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Week

A REVIEW OF WORLD EVENTS

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Britain

World Labor Conference Hailed

HE decision of the British
Trades Union Congress, at its
recent Southport convention to
call a world labor conference “to
promote the widest possible unity
in aim and action of the interna-

tional trade union movement” was
widely welcomed this week by Bri-
tish workers, who at the same time
demanded that the decision be car-
ried out immediately.

The AEU Journal, official organ
of the Amalgamated Engineering
Union. declares in an editorial in
its latest issue:

“As the terrible logic of ‘war
unfolds, as the spirit of revolution
guickens on the continent and the
more reactionary elements in the
ruling classes of Britain and Am-
erica hasten to complete their post-
war plans for retaining their priv-

jlege and power, it becomes a mat- —

ter of increasing urgency for the
trade unions of ihe Allied mations
to find a common yoice with which
fo express their will nationally and
internationally on all major issues
affecting the workers.”

Similar editorials appear in a
number of other leading union
journals, including that of the Na-
tional Union of Public Employees,
whose secretary, Bryn Roberts, sec-
ended the TUC general council's
resolution on international labor
unity at the Southport convention.
The NUPE’s own resolution on in-
ternational unity, calling for “a
conference of representatives of
the Soviet trade unions, AFL, CIO,
Railroad Brothierhoods, CTAL, Do-
minions labor movements and
trade union groups of the occupied
eountries.” was withdrawn in favor
of the general council's resolution.

Roberts, in his speech to the con-
vention, which has been praised
as expressing the opinion of the
vast majority of British workers,
declared:-

“In sacrificing my own wunion’s
resolution for the rather similar
emergency resolution of the gener-
al council, I am confident that the
intention expressed in the resolu-
tion to conyvoke a world confer-
ence of world labor—including the
CIO, AFL, Railway Brotherhoods
and CTAL—will be welcomed by
millions of trade unionists through-
cut the world, including the over-

whelming mass of American work-
ers.

“Ryeryone, I believe, was de-
pressed by the section in the gen-
eral council's report on interna-
tional labor unity negotiations.
The pettiness and bickering re-
vealed there constitutes a grave
reflection on international labor,
out of keeping with the high pur-
pose for which the peoples of the
United Nations are fighting and
dying.

“J yenture to stress that it is
desperately urgent for the general
council to implement its inten-
tion once again to take the initia-
tive in achieving a wider measure
of collaboration. Let us admit that
in the fifth year of the war the
collaboration so far established is
one of deceptive make-believe.

“Qn the American side it is
marked by growing dissension and
mistrust. On the Russian side, by
our aequiesence in the anti-Soviet
policy of the AFL—which I hope
will not be sustained—we ourselves
imply that the Russians are not
sufficiently worthy for us to in-
sist upon their taking their right-
ful place in the councils of inter-
national labor.

“There is no way out of the
present fantastic maze other than
to make a new approach to in-
ternational unity. By making this
approach, the TUC would free
itself from the charges now made
so bitterly against it of being
responsible for the exclusion of
any given section.

“Sych an approach would enable
all those who desire to collaborate
to do so, thus placing the onus
upon those who do not so desire.
It would, it is hoped, enable col-
laboration to be centralized in one
international committee, thus
avoiding the need for TUC dele-
gates to make those burdensome,
circumlocutory and profitless tours
for thousands of miles which the
present sectional collaboration im-
poses on them.

“Upon us behind the lines rests
a heavy responsibility. In the years
lying abead it must not be said
that the great victory won at such
a terrible cost on the world bat-
tlefields was lost in the conference
halls and by the failure of inter-
national labor to perform the
tasks expected of it.”

Ptan To Rebuild Trade Unions

ONDON ‘Trade Unionists are
organizing an international
fund to assist in rebuilding trades
eouncils in occupied countries.
The first appeal is being issued
by the London Trades Council.
It emphasizes that all reports
now coming from occupied coun-
tries reveal clearly that in all areas
where working-class organization
was strong, resistance to the en-
slayers has been steadily growing.
“The Allied governments will
feed the people of occupied Eur-

ope—but only the trade union
movement can assist in rebuilding
trade unionism.”

(In Toronto this week, Irving
Abramson, committee chairman,
told the United Rubber Workers
convention that “one million dol-
lars for the organization of the
trade union underground in Nazi-
eccupied Europe” had been raised
by the CIO War Relief Committee.
“By this means,”

he stated, “we
hope to keep alive free trade
unionism in Europe.”)

Mineowners Subvert War Effort

ie LONDON this week, Abe Mof-
fat, president of the Scottish
Miners Federation, called upon
British labor to take up the case of
Frank Maybank, former general
secretary of the Northern Rhodesi-
an Mine Workers Union, who was
deported to Britain from South
Africa at the end of 1942 for ‘‘sub-
versive activities.” Moffat stated
that during Maybank’s recent tour
of British coal fields, leaders of
the Miners Federation had met
him, were prepared to vouch for
his integrity.

Referring to deportation of
Maybank and arrest of other
Northersn Rhodesian labor lead-
ers, the general council of the
British Trades Union Congress
stated in its report to the recent
annual TUC convention: =

“After examining correspondence
exchanged between the governor
of Northern Rhodesia and the Col-
onial Office prior to the arrests,
we are convinced that serious in-
justices hava been done.”

Moffat urged that the general
council take action on its report.

British labor is particularly in-
terested in this case since May-
bank has concerned himself with
maintaining production in the
Rhodesian copper mines.

The mines, situated in the Ka-
tanga copper belt along the border
of Rhodesia and the Belgian Con-
go, contain a third of the world’s
copper reserves. The actions of
the die-hard mining companies
who instigated Maybank’s deporta-
tion have seriously affected out-
put. Despite the critical copper
shortage, reports at the time of
Maybank’s- arrest stated that many
Katanga mines were producing
less than before the war.

(One of the charges preferred
against Maybank, who was largely
responsible for the establishing of
labor-management committees to
increase production, was that he
had threatened to disrupt the out-
put of copper).

Last December, the South Af-
rican Trades and Labor Council
cabled the following appeal te Sir
Walter Citrine:

“We urge that further represen-
tations be made to your govern-
ment to withdraw the action taken
against Maybank and Chris Maey-
er, chairman of the local union at
the American Metal’s Mulfira mine,
arrested last month for ‘fomenting
unrest.’ There is enough evidence
that they are not guilty of sub-
versive activities to warrant a
democratic trial.”

Australia

Unions Want Second Front

USTRALIAN trade union lead-

ers have cabled Sir Walter
Citrine, secretary of the British

Trades Union Congress, protesting
the opposition to an immediate
second front in western Europe he
voiced at the recent TUC conven-
tion in Southport last week. They
also objected to the attack on the
Soviet government and trade
unions made by Isadore Nagler,
AFL fraternal representative to
the TUC convention.

“We consider that a further de-
lay in opening the second front
will prolong the war in Europe
and cause indefinite continuation
of the war in the Pacific,” the cable
reads. “We also regret the unfound-

ed and ridiculous statements, dam-
aging to international unity, made
by Nagler about the Soviet trade
unions.”

Signers of the cable include: Er-
nest Thornton, secretary of the
120,000-strong Metal and Munitions
Workers Union; Harold Wells.
president of the Miners Federation;
Vie Elliot, secretary of the Austra-
lian Seamens Union; Tom Wright,
president of the Sheet Metal
Workers Union: Jim Healy, secre-
tary of the Waterside Workers
Union: J. Chapple, secretary of the
Railways Union; A. G. Platt, sec-
retary of the Transport Union; and
A. Thompson, secretary of the
Building Trades Union.

Latin America

Reaction Blocks Out Unions

N° a single independent trade
union functions in Buenos
Aires and more than 85 percent
of all trade unions in the Argen-
tine provinces have been “sus-
pended.” This is the information

conveyed in a report smuggled out
of Argentina and received by the

Mexico City headquarters of the

Confederation of Latin American
Workers (CTAL).
The report lists for the first

Lendon Celebrates Italian Surrender
A wildly enthusiastic crowd in London cheers the ne

time the conditions
the Ramirez gov
union which wishe!
Jegal status. The ¢
on a decree issued
the day on which
Confederation of
was banned—inclu
ng main provsions:

@® Names and ad
union members must
the local police dep
keeps a copy and for
licate to the Nation:
partment.

@ Union books n
to sudden inspection
and labor departme)
reserve the right to |

and be able to furni-
ary pros of their pla |
(More than 50 pe

Buenos Aires populat,

full time at a trade
bility to hold office ©
(No more than thre ©
bers may meet togt
first obtaining a sp.
from the labor depar
@® No union may
political activities of
demonstrate sympatl
warring nation.
@ No person undi |
18 may join a union
(Working minors in
number more than 5
While outlawing th |
the leadership of Fr
Leiros, the govern
lowed the continuec
with official suppor
group headed by fon
eral secretary Jose
supporter of the 4
policies of ex-Pres §
Castillo. Recent is }
newspaper, still i
Buenos Aires, disclo
of Domenech’s supp
ez’ polices. In the . j
which appeared a w
Ramirez coup, the Do
says that Ramirez is
“Century of the Cor
Argentina.
Approximately 12:
anti-fascists had bee
August 30, includir
union officials. The
made under an ore
Basillo B. Pertine
Buenos Aires, to Poli
Ramirez. x
Mayor Pertine, it
disclosed, is on the
rectors of the Sie
Company, whose Be
fice is controlled
Goering.
The report also «|
— that coups d’etat, si
staged in Argentina
tempted in Chile, '
Bolivia.

ws of Italy’s surrender. A

man holds up a newspaper announcing the capitulation. (Radiophoto to Federated