By CHARLES CARON

Merger issues likely to come up
at B.C. Federation of Labor

gr November 19, the B.C. Fed-
eration of Labor will hold

‘its last convention before the
merger’ of the Trades and Labor
Congress and the Canadian Con-
gress of Labor next April un-
ites more than one million org-
anized workers into one trade
union centre.

In itself the merging of labor’s
two largest centres is an event
of national significance. What
role will this new central body
play in shaping the country’s
future? How will it measure
up to the struggle for a new
policy to win greater economic
security and political equality
for labor — a policy based on
Canadian development, progress
and peace?

These are questions to which.

rank-and-file unionists through-
out the country will be called
upon by history to give the
answers.

=o sige x

At the recent convention of
the TLC and CCL no opportun-
‘ity was given to delegates to
discuss the terms of the merger
fully. As a result, there was con-
siderable dissatisfaction among
the rank-and-file, particularly
of the big industrial unions. So
it is to be expected that at the
B.C. Federation of Labor con-
vention delegates will insist on
discussing questions relating to
the merger which are vital to
the entire labor movement.

It is a fact that the industrial
unions in the country’s mass

industries determine the pat- .

tern of wages, hours of work
and general conditions. A uni-
fied trade union movement will
give greater emphasis to this
trend. But restriction of equit-
able representation for the in-
dustrial unions under the pre-
sent terms of the merger can
lead only to imposition of nar-
row policies by craft unions.
The traditionally reactionary
role played by some of the craft
unions makes this danger ap-
parent.

Another source of dissatisfac-
tion is the exclusion,. not only
of what the daily press refers
to as the “left’? unions, but of
other sections of labor now out-
side the merger, and the lack
of effort to bring them into the
common centre.

. confronts the

The Catholic Syndicates, Rail-
road Brotherhoods and other big
independent unions would add
great strength to the new con-
gress by making. it in fact all-
inclusive. But the present poli-
cy of excluding certain unions
can only weaken organized
labor’s bargaining position,
create depressed wage areas
and perpetuate division in
labor’s ranks.

Rank-and-file unionists are
very interested in obtaining
freedom of action within the
new congress. They want such
freedom because they believe
it will give them both greater
economic strength and the op-
portunity to develop indepen-
dent political action around that
program which will best serve
their own and the national in-
terest. }

x n bos

The labor movement is fac-
ed with a tremendous respon-
sibility. The gains for world
peace expressed in the broad
agreement of the Geneva Con-
ference should find their reflec-
tion in changed policies at Ot-
tawa and Victoria. But the St.
Laurent government rejects the
demand for a reduction of-arms
expenditures and the Bennett
government follows suit.

For the labor movement this
means that the country’s wage
earners must. continue to bear
the heavy tax burden imposed
by arms expenditures and fore-
go national health insurance, im-
proved edlcation facilities and
other social gains — unless they
fight for a new national policy.

Nor is this all. Continuation
of present federal policies means
continuation of the anti-national
policy of “integration” where-
by the country’s natural re-
sources are being drained away
to the U.S. at the expense of
Canadian industry and jobs.

In their own interests Can-
ada’s organized workers must
fight to change these policies.
That is why their struggle to
maintain and extend trade un-
jon democracy through annual
conventions and adequate rep-
resentation is a vital issue in
the formation of a single united
congress.

og x x

Automation in industry now
labor movement

with the need for a shorter work
week to maintain employment
and raises sharply the question
of the guaranteed annual wage
or, as it applies in the auto
industry, guaranteed income to

. supplement unemployment in-

surance during periods of un-
employment, in all industries.

The issue of the shorter work
week and the need for the work-
ing class to acquire greater leis-
ure as part of social advance-
ment also brings in its train an-
other issue, that of increasing
the facilities for leisure.

Delegates to the B.C. Federa-
tion of Labor convention may be
expected to be no less concerned
with this issue than with the
federal government’s present in-
flationary policy which imposes
on labor the necessity of fight-
ing for wage increases to keep
pace with rising prices. On this
issue of maintaining the level
of the workers’ take-home pay
the recent convention of the
B.C. Trade Union Congress
(TLC) marked an important
stage in the struggle for a new
policy.

In turn, the B.C. Federation
of Labor convention must break
away from old policies and pro-
mote the type of progressive
program which best corresponds
to the needs of the working class
and the Canadian people as a
whole. :

BARAK

Remember when...

...fire virtually razed Fernie in 1908. These pictures show (top)

one section of town where almost every building was destroy‘

and (bottom)) tents set up in the CPR yards. The fire ¢@'
an estimated $5 million destruction. The fire is now part 0
tory, but the labor tradition established by Fernie pioneers bY
which the city has stood for more than half a century is continUe™
in the return of Tom Uphill at every election as the legislature f

one Labor representative.

By MITROFAN DEREVNIN

Soviet disabled veterans get

good pensions, rehabilitation

OCIAL insurance in old age,
illness and disability is a
constitutional right of all. So-
viet citizens. This, combined
with the constitutional round-
the year job guarantee in force
in the USSR, eleminates any
“fear of the morrow.”

Social insurance is an integral
part of the Soviet government’s
budget. This year the govern-
ment allocation for this purpose
comes to about 46 billion rubles.
A good deal goes for pensions,
including pensions for war in-
valids, persons disabled while
in army service and for fami-
lies of deceased servicemen or
men killed in action.

Pensions for war invalids and
for those disabled while in army
service, range from 40 to 100
percent of the individual’s pre-
vious salary, depending on rank
and degree of disability.

Rank and file soldiers and

non-commissioned officers re- |

ceive a higher rate and the per-
centage is based on their earn-

ings before they entered army .

service. Thus, whereas high
ranking officers in the first in-
valid category (totally disabled)
receive a maximum of 85 per-
cént of their salaries, rank-and-
file soldiers and non-commis-

‘sioned officers receive 100 per-

cent of their previous earnings.

Soldiers and non-commission-
ed officers in the third invalid

category (persons slightly dis-.

abled) receive a pension grant
equal to 50 percent of their
earnings, and high ranking of-
ficers in this group receive from
40 to 45 percent.

For the totally disabled the
minimum pension grant is 400

rubles a month regardless of

ry

previous'‘earnings. In like man-
ner, minimums are established
for both subsequent groups.

Totally and partially disabled
persons do not pay taxes and
get a big reduction in rent.

Dependents of men killed in
action or who die while in army
service also receive monthly
pensions. This includes child-
ren under working age or still
in schodl or college and aged
and disabled parents or other
dependents. In these cases the
pension is fixed as follows: for
for one dependent, 35 percent
of the serviceman’s average

earnings. before his death; 45 .

percent for two dependents and
50 percent for three and more
dependents.

Pensioners (both civilian and
army men) and families of men
who were killed in action. or
reported missing have priority
when new housing facilities are
allocated and also get big re-
ductions in rent. Ten percent
of the housing space in newly
built housing units is set
aside for families of demobilis-
ed servicemen, war invalids and
families of men who were kill-
ed in action during the war.

23 $o4 x

War invalids also have prior-
ity in sanatorium treatment, and
the governmént pays the full
cost of sanatorium accommoda-
tions and treatment. for war in-
valids of the first and second
groups.

yO considerable importance is
the aid given by the govern-

-ment to enable disabled war

veterans and also disabled civi-
lians to learn a profession or
trade within their abilities.
Special government-maintained

; 4
PACIFIC TRIBUNE — NOVEMBER 11, 1955 — PAG?

training centres exist for ie ‘
purpose. If he wishes, 2 HS"
abled person can always get
work where he can be usef¥
without undue strain on ie?
health or strength.

If he desires he can join?
producers’ cooperative and Wor”
at home. The rate of pay a
pensioners in all cases iS Bore
and never less than an @P
bodied person would receive for
the same work. Sometimes ;
pensioner’s combined earning” ip
and pension grant actually con. :
to more than his previous 2V°" —
age income. ‘

Everything is done to iets
the disabled person restore }
ability to work. Treatment } .
hospitals and clinics to rest?
the use of limbs and injure
faculties is on a high level i
this combined with manus”
training often restores the abl”
ity to work.

Medical treatment in- genet
is free of charge in the SOVE
Union. Artificial limbs ate @”,
provided free of charge 2 on
a person has lost a leg abo 5
the knee or both legs, hé
given an invalid car, als

of charge. This is a SPC)

three-wheeled motor, - di¥é

vehicle. eles s
t alse

The Soviet governmen for
allocates considerable sums ary:
financial aid when neces "+
This year the sum being § ‘hel
is 57 million rubles. TiO
25 million rubles will be §
in granting long-term loan ee
pensioners who wish to 7éP HS
their homes or build new hour” —
or to purchase livestock. =
5 Oe
teams

pent

@ Mitrofan Derevnin i
tor of the Soviet Ve
Aid Board.