Reminiscent of scenes from a decade ago during the epic grape strike, armed guards stand behind
wire fences to keep United Farm Workers organizers out of fields where non-union pickers are harvest-
ing lettuce and other crops in the Salinas Valley. UFW members have been on strike in the lettuce fields
for 17 weeks against major corporate growers which have used Carter's seven per cent guideline to

block negotiations.

—People’s world photo by Lincoln Smith

ILO report from 1959 still

The current attempts to paint the
Soviet trade unions as captives of
the Soviet state led me to go-back
nearly 20 years to a significant re-
port issued by the International La-
bor Organization (ILO).

The ILO, as part of the machin-
ery of the League of Nations, was
established in 1919. Today, it is a
section of the United Nations or-
ganization. Countries participating
are represented by delegates from
government, employers and
workers.

In- 1959, the Soviet Union, as a
member of the ILO, invited the In-

“ternational Labor Office to under-

take a factual survey relating to
freedom of association in that
country. The report of the on-the-
spot survey, as published in 1960,
could help many trade unionists to
see through the fog of anti-Soviet
propaganda.

While the report does not endorse
the Soviet form of government, and
while, in dealing with the role of the
trade unions in the Soviet Union it
does not give definitive answers to
some questions, it is, in the main, a
positive document.

Prior to 1959, debates on free-
dom of association had taken place
at international conferences spon-
sored by the ILO and in its govern-
ing body. These discussions became
much sharper when the Soviet
Union became a member in 1954.
There were two major points of
controversy. The employers’ groups
in the governing body and in var-
ious ILO conferences and meetings
contended that the Soviet employ-
ers’ representatives were not free
employers, but officials obligated
to carry out government policy.
Also, some employers’ and work-
ers’ groups maintained that Soviet
trade unions were not freely consti-
tuted organizations but agencies en-
suring that orders of the govern-
ment were carried out by the
workers.

If these arguments sound fam-
iliar, it merely goes to show that
anti-Soviet propaganda based on
distortion, misrepresentation and
sheer fabrication has been around
for a long time.

The Soviet Union, as _ stated

above, took the initiative to make -

the true facts known to the world
labor movement. It invited the ILO
to send a survey team to study its
trade union movement and to eval-
uate its position in Soviet society. -

The high-level ILO mission left
Geneva on August 24, 1959, and re-
turned on October 23 of the same
year. In 1960, the head of the mis-
sion returned to the Soviet Union

_ where he spent another two weeks.

It is significant that the survey
was conducted in the manner
originally suggested to the Soviet
government by the director-general
of the ILO.

The report of the mission was
published in 1960, entitled ‘“The
Trade Union Situation in the
USSR.”’

The closing words of the intro-
duction are very positive:

‘*Arrangements for the mission’s
travels and for its meetings and

LABOR.
COMMENT

‘BY JACK PHILLIPS

visits were greatly facilitated by the
representatives of economic coun-
cils and trade union councils in the
various republics and regions. The
mission was accompanied
throughout by a representative of
the State Labor and Wages Com-
mittee and a representative of the
ACCTU (Soviet Trade Union
Congress), who gave every assist-
ance in overcoming the problems
which inevitably arise on a long
journey. In addition, the mission
was able to avail itself of the fa-
cilities and services accorded by the
branch office of the ILO in
Moscow. . ;

“During its stay in the Soviet Un-
ion the mission had talks with large
numbers of people, often spending
many hours in their company, and

was everywhere received with pa-

tience and kindness. The thanks of
the. office are due to all those who
so willingly assisted the mission dur-
ing its visit.’’

- In chapter one, the report deals
with the widely-held belief in capi-
talist countries that there are no
meaningful collective agreements in
the Soviet Union.

In response to such arguments,
the report points out that private
ownership of the means of produc-
tion has been abolished and that is,
in the Soviet view, ‘‘of cardinal im-
portance for an understanding of
the situation of the Soviet trade un-
ions and the problems of free
association.

“This may seem obvious, eethe
reporters wrote, ‘‘yet its implica-
tions are often overlooked. When
the means of production are no
longer privately owned the place of
the workers changes radically, be-
cause these means then become the
property of the people.’’

PACIFIC TRIBUNE—JUNE 1, 1979—Page 12

They went on to point out that
even when the means of the pro-
duction are publicly owned, the
farms and factories need labor and
the workers need employment.
Their work must be organized and
supervised, their working condi-
tions must be settled and arrange-
ments for their remuneration must
be devised.

“Tn all this,’’ declares the report,
“the workers’ organizations, name-
ly the trade unions, have a vital part
to play. Various methods for deal-
ing with this situation have been
adopted in the Soviet Union. But
the net result has been — as far-as
the subject of the mission’s study is
concerned — that the trade unions
have come to occupy a prominent
position in the Soviet state.”’

-In dealing with the existing re-
lationship between the trade unions
and the Communist Party, the re-
port explains the historical process

which made this a natural aa :

ment.

Acording to the mission Feports
members of the Communist Party
while bearing in mind the overall
policy of the party, encourage trade

unions to plan and develop their ac-

tivities as a body whose interests are

those of its members. These activ- _

ities cover a wide range of func-
tions, such as collective bargaining,
welfare and industrial safety.

The report goes on to make the
point that links between trade
unions and a political party are not
confined to the Soviet Union. At its
35th Session (Geneva, June 1952),
the International Labor Conference
adopted a resolution concerning the
independence of the trade union
movement, setting out cir-
cumstances in which close relation-

ships with a political party are not

incompatible with that independ-
ence, in a socialist or a capitalist
country. ‘‘To the Soviet mind”’ says
the report, ‘‘the nature of the rela-
tions between the Communist Party
and the trade unions rules out any
idea of subordination.from above.”’

When the mission enquired spe-
cifically as to whether Soviet work-
ers have the right to strike, they
were told that strikes are not pro-
hibited by law, and that in any case

the workers do not have to resort to”

strike because there is nobody to
strike against, since they own the
means of production.

The final chapter sums up the

current situation, in my opinion, in

a passage from a speech by the
workers’ delegate from the USSR to
the 43rd session of the International
Labor Conference (Geneva, 1959):

‘*We can fairly ask what capital-

ist country has trade unions with’

Rohe CEO NTN Na

Cominco

ratify new pact —

TRAIL—Cominco workers at
Trail and Kimberly voted 67 percent
May 21 and 22'to ratify a new two-
year agreement which will add some
28 percent wages, cost of living ad-
justments and benefits to payche-
ques.

The joint bargaining committee
of the Steelworkers and the locals
of the Association of Commercial
and Technical Employees—soon to
merge with the Steelworkers—had
recommended acceptance of the
pact which is retroactive to May 1,
1979,

The wage and COLA increases
bring the basic steelworkers rate up
from $6.76 hourly to $8.04 im-
mediately with a further increase to
$9.25 by February 1981, based on
the current rate of inflation.

A tradesman will go from the
present rate of $8.92 to $10.40 im-
mediately and to $11.61 by
February 1, 1981.

imely

rights so broad as those of the trade
unions in the USSR and other
socialist countries. In what other
country, for instance, do the trade
unions participate in drawing up
economic plans or help in the work
of economic and government
bodies? ©

“‘Where else do they supervise oc-
cupational safety and the imple-
mentation of labor legislation?
Where else do they manage enor-
mous sums for social security pur-
poses? Where else is management
prohibited from dismissing a
worker without the trade union’s
consent? In what capitalist country
can the trade unions propose the
demotion or punishment of
management who neglect their
duties or violate the provisions of
labor legislation? Where in the
world of capitalism are managers
forced to take account of the opin-
ions of trade union organizations?
These and other rights of the trade
unions in the Soviet Union and the
other socialist countries are a clear
indication of their great freedom
and of the enormous possibilities
open to them.”’

As far as the future is concerned,
when, it has been predicted, the
state .will disappear, the report
makes this comment:

~“TIt has been said that Soviet
trade unions, with other social or-
ganizations, will eventually replace
the state. Be that as it may, while
carrying out the functions in regard
to the planning and organizing of.
production, and while continuing
their efforts for the protection and
welfare of the workers, the unions
remain one of the pillars of the
Soviet system.”

The fact that this survey was
made 20 years ago in no way di-
minishes its. validity. The role of:
Soviet trade unions is more import-
ant today than it was 20 years ago.

PAC

IRiBUNE

' ding. Coal.

- leaflet issued to membership notes,

Provincial

workers

Office workers, members of
ACTE, will get the same COLA it”
creases as Steelworkers based on
various monthly salaries, ranging
from $900 to $2,350. :

In recommending acceptance, the .
bargaining committee described the
terms of the agreement as te
largest ‘settlement achieved in the
Canadian mining industry to date
and ‘‘the largest industrial settle-
ment of any industry in Canada,

It also provides for a number’ of |
contract. language changes in
cluding increased shift differentials —
and weekend premiums, I
provements in medical, dental and
wage indemnity plans apd an addi-
tional statutory holiday.

Pension plans for both \
Steelworkers and ACTE member
were improved as well. i

A key element in the new pact isa
common expiry date—April 30,
1981—for Cominco operations al
Pine Point in the Northwest Tet
ritories, Fording Coal in Elkford,
Potash at Saskatoon and Trail and
Kimberly. : si

Steelworkers at Trail and
Kimberly had declared that they
were prepared to shut down theif
operations if Cominco did not
move from its insistence on a three
year agreement at Potash and Fee \

Nine locals, representing some
7,000 workers will be in a position
to conduct joint bargaining
Cominco when the current contr
expires in 1981.

Some 4,800 workers are cove
by the current contract with Com
co endorsed by the May 21 and
vote. 4

IWA taking
strike vote

Preparations are going ahead for }
a.strike vote throughout the r
of the International Woodworkers .
of America to back up union
demands as negotiations approach
the coast contract expiry date of}
June 15. *

Close to 40,000 IWA members :
will be polled in the vote, in one
tions in the coast and- in
southern and northern ined
The contract expiry dates for the
latter two contracts are June 30 and
August 30 respectively. ‘

The union has given ‘‘high oii
ty’’ to a master agreement
throughout the province but, as 4_

“‘The employers have also raised 4~
serious roadblock by their refusal t0
negotiate with the Southern
Northern Interior members of tht
negotiating
committee...’’ :
~ The leaflet stated that the com-
mittee “‘is determined to achieve
one master agreement’’ and ‘‘to
wrest from the employers a fait
share of the enormous profits that
the employers have enjoyed in the |
last two years.”’ .

iF iC

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