} B.C. LUMBER WORKER 7 Interesting insight into the problems of promoting trade union organization in Central Africa is found in the following extracts from the daily reports furnished by Jim Bury to the ICFTU. The former Secretary of the Vancouver Labor Council is at present assisting the Kenya Federation of Trade ICFTU. January 31 “T had a very good meeting with the executive and import- ant members of the Night- Watchmen, Clerks and Shop Workers Union. There were about thirty present and some good questions were asked. Tom and Aggree (officers of the Ex- ecutive Committee of the Kenya Federation of Trade Unions, which is affiliated to the ICFTU) also spoke. The questions show that there is a real need for edu- cation and a good union paper. There is here also the feeling that there is not the legal right to be a member of the union. In the afternoon we had a meeting of the secretaries of the various committees operating under the Federation. The dis- cussion was on how they keep the minutes of the meetings, and the need for a written report from each of the committees on their activities of the past to every regular General Council meeting. I bought a’minute book for each of the Committee secre- taries. I had also bought files and report books for the Federa- tion. There were no readable rec- ords of the past when Minya, (former General Secretary of Kenya Federation of Trade Unions, and now head of the Transport Workers’ Union), was secretary, or no financial state- ment. The filing of the Federa-|_ tion’s work can now be carried out as it should. February 1 Today I was kicked out of the Norfolk Hotel. The real reason was that I had African friends up to see me. February 2 Investigated the case of the Vice-President of the Transport Union who had been arrested because he had no legal place to sleep. He had been sleeping in the taxi cab he drove. A good employee, steady, and respected by his employer, on the wages council. We got Paterick (an employee of the Labor Department in Kenya whose special responsi- bilities are trade union affairs), working on this case also. It was subsequently cleared up. February 3 Spent the morning getting the passes arranged for David Jomo, the Kikuyu (*see footnote at end of report) to go with us on a trip into the interior. Paterick was very helpful in this regard. Had a long talk with Tom, and he again stressed the need for a delegation to go to Europe. There is also the feeling that the ICFTU should be in a posi- tion to help buy a building for the trade unions here, with sleep- ing quarters and offices for all the unions. February 4 Minya was arrested today for his part in the formation and the functioning of a tribal wel- fare society. It was finally clear- with no charges. I talked tried to tell him Unions, affiliated with the We were there just trying to settle a grievance. Tom took all this with great restraint and pa- tience. He frankly showed more ability to contain himself and xemain on an even keel than I have thus far given him credit for. : The grievance was not a very good one, but the attitude of the official in. charge, Dr. Thompson, was out of this world. I sat with my mouth tightly closed, for fear of temper getting the best of me. There was plenty of provoca- tion. Dr. Thompson deliberately started off on the wrong foot by first threatening Tom, stating, and I quote, “any more of this nonsense and you, Tom Mboya, know where you will end up”, and “The African is here to obey and that is all there is to it” and “I have no confidence in the workers or their leadership”. February 10 Spent some time with Paterick and Luyt re the arrest of more of the Transport Union’s collec- tors. I made some concrete sug- gestions: (1) ‘That we should again apply to the City Police and seek their support on the idea of collectors’ identification badges | or buttons, and that all the Po- lice should be. made familiar with the identification, There seems to be immediate suspicion of anybody who is out collecting money. : (2) I also suggested that Pat- erick ‘and I should invite our- selves to meet management col- Reports On Tough Job lectively or singly, and explain that unions are legal. We would stress the need for formal recog- nition.” *(Footnote): The Kikuyu is a tribe in which the Mau Mau is most active. For security rea- sons, the colonial administration will not permit any Kikuyu to travel from one city to another unless a special pass is issued. In addition to special travel passes, all Kikuyu must have a security pass issued by the po- lice. This entitles a Kikuyu to a “history of employment” card without which he cannot obtain employment. Because of these security regulations many trade unionists have had great difficulty in find- ing jobs. The restrictions, caus- ed by the emergency in Kenya, are very serious obstacles in the way of the trade union move- ment. LCFTU. NEEDS FUNDS OTTAWA (CPA) — Am ap- peal has gone out to all union organizations affiliated with the ICFTU to urge their goy- ernments to continue aid to . the UN fund for aid to refu- gees, a fund now nearly ex- hausted. “It would be disastrous,” said J. H. Oldenbroek, ICFTU Gen- eral Secretary, “for all those refugees who have been aided through the High Commission- er’s Fund if he had to suspend all operations owing to lack of resources.” He recalled that the ICFTU Stockholm Congress de- scribed the refugee problem as “a challenge to all freedom-lov- ing nations,” and urged support for the activities of the High Commissioner. 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