RED FEDERATION FICTION.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1921, 2 December 1913, Page 4

RED FEDERATION FICTION.

— Oke of the assertions made by the' federation _ot Labour in the official suite merit of the strike position which it has forwarded to Australia in its endeavour to influence the Australian unions is that the- employers insist on "denial of the right of waterside workers as a whole to organise' into one association." This state- 1 incnt is of course untrue. The em-j plovers do nothing of the kind, and as a matter of fact there is already a federation of the Arbitration Unions of Waterside Workers. There arc! indeed more unions of watersiders' united under the Arbitration Federal son than there are similar unions under *. ! c banner of the Red Federation. The purpose of this untruth-, ful statement forwarded on to mislead the Australian unions is to create, the impression that the employers are fighting to prevent labour organising and combining. It can be readily understood that statements of this nature would be better calculated to arouse the sympathv and support of the Australian, unions than the real facts of the ease. Throughout the later stages of the present struggle the strike bosses have- persistently attempted to obscure the real issues at. stoke bv clamouring against the suppression of labour unionism. We have repeatedly exposed the dishonesty of this manoeuvre, and the pc-oplp of New Zealand know quite well tliat no attack is being made on labour unionism. The employers, instead of attacking labour unionism, are encouraging it by such means as iio within their power, as witness their support of the unions registered under the Arbitration Act, The attack that is being made is solely directed against the Federation of Labour, whose, dishonourable methods and openly declared contempt for agreements make it a menace to the industrial peace and prosperity of workers and employers alike. It is to be regretted that in their cable message to Mn. Hughes the Citizens', Farmers', and Employers' Defence Committee were not more clear and emphatic in pointing out the fact that the struggle here is in no way an attack on labour unionism. There is such complete proof of this that, there should not be the least difficulty in making the matter—which is in' our opinion the really vital one with the Australian unions—clear beyond nnv possibility of doubt. The United Labour. Party, if it is at all deeplv concerned for the welfare of legitimate trades unionism, might also take steps in the same direction. Knowing as it docs the truth of the position it owes this duty to the miblic as well as to the members of the unions under its jurisdiction.