LABOR COMMENT
According to all indications,
there will be a lot of soul searching
at the upcoming B.C. Federation of
Labor convention opening in Van-
Couver, October 29.
For nearly 20 years until the 1972
Convention of the Federation,
ere was always an influential
ffoup at labor conventions that
argued that the only way to abolish
Socred anti-labor legislation was to
elect the New Democratic Party.
At the 1972 convention, a few
Months after the NDP government
ad been elected with a decisive
Majority, some of these same un-
lon representatives had a new
Slogan: Let’s give them time.
Now, a year later, the new labor
Code had been introduced and has
Teceived unanimous endorsement
On second reading. The most that
Can be hoped for at this time is
Some worthwhile amendments
after third reading.
_ The trade union movement, in
its overwhelming majority, is un-
ited in its opposition to a number
of very objectionable features in
ie code. But when it comes to ac-
tion against a bill which in its en-
tirety is not acceptable, there is
IVision.
The division arises from the fact
at the trade union movement
Played a decisive role in electing
@ NDP government and there is
Teluctance to take any action that
Could possibly place the govern-
Ment in jeopardy.
a result, a number of key
Questions will be raised and
ebated in convention:
: Was the executive of the Federa-
0n right or wrong in refusing to
Make public its proposals for a new
bor code as submitted to the
Minister of labor and his three ad-
Visors? (In the opinion of this
Writer the Federation executive
Made a mistake, flowing from the
Ncorrect idea that nothing should
ave been done to embarrass the
povernment, even if it meant keep-
ae the membership immobilized
or allowing big business and
€r anti-labor elements a free
and to pressure the government.)
ew by did the NDP government
all to consult with the trade union
ovement once it had come to a
prcsion on the general principles
Mbodied in the new labor code?
: hy did the government refuse
pc up a meeting between a
a Inet committee and the officers
‘ iy Federation when requested
intra, So shortly before the bill was
eee? (The Federation heard
ei disturbing rumors about the
€nts of the legislation and re-
ested such a meeting.)

y did so many NDP MLAs fail
>

to take a stand in support of NDP
policy? Why their lack of concern
for the trade union movement
which worked so hard to elect
them?

How will the Federation assert
its independence in the new
situation? How will it stand by its
policies in labor disputes, for ex-
ample? This last question comes
immediately to mind, because if a
Socred or Liberal government had
brought in such a labor code, there
would have been mass protests and
wide talk of militant action and
general strike.

Judging from the position taken
by the Federation executive, it will
propose cooperation with the NDP
government where such coopera-
tion is in the interest of the work-
ing people, while at the same time,
reserving the right to take
whatever action it considers
necessary in labor disputes.

RAY HAYNES

This independent posture should
be welcomed and supported. The
working class, which finds its
primary mass form in the trade un-
ions cannot permit itself to be the
pawn of any political party in that
party’s game of winning
parliamentary seats. The rising
resistance to many of the policies
of the Barrett government within
the NDP itself is evidence of the
fact that a large section of the
membership is insisting that the
government implement convention
policies and take a firmer stand
against the economic and social
power of the powerful monopolies
which control the wealth of our
province.

The Federation convention, by
re-emphasizing and strengthening
its anti-monopoly program, can
play a key role in uniting the anti-
monopoly forces.

In summing up our estimation of

The Norman Bethune
Marxist Classroom Series

“THE WAR IN THE MIDDLE EAST’
What's It All About?
with
Maurice Rush

Editor, Pacific Tribune

Tuesday Oct. 30 8 P.M.
Board Room — Fishermens Hall

| Ausp. B.C. Ed. Cttee., Communist Party

the soul searching that will take
place, we must stress that while
the NDP is an essential component
of the anti-monopoly coalition
which must be created if monopoly
domination is to be abolished, it is
not the coalition in itself.

Such a coalition must include, in
addition to the NDP, the trade un-
ion movement, the Communist
Party and other democratic mass
organizations. The trade union
movement, by its very size and key
position, by virtue of its fundamen-
tal antagonism to monopoly rule, is
the mass base around which such a
coalition can be built.

In which direction the NDP will
travel does not depend, in the long

_run, on the inclinations: of its right

wing leaders. The determining fac-
tor will be the pressure for more
resolute action and specific
reforms that will come from the
people and, to a large extent, from
the trade union movement.

Other issues which should come
under searching examination at the
convention will be autonomy and
independence for the Canadian
trade union movement,  un-
employment and inflation, jurisdic-
tional disputes, international af-
fairs, full utilization of natural
resources for the benefit of
Canadians and the accelerated

Big issues face delegates
at labor federation parley

development of processing and
secondary industry.

There is no doubt that there will
be demands on the Barrett govern-
ment to meet its commitments to
lift the education tax from homes,
to nationalize B.C. Telephone and
Westcoast Transmission and to in-
crease the taxation on monopolies.

Looking back over the past twen-
ty years, it is obvious that the
Federation has achieved a high
degree of unity by its policies of
resistance to the anti-labor policies

GEO. JOHNSTON

of the Socreds and big-business.
Now in this new and more com-
plex situation, the Federation, with
more than 200,000 members must
project policies that will keep the
trade union movement united.

To do this effectively, it must
direct its most concentrated fire on
the main enemy, that is, on big
business and its political parties.
All criticisms directed against the
Barrett government must be con-
structive and well thought out and
must offer alternative policies.

It is correct to assume that the
vast majority of those who belong
to or support the NDP have taken a
big step in breaking with the par-
ties of big business and that they
can be won for progressive, anti-
monopoly policies.

There can be no true democracy
for the people until the economic
power of the monopolies is broken.
That is why the ideas of socialism
have always won wide support in
the broad labor movement:
socialism means the end of
monopoly rule and the elimination
of conditions that give rise to
monopolies.

The more resolute the trade un-
ion movement in its anti-monopoly
stance, the more favorable will be
the climate for winning support for
the concept of socialism.

City council silent
on Chile democracy

Although it was a quiet night at
Vancouver city council Tuesday,
council members Were called upon |
to make a decision of major
historical importance and, with
two notable exceptions — ended up
on the side of the fascist junta in
Chile. :

Speaking on behalf of the
Canadians for Democracy in Chile
and for her own. countrymen;
Maria McLeod outlined the events _
surrounding the military takeover
in Chile and the wave of repression
that followed in its wake and asked’
council to take action to request
the federal government to
withdraw recognition of the
military regime.

Typically, alderman . Volrich
commented that such action was
outside the bounds of city govern-
ment and moved that the
delegation’s report be accepted —
and filed away.

Alderman Fritz Bowers echoed
Volrich’s statement and said that it
“ds not the responsibility of council
to make such requests to the

federal government.”
In response, alderman Rankin

TENANTS

Cont'd from pg. 1

Barrett) to instruct the attorney
general to immediately introduce
and pass as a special interim
measure an amendment to section
61 of the present Act requiring
landlords to prove just cause for
eviction before a judge,” said the
wire.

pointed out that the defence of
democracy was the fundamental
duty of everyone.

“To say piously, we agree, and
then leave it at that is the cop-out
of the century,”’ he said.

Rankin urged council members
to defeat the motion presented by
Volrich and endorse a resolution
calling for action by the federal
government.

Rankin’s resolution read as
follows; “That council urge the
federal government to withdraw

recognition of the military junta in
Chile and set the matter down
before Parliament for debate so
that public opinion in this country
can register its protest over the
murder of the duly-elected presi-
dent of Chile and the overthrow of
democracy in that country.”’

In the vote taken on Volrich’s
motion to accept the report and
take no action, only two alderman
dissented — Rankin and Marzari —
and Rankin’s resolution could not
be presented.

The BCTO wire said that action -Maria McLeod addressed Vancouver city council Tuesday nightand
asked council to petition the federal government to withdraw
recognition of the fascist regime in Chile. (See story above).

on evictions was an urgent con-
sideration.

ASS ae, Ee db

_ PACIFIC TRIBUNE—FRIDAY, OCTOBER 26, 1973—PAGE 3

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