COMMUNIST REVIEW:. PROGRESS IN N.Z.

Grey River Argus, 13 April 1948, Page 7

COMMUNIST REVIEW:. PROGRESS IN N.Z.

MANGAKINO, April 10. A willingness which was held by many Communists to permit Mr H. Barnes, president of the New Zealand Waterside Workers’ Union, to be sacrificed because of his past role against Communists” is shown in documents attributed to the inner circle of the Communist Party, and made available by a reliable observer at Mangakino. The particular's report refer to the occasion last year when there was a conflict . between the Government and the Waterside Workers Union. The documents attributed to the Communists state: “The attack on Barnes was not accepted by many or our party members as an attack against the union, and they were prepared to allow Barnes to be sacrificed because of his past role against Communists.” Stating that the main force of the attacks bn militant unionism had been directed against the Waterside Workers’ Union, the documents say: “The struggle of the watersiders was on important basic issues, such as the future control of the waterfronts of New Zealand . . . Party members in executive positions in the Watersiders’ Union must be complimented on their work, which was carried out in spite of fierce opposition from the employers, the Government, and their reformist henchmen. The documents continue: _ “We must fight against all those in the trade union movement who are halting and hesitant, continually temporising and consiliating. They must be ruthlessly fought and exposed. All trade union committees, trade union leaders, and comrades in charge of trade union work must prepare and organise for an all-out. drive to prepare the workers for the struggle against reaction.” After saying that Communists must intensify their work in key industries and that party leaders in unions must organise the workers into “activists” the documents state that the Communists must campaign upon the following programme:— Making all trade union journals “organisers of the class struggle” fighting against the proposed amendments to the constitution of the New Zealand Federation of Labour; making “every factory a fortress against reaction,” strengthening the policy of the Federation of Labour; demanding stricter price control; and demanding further wage increases. “The mass demand for wage increases resulted in defeating any Redbaiting drive against Communists in the Federation of Labour conference in June” the documents state. “The conclusion of the conference was a tribute to the militant voice of trade unionism, and Communists’ work in mobilising the work on federation policy. “Over the recent period, an improvement in our work in the mines is evidenced . . . We now have one comrade on the national council of the United Miners’ Union and several comrades holding important minor positions in local unions.” Contending that more attention will have to be given to Communist have to be given to Communist branches in secondary centres and in the country, the reports state that these branches have felt the pressure of political reaction to a greater extent than the city branches, and have suffered from inadequate leadership in a difficult political situation. It would be necessary for the Communists to intensify their “broad work in the mass organisation,” particularly in the trade unions, and “to advance the party itself as a champion of the interests of the workers and of the nation.”