THE OTAGO DAILY TIMES TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 1947. LABOUR AND THE UNIONS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26627, 25 November 1947, Page 4

THE OTAGO DAILY TIMES TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 1947. LABOUR AND THE UNIONS

The criticism of the Labour Government which is expressed in the annual report of the national executive of the New Zealand Carpenters’ Union makes interesting reading. The views which are put forward are similar to those which have been voiced recently by other unions and are evidence of a growing dissatisfaction on the part of organised labour which must the Government some misgivings. These opinions reveal a certain confusion of-thought, but there is also a note of inquiry which is encouraging. The report complains that the Government in its recent acts had chosen to hurt its supporters. This is primarily an expression of disappointment with the effects of the increase in the standard wage rates. This was made as the result of strong representations from the trade union movement, but the increase was not as much as was asked for, and increased costs have ali’eady made the anticipated benefit illusory. This was the consequence not of Government blundering, but of a natural law. Warning of this has repeatedly been given, but the trade unions are either ignorant of its operations or selfishly refuse to admit them. The criticism of the action of the Government in lifting the subsidies on various commodities is an illustration of this. The report, however, does reveal the first glimmerings of an appreciation that higher wages do not necessarily mean that the worker’s position is automatically improved to the extent of the increase.

The removal of certain subsidies was an indication that the Government has belatedly realised that an effort had to be made to adjust the unbalanced national economy, but in the price control legislation which was introduced shortly afterwards it showed that the lesson had not been fully learned or that it felt it had to make a gesture to appease its militant supporters. The i-eport of the Carpenters’ Union blames the Government where it, and kindred associations, at least share in the responsibility. Italso expresses doubt of the wisdom of the Government’s policy, but perhaps it is too much to hope yet that realisation of the wisdom of the removal of controls and the encouragement of competitive enterprise will follow. One conclusion which can be approved is that the trade union movement is an independent body whose identity should not be linked to that of one political organisation. Such an association is mutually thwarting in the long run- and can lead, and indeed has led, to a distortion of the national economy. The trade unions’ responsibilities are not primarily to a political party but to their members. Neither ai*e they instruments of class warfai*e. They must consider the whole structure of the community and work to improve the lot of their members in harmony with that of all other sections. This they have not always done.