B.C. LUMBER WORKER 2nd Issue, November Watch Out! TBE PRICE of liberty is eternal vigilance,’ states one of the favorite proverbs of demo- cracy. This may now be translated to read: ‘The price of free and strong trade unionism is ever- lasting vigilance.” Trade union vigilance is a quality always required against the unrelenting pressure of employing interests. Never has it been so urgent as in the present circumstances, That the employers are about to combine in an all-out attack on the trade unions in this province is now something more than a wild surmise. Leaks from employers’ conferences, and the actual events arising from present industrial relations tend to crystallize suspicion into firm belief. Such attacks have been experienced before. Usually they have been directed against trade unions in periods of panic, depression and unem- ployment. Unemployment, on more than one occasion in past history, has proved to be a deadly weapon in the hands of the employers that has virtually wiped out trade unionism on this continent. . When the employers organize on the basis of a common policy of industrial relations... When the employers jointly ‘plan to pressure governments for legisla- tion to curb trade union activity... When the organized em- > ployers select the wealthi- T est among their number to provoke strike action... When the employers act Cc to increase rather than re- P duce unemployment, and at the same time move against the unions... When the organized em- ployers launch their at- Oo P tacks against the trade unions from bases outside the province... When the employers move against those single T! > unions, least prepared for ° strike action, as a general strategy... ~ The advice given by the District President should receive careful attention. In summary, he warns IWA members: Be prepared. The danger signals should not be ignored. The LWA may be the next target for attack. , Organize on the job to win the loyalty of every single lumber worker for any fight that may be necessary. Do this now. When the fight is on, it will be too late. Educate to organize. Our Union is a demo- cratic union, in which the members have outright control of their own affairs. An informed mem- bership will fight any definite threat to their rights, if they are alerted. Develop a satisfactory plan of political action, as already suggested by the union’s membership and the B.C. Federation of Labour. In whatever ~ way this is done, the result must effectively off- Set the employers’ domination of government, and win for the workers their full freedom of action. Any government acting in collusion with the employers to crush the trade unions must be marked for defeat. Enlist the support of the public in your com- munity that measures may be enacted at the - , earliest possible moment to alleviate unemploy- Planting New Restrictions SS ment now mounting at an alarming rate. Meet the needs of the unemployed in every way possible by effective social action. Organized workers are less likely to be neglected. Neglected, unorganized and hungry workers cannot be expected to give patient consideration to the long-range objectives, desires and plans of their more fortunate fellows. Italian Workers Get Lower Scale By EILEEN TALLMAN (The author is studying labor and industry in Italy : on a Canadian Government Overseas Award) As any housewife will tell you, it takes considerable shop- ping skill to get the most out of the wage dollar in these times of continually rising living costs. In Rome, Italian housewives require even more resourcefulness than in Canada, for wages are relatively much lower, and marketing is quite different. . In most large Canadian centres, women earn less; married men receive a varying family allow- ance, averaging just under $20 a month for a family of four. As for government employees, the great majority would fall in salary brackets from $65 to $100 a month, the latter after as much as 10 to 15 years’ service. y Rent control is still partially in effect. Each year, an additional number of apartment blocks be- come decontrolled, and by 1959 decontrol will be complete. In “controlled” flats, rents may be as low as $8 to $20 a month, but the worker who must take a decon- trolled or new apartment finds himself in an extremely difficult, if not impossible, position, for then he must pay roughly $30 a month in the suburbs or $45 a month in the city! Naturally, therefore, there are great con- trasts in family living standards, depending on their rental situ- the bulk of food shopping is done at the weekend. Here, of neces- sity, it is a daily routine, for, al- though there are refrigerators for sale, one rarely sees one in an for refrigeration. While there are numerous street food markets, and some large enclosed ones, on the whole, food retailing (as with every other kind) is fragmented in tiny shops, in such profusion that one marvels how they survive at all. Then, too, even where prices are indicated, it doesn’t mean that they are fixed, so that a good deal of shopping time is spent in. the subtleties of “bargaining” —I’m told this even extends to a lowly head of lettuce in the market! Prices vary, and with a sharp eye, one can take advantage of buying in shops selling items, at least temporarily, at less than usual. Wage Rates in Rome Of the larger capitals of Europe, Rome competes with Paris for top place in high living costs. Since prices only make sense in relation to wages, let us look at the earn- ings of industrial workers, and particularly civil servants who form a large percentage of this capital of nearly two million. Wage rates quoted for major industries in Rome in the August, 1957, Bulletin of ISTAT (Central skilled labor rate in general varies from 20 to 30 cents per hour. These rates are for single males; in Rome: Beef (med. quality) .... 1b. $1.08 Pasta (spaghetti £0 : Italian home: This is due to two| opree ae ae reasons, which perhaps comple-| Regs Rees ment each other; Italians prefer| pre Seats their foods as fresh as possible,| Sugar Toes andthe market is not equipped| Bucter. fies Bread Ib. .08 ation, 2 Hour’s Work Buys Little Bearing these wages in mind, let’s turn to a few current prices Tea - Ib. $1.57 Coffee - Ib. 1.40 Wine .. - at. .22 Milk qt. 14 Cheese (parmesan old .. - lb. 85 Women’s hose pr. 97 Men’s shoes pr. 8.50 Cigarettes (20) 31 (Prices in all cases for medium quality, converted using 650 lire to $1.00) Statistical Institute) give this pic- e ture: In the higher-paid industries VANCOUVER'S such as printing, construction, ce- ment, a top skilled worker com- LEADING mences in his wage bracket at from NEWSPAPER 35 to 43 cents per hour. The un- al The SUN has the © WRITERS and . 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