Salient. Official Newspaper of Victoria University of Wellington Students Association. Vol 40 No. 26. October 3 1977
Maintaining the status quo—internally
Maintaining the status quo—internally
Internally the SIS protects us from the pernicious influence of "subversives".
To be a "subversive" one has to undermine "by unlawful means the authority of the State in New Zealand". To be "potentially subversive" one needs only to seen as likely to become "subversive"—the judgement, which cannot be challenged, will be made by the SIS. Having made such a judgement the SIS will collect information on, and in some cases harrass, the "subversive or potentially subversive" subject.
Every unionised worker in New Zealand is a "potential" or actual "subversive".
In this country struggles by unions for decent wages and conditions have always had a political aspect—they always will. The State through various Regulations and Laws intervenes every where it can in the relationship between worker and employer. Often unions carrying out their basic function in defending their members interests have been forced into confrontations with the Government of the day.
In 1968 Unions struck and massed a huge demonstration on Parliament grounds against the Government's nil wage order. Troops were present in the basement of Parliament 'in case of trouble'.
In 1976 Unions again struck and massed a huge demonstration against the Government's wage freeze Regulations. Barriers were erected to prevent workers from getting too near Parliament buildings.
In 1977 several confrontations loom. Again these confrontations will have been inspired by consciously anti-worker policies promulgated by the Government of the day. Confrontation is likely when the Government attempts to run its secret ballots on voluntary unionism. Confrontation is inevitable when the Government finally gets tough on wage rises and enforces the "social contract".
"Security Service investigations of the trade union movement in New Zealand are understood, however, not to be overly agressive, in keeping with the stance of most trade unions of not inducing industrial disputes to give support to political agitation.
Conversely while this is certainly the majority attitude of trade unionists here, there are individuals (not all communists) who would have it otherwise and it is they on whom the Security Service is required to compile information".