\ j & sed) ~ Labour Code by-passed REPORT By FRANK HOWARD, M.-P. tor Pearson's Flag A few days ago the Prime Minister announced that there were certain items of business that the government would like to get passed be- fore Christmas. He enumer- ated them and the only ones remaining are (1) the esti- mates of expenditure for the fiscal year 1964-65, (2) the Canada Labour Code, and (3) the Flag. We have agreed to the esti- mates being passed by No- vember 27th and to sit extra hours if that be necessary. This, then, leaves only the Canada Labour Code and the Flag as items which the Prime Minister feels are ur- gently required before Christ- mas. Our position has con- sistently been that there are many items of greater impor- tance than the flag and that these more important items should take precedence over the flag. Apparently, though, the Prime Minister thinks otherwise. — On November 18th, the National Leader of the New Democratic Party, Tommy Douglas, asked the Prime Minister: “. . whether we can be given some assurance that this legislation (The Canada Labour Code) will be pro- ceeded with before the flag debate is recommenced, in order that we may be sure it will be passed before Christ- mas.” The Prime Minister re- plied: “No, Mr. Speaker, I can give the hon. gentleman no such assurance.” In reply to a further ques- tion by Mr. Douglas the Prime Minister said: “, . there should be no necessity of interrupting the flag debate in order to get this important legislation through before Christmas.” In other words the Prime Minister is far more con- cerned with his pet project, the flag, than he is with the wages, hours and working conditions of more than half a million Canadian workers. No doubt that when: we are in the midst of the next fed- eral election the Liberals will spread the word far and wide through the industrial centres of Canada that the Liberals should be returned because they introduced into Parlia- ment the Canada Labour Code. It should also be remem- bered that, by the words of the Prime Minister himself, he wasn’t dispossed even to set aside or interrupt the flag debate in order that the Can- ada Labour Code. could -get into the Statute books as early as possible. It may well be, now that a fuss has been raised about these statements of the Prime Minister, that he will have second thoughts about the matter and arrange to deal with the Canada Labour Code in a more honorable fashion. B.C. work injuries The number of work in- juries reported this year to the WCB, up to October 31, increased about six per cent over the same period in 1963. A total of 73,575 injuries had been reported, compared with 69,249 in the first ten months of last year. The total for 1963 was 81,828. If the present increase con- tinues it can be expected that more than 86,000 injuries will have been reported at year end, the third highest total in B.C. history. In 1956, a total of 95,562 injuries were re- corded, followed by 88,189 in 1957. About one-third of the in- juries reported to the WCB result in layoff from work of more than three days. Most of the balance involve one visit to a doctor and little layoff from work. A greater work force and increased. industrial activity in the Province this year are significant reasons for the up- ward trend in work injuries. Definitions AGE — What a woman is shy on telling—in more ways than one. * * “That period in life in which we compound the vices we still cherish by reliving those that we no longer have the enterprise to commit.” — Ambrose Bierce. * * MIDDLE AGE — The time when the average man is going to begin saving mer month. * ALIMONY — A system, by which, when two people make a mistake, one of them continues to pay for it. * * ANTIQUE — A piece of furniture on which you have finally paid the ese ae bes COMMUNIST — A person who says everything is perfect in the Soviet Un ion but stays here because he likes to rough it. THE WESTERN CANADIAN LUMBER WORKER OTTAWA AT NORTH BAY 160 attend Congress on Industrial Safety, One hundred and sixty-del- egates representing unions and provincial Federations, as well as other organizations from Vancouver to Halifax, met in North Bay, Ontario to attend the third Canadian La- bor Congress seminar on In- dustrial Health and Safety, November 15th to November 19th. Joe Morris, Executive Vice- President of the Canadian La- bor Congress and Chairman of the CLC Committee on Health and Safety, in opening the seminar stated that in re- cent years interest in the pre- vention of accidents and in safety education within the trade union movement has grown tremendously and that the attendance at this seminar indicates the great interest in this work. Dr. E. Mastromatteo, of the Ontario Industrial Hygiene Branch of the provincial gov- ernment, dealing with indust- rial diseases, outlined the Japanese golfers use tapes _Japanese golfers, among the. most avid in the world, are now using video tape re- corders to help them develop proper form. The videocorders, used often in. television stations where they allow instant playback of a television event, are being used in Tokyo’s in- door golf driving ranges. Because of the scarcity of open land in Japan, golf driv- ing ranges, both indoor and outdoors, are much more pop- ular in Japan than in North - America. They are often open on a 24-hour basis and the videocorders are expected to add to their popularity. The golfer merely stands at the tee and swings at the ball. Then he presses a button and is able to compare his form with that of his instruc- tor. The small video unit is ex- pected to find many other uses. Although too expensive for home use (about $7,000) it is expected to find popular- ity with theatre groups who wish to record rehearsals, with laboratories which want a complete record of experi- ments and with surgeons per- forming operations. —New Canadian Reason “Mother,” a young man ex- claimed, “I was away for three days on a business trip. I wired my wife I’d be home last night and when I got there I found her in another man’s arms. Why, Mother?” “You’re a woman, tell me why?” After a moment of silence, his mother replied: “Maybe she didn’t get your wire.” various diseases and prevent- ive measures which should be taken to safeguard the health of the worker. Dr. Keith K. Nealey, De- fence Research Laboratories, discussed the effects of indust- rial noise on workers and gave many examples to show that loss of hearing can be costly to workers. Dr. Morris Katz, Depart- ment of National Health and Welfare, Ottawa, outlined the problems of air and water pol- lution, particularly from the industrial point of view. William McCullough, Field Representative, Local 1000 CUPE, Dr. P. M. Bird, Chief of the Radiation Protection Division of the National De- ‘partment of Health and Wel- fare, and Dr. Gordon Dun- ning, Deputy Director of the Operational Division of the United States’ Atomic Energy Commission, discussed the problems created by Radia- tion and the protective meas- ures needed to safeguard the health of the workers in the industries where radioactive materials are being used. Prevention Associations . cussed the activities of these organizations during one of the sessions. é The speakers found that a great deal of interest was evi- denced on the part of the delegates and questions were asked to clarify the work done by the Accident Prevention Associations. Mr. Ira G. Needles, Vice- President, National League and Walter G, nolds, Commissioner, way Branch, Department of Transport in Ontario, discus- sed off-the-job safety and traffic safety in general and again many discussions fol- lowed their presentations. In the final session Joe Morris, Chairman of the Health and Safety Committee, outlined the Congress pro- ~ gram of Safety and called upon the Federations and Un- ions to increase their activit- ies in this field. Group discus- sions followed the presenta- tion and brought forward many recommendations for the National Committee. THATCHER TURNS BACK CLOCK The National Executive of the Canadian Union of Public Employees accused Ross Thatcher, Premier of Saskatchewan, of turning back the clock by withdrawing from the civil servants in that province the right to political activity. Canada Pension Plan studied by As the flag fight boils on the surface and the reported scandals rumble below, per- haps the most constructive activity on Parliament Hill is moving quietly forward in a small committee rooom where a joint Commons-Senate com- _ mittee is edging through the massive legislation for the Canada Pension Plan. With little fanfare, the 36 members are making a pain- staking study of the brute of a bill — it’s half an inch thick —that will affect the lives and livelihood of 5,000,000 Cana- dians when it becomes law. Armed with actuarial and economic reports, and faced with a wide variety of wit- nesses from every sphere of the economy, the committee members must decide whether the plan is sound in every detail before it becomes law. Several of the members have said they would be will- ing to sit through Christmas to ensure full examination. This, basically, is the plan: © The first $600 of annual earnings is exempt. On the rest up to a $5,000-a-year maximum, the contribution rate is 3.6 per cent. This is shared equally by employees and employers but paid alone by the self-employed, who must enter the plan if they take in more than $800 an- nually, For an employee earn- ing at least $5,000 it means payments of $6.60 a month. © Contributions will start in 1966 and full benefits be- members gin in 1976, although some are available at reduced levels in the first 10 years. The bene- fits will come in one cheque but will take two forms: The contributory pension, plus the flat-rate old-age security pen- sion now financed out of taxes. e At age 65, a person re- tiring becomes eligible for the , contributory pension which is 25 per cent of the average earnings on which contribu- tions are made. Thus a person earning more than the $5,000 income ceiling would receive about $104 a month. © In addition, the old age security payment which now is $75 a month at age 70 can be claimed, in reduced Pag at age e It e $51 at age 65. Thus a per- | son retiring at age 65 would get a total of $155. If he wait- ed until he was 70, he would - ‘get $179 a month. However, these figures © probably will be changed by 1976 since the contributions . and payments are to be tied to the average national earn- ings. And so far as the committee | is concerned, these are only the basics to be considered. There are 125 sections in t bill, probably the most com- plex piece of legislation . to come before parliament. Everybody agrees the | «