Dwyer Slams Workers

When the JBL companies crashed the other day, the government and the daily press did not leap into print to denounce JBL for disrupting the economy and throwing a lot of people out of work. The receiver, Mr. Richard Dwyer, went on T.V. last Thursday night and said that JBL construction workers who didn't get jobs with the firm taking over unfinished contracts would 'not be worth employing'. Dwyer caused an uproar because he was blunt and tactless. His statement should not be seen as being very much out of the ordinary; labour, in capitalist society, is just another commodity.

The venom spat at students and others who demonstrated against the Pacific Basin Economic Council must be understood in this context. What was surprising was the Student Association Executive's reaction, at its special meeting on the Sunday night following the protest. The Executive's reaction freezing Labour Club funds, asking Council for an inquiry and the Professorial Board for disciplinary action and passing a no-confidence motion in Lee-oan only be described as vindictive;

It seemed as though the Evening Post's call for political exclusions from the university had found a response from 'sensible' students.