Communist Party criticizes family allowance attacks

Increase social services, not arms

the monopoly- program to place
the burden of the crisis on the

The Communist Party of Can-
ada, in a press statement Jan.
22, condemned the Canadian
Chamber of Commerce for its
“cold-blooded attack on the chil-
dren. of Canada.” The Central
Executive charged that the
Chamber of Commerce ‘shows
that its heart, if it has any, is
in its pocket.”

It continues: “It is not good
enough for the Canadian Cham-
ber of Commerce to say now, it
is not proposing the abolition of
family allowance, that it is only
a desire of its members. It
should stop playing ducks and
drakes with the real needs of
the Canadian people.

“What is suggested in their
latest attack, is part of a sinister
plot to dismantle the social ser-
vice program, which the Cana-
dian people fought for over the
years by struggle. It is part of

In a letter to the Globe and

Mail, Jan. 23 issue, Stephen

Lewis, NDP-MPP and Leader of
Her Majesty’s Loyal Opposition
in the Ontario Legislature, right-
ly claims that the so-called
‘Anti-Inflation Program’ has pro-
duced “neither logic nor equity
. .. In fact, the board (AIB) is a
positive menace.” But then,
what does Mr. Lewis expect
from this monopoly-government
contrived plan for the exclusive
control of wages and executed
through this contrivance, called
the “Anti-Inflation Board?

About two weeks ago the Can-
adian Press, in a news-dispatch
from Saskatoon, quoted federal
Transport Minister Otto Lang as
saying he supports the elimina-
tion of the strike weapon in
‘cases where unions are able to
make excessive wage demands
on employers. Such measures,
says Lang, should not only apply
to so-called essential services,
but also to unions that are so
strong they can make unfair de-
mands on employers.

As in the case of_ services,
who is to judge when they are
essential to the point of justi-
fying a ban on strikes? Is any-
thing the working people do un-
essential?, or non-essential? If
this were so, the capitalist class,
i.e. the investors of capital,
there would be no profit et al if
not for the working class, which
by its labor by hand and or
brain produces all wealth. Come
to think of it, who needs a spe-
cial class of capital investors
making use of the products of
past labor to exploit labor now?

I have to agree with Dr. Bette
Stephenson, Ontario Tory Minis-
ter of Labor, who puts the onus
for increased productivity on
“management”. She is absolu-
tely right when she says that
productivity cannot be legislated
or increased “by cracking the
whip or threatening people’s
livelihood.” They: have to be
treated as “self-evolving human
beings.” :

But a question to you Dr.
Stephenson. What about the
news item in a Toronto’ paper
of Jan. 15 instant, which says:
“A lower minimum wage to ap-
ply where tips are received is
being discussed between the
Ontario Ministry of Labor and
the Ministry of Industry, and

PACIFIC TRIBUNE—JANUARY 30, 1976—Page 8

Mr. Lewis,

Tourism.” Is this a humanitarian
approach to induce greater pro-
ductivity? I find this particular-
ly repugnant, particularly so in
‘view of the fact that the Onta-
rio labor ministry’s women’s bu-
reau has already informed us
that the great majority of wom-
en are working out of necessity.
1 must agree also with Onta-
rio Treasurer Darcy McKeough,
when he says: “the real cure for
inflation is higher productivity
and a greater and more effective.
productive capacity. . . . The

key to productivity is invest-

ment in time and in better rela-
tions, as well as dollars.” But
the power — the economic as
well as political power — to
determine this is exclusively in
the hands of employers, who
are the ruling class. Labor has
“no power to determine such

“matters in our state-monpoly

capitalist, and highly technolo-
gical society. The only area
where labor has any say is
through the means of collective
bargaining — and as a last re-
sort, through strike action — to
determine a better deal for the
sale of their ability to work and
produce a profit for their boss.
_This is the power in the hands
of labor that the AIB and the
- Government is out to destroy.
The “anti-inflation program’”’ is
dedicated to, and based upon
the propositions, that big trade
unions and big capitalist mono-
polies are equal in strength and
power, and that excessive wage
demands by big unions is the
root cause of inflation, forcing
big employers to raise prices.
That makes the union the cul-
‘prits and lets monopoly off the
hook. This is the big lie of all
big lies peddled by the ruling
class to justify the fact that it
will do anything except get off
the workers backs. 3
_ Jack Biddell, a member of the
AIB has said: “Canadian produc-
tivity would be increased if
workers were allowed to share
in their company’s profits.” But
Biddell also said: “The Board
wouldn’t go as far as approving
an increase in wages in the
hopes of increasing productivi-
ty.” It would only help to “cut
the workers into the act” of
profit-making to give them more
incentive to work harder. The
mame of the game is “social

side are you on?

backs of the people, including
the children. It must be defeated
by ail concerned Canadians.

“The Communist Party of
Canada proposes that instead of

ending the indexing of family -

allowances as the government
has done, while indexing the
arms program to the tune of $2-
billion, family allowances should
be increased by 50%. Instead of
curtailing social services, they
must be expanded by establish-
ing a guaranteed annual income,
the establishment of child care
centres, increasing the minimum
wage to $4 an hour and estab-
lishing legislation for equal pay
for work of equal value.

“All of this and more, could
be paid from the $7.5-billion
owed by the monopoly corpora-
tions under the deferred taxes
program.”

which

partnership”, or luring workers
under false pretences into think-
ing they are sharing power as
equals. The alternative to this
farce is real Workers Control.
Not monopolies controlling
workers, but workers controlling
monopoly. This is the issue.

A final word to Stephen Lewis.
You say you “accept that in
some sectors of our economy,
wages contribute to inflation.”
But you do not specify what
sectors. In any case you are put-
ting forward a false and un-
scientific and purely politically
opportunistic argument that was
disproved over a hundred years
ago by Karl Marx in Wages,
Prices and Profit. Marx proved
that higher wages paid out of
profits do not add to the value
of a commodity, and consequent-
ly to its price.

It follows that the matter
hinges on the monopolists reluc-
tance to give up any part of
their profit. Instead they seek to
increase it to the maximum.
That is what the so-called anti-

inflation program is all about. It.

does not get at the root cause
of inflation which is monopoly
control of the economy. It clob-
bers the victims, and that is
why it will fail. Not just be-
cause it is unfair, unjust, and
unworkable. Those are meaning-
less cliches that labor has to
forget and get on with the genu-
ine fight against the controls be-
cause they are wrong in prin-
ciple and totally unacceptable to
labor. They must be fought even
to the point of defying those
who seek to make this farce
stick. _

UAW RECRUITS
150,000 IN FIVE YEARS

DETROIT — Over 150,000
workers in 1,338 units in the U.S.
and Canada have been organized
by the UAW in the first half of
this decade, UAW Vice Pres. Pat
Greathouse reported recently.

Greathouse, director of UAW’s
National Organizing Dept. said
the number of new members
represented by the union so far
in the 1970’s reached 156,540 as
the result of the addition of
16,126 in 169 units through elec-
tions and other procedures in
1975 alone.

victories for

“struction, general and complete disarmament

_ ity and greater power than ever before. It can)

‘nal Economic Order —

{}

— Sipcidieka 1975 —

To mark the 25th anniversary of the Stockholm
Appeal to ban the atomic bomb, on which millions of
signatures were gathered, the ‘Presidential Committee
“of the World Peace Council has launched a new Stock-
holm Appeal for general and complete disarmament.
The appeal (below) was signed June 2 by representa-
tives of 60 countries and 15 international organizations —
meeting in the Swedish capital. Among them was John
Hanly Morgan, president, Canadian Peace Congress.,

The Appeal — Stockholm 1975 will be: circulated
throughout the world for endorsation by organizations
and individuals.

peace and de-
tente have creat-
ed a new interna-
tional climate,
new hopes, new
optimism among the peoples.
Peace can be defended. A world of peace can
be built. f
The unity of the peace forces has the power to}
overcome the obstacles which still remain along
the road towards a new world, from which ag
gression, exploitation and domination, hunge
and poverty will be banished for all time.

The principal obstacle to making the process 0
detente irreversible is the arms race.

The arms race still threatens our planet with hu
clear destruction. With detente this threat ha
begun to recede. The arms race keeps the threat
alive and endangers detente itself. 4
The arms race weighs-heavily on the shoulders: of“
vast masses of peoples in many countries of the”
world — who are faced with an ever-soaring
cost of living, inflation and economic_ crisis.
robs the peoples of a great part of their wealt
and resources.

Detente has opened up fresh prospects fo
victories in the struggles for a new internation
economic order, for the rights of the peoples t¢
the riches of their own soil. It is a weapon in th
fight for ending the plunder by the monopolie
and transnational corporations. _

The arms race, the stockpiles of weavons i
the hands of the imperialists incite and encour-
age the forces of aggression,. militarism an
fascism, colonialism and racism; detente is a vital |
factor for strengthening the efforts in all lands
for national independence, justice and social
progress. .
Detente creates new possibilities for the solutio
of the most urgent international problems of th
day, for the liquidation of the hotbeds of tension
and conflict; the ending of the arms race would
open the road to mankind's goal: the prohibition)
of all nuclear and other weapons of mass de-

a world without arms. . Poona
World public opinion has greater responsibil:

turn the tide against the armaments profiteersi)
the cold warriors, the enemies of mankind. |
The World Peace Council appeals to all govern)
ments and parliaments, all peace and other ma
movements, to political parties, trade union
women's and youth organizations, to religiou
social and cultural bodies which are engaged im)
endeavours for mankind's advance, to join hands)
in a great new worldwide offensive against the)
arms race.

To make Detente Irreversible —
STOP THE ARMS RACE

To move forward rapidly towards a New Nati

STOP THE ARMS RACE :
To Defend the Peace and Build a New World
STOP THE ARMS RACE ,