Union Wishes To Consolidate Labour Movement

Rotorua Morning Post, Issue 5301, 14 January 1947, Page 5

Union Wishes To Consolidate Labour Movement

AUCKLAND, Last Night. "We do' not want °to split the Labour movement, but to consolidate it. We are forced to fight those officials of our Labour Government and the Federation of Labour who line themselves up with the employers." That is the salient point made in r, pamphlet issued in Auckland today by the New Zealand . Waterside Workers' Union, enlisting the support of trade unionists generally in its dispute, which has now entered its seventh week. It is apparent that the union no longer considers the dispute as a wateysiders' struggle alone. * Confidence of an O'Utcome of the dispute satisfactory to the union is expressed in the statement in thepamphlet, reading: "When we emerge successful from this dispute we believe that the Labour movement, and, consequently the claims of all workers of New Zealand, will he immeasurably strengthened." - New Facts Produced Addressing workers in New Zealand, the union invites them to "take up the cudgels alongside it, and in so doing, guarantee the preservation "of-your own conditions." The claim' is also made that if the watersiders were unsuccessful in their fight it would be the turn of other workers to-morrow.

New facts regarding the union's conference with the Government are brought ©ut in the pamphlet. It claims that the Order-in-Council to suspend the Waterfront Industry Commission was prepared two days •previous to the meeting. The Prime Minister, Mr. Fraser, is said to have indicatsd to .the union leaders that the Government would support the claim for no Saturday engagements, annual and statutcry holidays and accommodation, but was non-com-mittal in the two important issues — daily guaranteed wage and wage increase. More facts about the union's muchdebated ' neg*otiations with the Federation of Labour and mention of a confidential document are outlined in the pamphlet.