOTf'•