Saskatchewan labor calls for public ownership of resources REGINA — Representatives of the 58,000-member Sas- katchewan Federation of Labor (SFL) called on the only remain- ing New Democratic Party government in Canada, March 1, to establish full public ownership of Saskatchewan's potash indus- try. The SFL’s annual submis- sion to the provincial government also called for full public owner- ship of all oil and uranium re- sources, noting “‘this country has surely seen enough examples of massive transfusions of taxpayers money into private energy corpo- rations’, like the ‘‘public rip off surrounding the Syncrude project The brief, also repeated a de- mand raised in last year’s submis- sion to the NDP government, cal- ling for legislation to prohibit in- junctions and to outlaw the use of scabs in legal strikes. An SFL statement on the brief said, “the use of injunctions is an unnecessary and unfair use of the courts on behalf of the employer against employees in a labor dis- pute. The right to strike is guaran- teed by law, yet the exercise of that right is either partially or fully taken away by an injunction.” “Comparability” Exposed The brief slammed the federal government’s plan to make public sector workers the vehicle for keeping wage controls in place, . The mid-February meeting of Trudeau and the provincial pre- miers was billed as an economic summit, held on the eve of a fed- eral election as yet to be an- nounced. Indeed, the very first day aroused great hopes and ex- pectations when in a front-page streamer the Toronto Star re- vealed: ‘*$100-billion plan for one million jobs’’. But the opening bang turned out to be yet another of those political weather ballons — just a blown-up paper bag full of explo- sive hot air. As my friend George Harris explains in his regular col- umn ‘‘Labor at Home and Ab- road” in the U.E. News: “... The economic conference itself did not produce any decisions which will put even one of the present jobless back to work . . .”’ However, as George explains it, the so-called official com- munique reported agreement ona common federal-provincial policy of limiting the public service growth, and the pay of civil ser- vants. Again to quote: “This measure of agreement was fully in line with the buck- passing unanimity of the pre- miers, when each made their bow to the private sector — private ownership — in declaring that it is on this sector that we must rely for jobs and economic recovery, with the role of government being strictly limited. “In this day and age, this posi- tion is a total abdication of res- ponsibility and the clearest pos- sible proof that governments in the first place represent the through the so-called ‘‘compara- bility’’ formula that would tie pub- lic sector wage increases to those in the private sector. The total dollar value of wage rollbacks in Saskatchewan, the SFL estimates in an unfinished study of the impact of wage roll- backs on the provincial economy, will amount to between $16- and $20-million. “Comparability”, the brief. said, ‘‘is an effective denial of the right to free collective bargaining for public sector workers.’’ The assumption that there is presently a fair relationship between private and public sector wages is false, the brief declared. : Wages for unionized private sector workers are higher, the SFL pointed out, while most of the private sector is unorganized, making any comparisons of cur- rent conditions inequitable and unfair. The submission called on the Saskatchewan Government to Oppose recent changes in unemployment insurance legisla- tion and to protest ‘‘the deplora- ble and vicious assault on people who cannot defend themselves”’ contained in the current federal government advertising. cam- paign depicting UIC recipients as cheaters and crooks. Universal Child Care For the rights of women in the work force, the brief demanded privileges of private ownership, over the rights, needs, and com- mon good of the big majority of our people. © “It is this private sector which has caused the major develop- ments which led to the present economic crisis, as has been the case in all the economic crisis and dislocations of the past. For the political leaders of this country to now say to the private sector, “‘we rely on you,’’ shows the Canadian people that very hard struggles ahead are needed to turn governments away from the bankrupt policies of the past. “The premiers’ conference, regardless of what Trudeau and the others may have in mind, had the clear responsibility to present to the Canadian people concrete measures to overcome the disas- trous effects of the economic crisis now, and to build the kind of economic safeguards which will minimize or eliminate crises in the future. Governments’ reliance on the private sector will defeat both the short and long-term needs of the Canadian economy and people. “ ... Short of the complete change from private ownership to public ownership — the only full and lasting guarantee that economic crisis can be eradicated — there are measures which an aroused people can compel governments to adopt which will provide much greater protection and opportunities than at present. ** ... Well over a million un- employed Canadians cannot wait for the long-term solutions which PACIFIC TRIBUNE—MARCH 17, 1978—Page 6 Bait for — political suckers . provincial government action for universal 24-hour, publicly funded and parent controlled child care facilities, noting that building such facilities would also create jobs. Other demands in this area in- cluded: legislated paternity leave to assist fathers with family responsibilities; and for a speed- up in a government study into the concept of equal pay for work of equal value. The federation attacked the new provincial Education Act, Bill 43 which denies teachers the right to be shown just and suf- ficient cause for dismissal, and re- lieves the school boards of any responsibility to justify their ac- tions. The SFL statement said the legislation continued to deny teachers the right to negotiate all terms and conditions of employ- ment, and gives the boards unilat- eral power to extend the working day or reschedule school hours for any reason they deem advisa- ble. The SFL totally supported the Saskatchewan Teachers Federa- tion demands for the government: to remove legal roadblocks deny- ing teachers full collective bar- gaining rights; provide for an ef- fective appeals procedure; and to give teachers a voice in deter- mining what their duties and responsibilities will be. are necessary for future economic growth and stability. They want, need, and must have, jobs and wages today, not a year or 10 years from now. The hundreds of thousands of young people look- ing for jobs, and being unable to find them, must be saved from the demoralization which is inherent in being jobless. There must be an end to the needs of people being sacrificed to the special privileges of the handful of wealthy indi- viduals who now call the tune in the country. ~ “*There will be no economic re- : covery until millions of Canadians have the necessary purchasing © Power to buy much more goods and services. They will not have this purchasing power until they have jobs and wages. I “The private sector will do no- thing unless and until it is assured of fat profits. Canadians must demand that governments, step in with a variety of job-creating projects, including a vast housing development to meet the needs of low and middle-income families, the expansion and modernization of urban transit systems in all major centers in Canada, rebuild Canada’s merchant marine, and establish publicly-owned manu- facturing facilities in high unemployment areas and one- industry communities.. **Demand that governments do what the premiers’ economic con- ference miserably failed to do — fight unemployment.’’ To which one can only add — enough said! SPAIN’S LEFT UNIONS a LAY-OFFS HIT LABRADOR LABRADOR CITY — Iron Ore Co. of Canada, will lay-off 350 of its 3,000 employees in Labrador City, Laborador in May. In addi- tion, the iron ore pelletizing plant in Labrador City will close for five weeks in July. A company spokes- man blamed a slump in the North American steel market for the lay-offs. SFL BACKS ~ GOVT. WORKERS REGINA — The Saskatche- wan Federation of Labor an- nounced March 3 it was fully sup- porting the Saskatchewan Gov- ernment Employees Association (SGEA) in its current bargaining dispute with the provincial gov- ernment. The SFL pointed out that publicity generated by the existence of a dissenting minority in the SGEA is trying to distract the public from the fundamental TAKE THE LEAD IN VOTE gf fis ae, q ; MADRID — With over 1,600,000 votes counted in Spain’s trade union elections which have been taking place since the beginning of February; the Workers’ Commissions have emerged as the leading trade union organization with over 52% of the votes. About 4 million workers are expected to vote under the current government decree and in the 20,000 plants where voting has occurred so far with some 75,000 delegates elected, the Workers’ Commissions have obtained about 38,000 dele- gates. Running second is the General Workers’ Union, backed by the Socialist Party, with 22% of the vote. the support of the Communist Party of Spain. The Workers’ Commissions have issue of the justice of the union’s bargaining position. ‘‘All of the | SFL’s support mechanisms are available to SGEA in this dis- pute’’, the federation said. UAW DEMAND ONT. INQUIRY TORONTO — United -Auto Workers president Dennis McDermott said March 9, the - union might let loose about 1,000 pickets from the Ford, Talbotville_ plant to see what Ontario Provin- cial Police would do in their role as scab herders for strike-bound Fleck Manufacturing Co. in nearby Centralia. The union called for a full provincial government investigation March 8, into why the OPP has been working for the company, owned by the family _ members of James Fleck Deputy Minister of Industry and Tourism, lecturing the workers on the futil- ity of striking, for a first contract, then arresting a UAW staff rep. on the picket line. “What are they complaining about...We haven't worked a day in our lives...’’