Last week a truly World Con- gress of Labor took place at Varna, Bulgaria. Delegates from trade unions of both socialist and capitalist countries of five continents came together at the 8th Congress of the World Fed- eration of ‘Trade Unions under the slogan “Unity and solidar- ity in the name of peace, socio- economic progress and demo- cratic freedoms.” “The main task, of the WFTU Congress,” as spelled out by Pierre Gensous, its general sec- retary, “is to strengthen the process of international detente, peaceful coexistence and coop- eration. It will appeal to all trade unions to intensify their parti- cipation in _this struggle .. .” Mr. Gensous went on to tell his interviewers that working- men and workingwomen solid- arity in the capitalist countries is particularly important in the light of the growth of multina- tional monopolies and the ex- pansion of capitalist integration zones, such as the European Common Market. The WFTU would be discussing opportu- nities for consolidation of inter- national trade union unity. “Such discussions held within the framework of the 8th Con- gress,” said Mr. Gensous, “would be open to all the world’s trade union organiza- tions, irrespective of their poli- tical orientation or adherence to different international cen- tres. Closer Together - “The present stage of deve- lopment of. international trade union relations,” Mr. Gensous went on, “is characterized, on the ‘one hand, by a noticeable lag behind the times and, on the other hand, by obvious and promising success in consolidat- ing the unity of the trade-union movement and in bringing dif- ferent trade unions closer toge- ther... “This is precisely why we at- tach particular’ importance to the dialogue taking place in Eu- rope between organizations af- filiatd with the WFTU and the International Confederation of Free ._Trade Unions (ICFTU), with the aim of preparing a meeting of all European trade union organizations. “At the 7th World Congress we expressed our regret over the total absence of contact be- tween the three international trade union organizations: the WFTU, the ICFTU. and the WCL (World Confederation of Labor). Today the situation is somewhat different: we have begun dialogue with the World Confederation of Labor. Single World Centre “We received with great in- terest the statement by Victor Feather, chairman of the Eu- ropean Confederation of Trade Unions, in an interview given to the newspaper TRUD (USSR), to the effect that the develop- ment of bilateral and multila- teral contacts makes legitimate - the question of establishing a single world trade union cen- tre. We greet this statement. We also advocate a single trade union organization in which eyeryone might find a place for himself on the basis. of equality, a, program defending the inter- ests of the working people, and organizational structures elabo- rated and adopted by all in the. PACIFIC TRIBUNE—FRIDAY, OCTOBER 26, BY BRUCE MAGNUSON LABOR SCENE ‘Unity and struggle in the world of labor conditions. of free will and de- mocracy.” Hortensia Allende, widow of the late President Salvador Allende of Chile, attending the WFTU Congress as an honorary delegate, was given a tremen- dous ovation by delegates as an expression of their unbreakable solidarity with the embattled Chilean working class. The 158- ‘million member WFTU embrac- es the Chilean trade union move- ment, now driven underground by the fascist military junta, who are murdering, torturing and otherwise persecuting those of its leaders whom it succeeds in capturing. ; * es * At Bal Harbor, Florida, where the AFL-CIO also convened in Convention last week, U.S. and Canadian editors of labor jour- nals — about 60 delegates to a meeting of the International Labor Press Association—issued a statement condemning the overthrow of the Allende gov- ernment and the suppression of the Chilean trade union move- ment. “It is too late to save the Allende government but it is not too late to save democracy in Chile,” said the statement. While this statement cannot be considered a formal resolu- tion coming from' the AFL-CIO Convention, it no doubt ex- presses the sentiments of the rank and file of affiliated unions. Even more important, it. proves how hopelessly isolated the Meany-Lovestone directed AFL- CIO. bureaucracy has become from the world of labor. This clique of labor-racket- eers gets some $10 million year- ly from the U.S. government to finance “labor missionary” ac- tivity in Latin-America, Africa and Asia, which helps the U.S. multinationals exploit both peo- ple and resources in the under- developed areas. (Between 1950 and 1965 the profit-flow to the U.S. from Third World coun- countries amounted to 264% of the capital outflow to those countries, according to a UN staff study of international monopolies.) 3 Military Dictatorships This sell-out for a “mess of - William ~ Mahoney, Director of the United Steel - pottage” has helped the Penta- . gon and the CIA to establish _military dictatorships in Guate- mala, Honduras, the Dominican Republic, Brazil, Uruguay, and now, in Chile. This .is. the true meaning and the result of the activities of the so-called Ame- rican Institute of Free Labor Development, (AIFLD). It ex- plains why the AFL-CIO top hierarchy is against detente and now pushing with everything they’ve got to involve the Unit- ed States in a war in the Mid- dle East. eo * * Canadian labor, despite its close organic tie with US. labor, takes an almost diamet- rically opposite position on in- ternational affairs to that of the AFL-CIO. The Canadian Labor Congress has sharply condemn- ed the military coup and the suppression of democratic rights in Chile. While the AFL-CIO has withdrawn from the ICFTU, both the ICFTU and the WCL are now headed up by presi- dents who are Canadians~ and, in turn presidents of the Can- adian Labor Congress and Con- federation Syndicale Nationale respectively. Even such a hard-hitting foe of Communists and the left as Canadian Workers of America, thinks present international develop- ments will inevitably involve a closer relationship with work- ers in the Soviet Union and other socialist countries. “There. is definitely going to be a change in our attitude to- ward the communnist workers’ organizations,” he declares. “I think that, just as we must live with people under different forms. of government in the United Nations, so we’ll have to learn to live with them in the labor movement, while still /re- taining different viewpoints. If President Nixon can mix with the Kremlin and the Peking leaders, then I don’t see any reason why the labor movement shouldn’t do the same.” (See Jack Williams, The Labour Gazette, Aug./73, page 530.) Government responsible for high unemployment TORONTO — Predicting a bleak winter for tens of thou- sands of Canadians and_ their families, the Canadian Labor Congress, on October 16, put the blame for the latest “intoler- able”: increase in unemployment on the government’s misman- agement of the country’s econ- omy and on the “dismal failure” of its regional economic policies. Unemployment, for years a major economic problem, has again sqared to an intolerable level,” CLC President’ MacDon- ald said in a prepared statement. “It is tiring to recall the oft- pledged government commit- ments, made over many, many months, that there would be an improvement in the unemploy- ment problem. The best that the Ottawa government managed was to stabilize unemployment at a high level for a few months. “The figures once more bear out the fact that the federal gov- 1973—PAGE 8 - Tens ernment’s regional economic po- licies have been a dismal fail- ure. Unemployment rates in- creased from 7.3 to 7.9% in Quebec, from 11.5 to 12.1% in Newfoundland, from 7.0 to 7.4% in Nova Scotia, from 3.8 to 4.2% in Manitoba, and from 5.6 to 6.3% in British Columbia. Even Ontario, which has had relative- ly one of the best records, shows a sharp increase from 4.1 to 4.7%. “Mismanagement of the econ- omy, through inept credit and monetary policies instituted months ago, can only worsen our unemployment problem. of thousands of men, women and their families have nothing to look forward to but a bleak winter. It is appalling that in a country as rich as Canada we have not yet learned to implement policies to achieve full employment.” TLC hits sour note on two bad resolutions By RICHARD ORLANDINI TORONTO—A long and serious ‘ debate took place last week at the Toronto Labor Council, when two controversial resolutions came before the membership. Receiving one of the weakest mandates in the history of the Council, Sam Fox, its vice-presi- dent and delegate from the Coun- cil to the World Congress of Peace Forces, was instructed to raise the question of Soviet dis- sidents. This vote came in mark- ed contrast to the almost unani- mous vote to send a delegate to the World Peace Congress. In the floor debate the reso- lution was continually attacked by delegates who noted that while the Congress is to concern itself with peace, “this resolu- tion fails to give the delegate any instructions concerning the real issues of peace in the world today, including the war in the Mid-East, the fascist coup in Chile and the slaughter of in- nocents by the Portuguese in Africa.” : Challenges Motion. Art Jenkyn, delegate to the Council from the United Elec- trical- Workers told the dele- gates: “I seriously challenge the motives of this motion. I sugest that it’s the opposite of. the pur- poses for which we are sending a delegate: to this conference. ‘The executive members who op- posed the sending of a delegate and who are now behind this motion are reflecting their cold- war thinking. And it’s a move to upset the decisions of this coun- cil to send a delegate to the conference to work for real peace in the world. And _ it’s also a move to sabotage the role that Sam Fox could play in that conference.” Many other speakers rose in opposition to the instructing of a delegate. A delegate from IBEW Local 353, told the assem- bled delegates: “No delegate to a conference from this council needs any direction from the council. The delegate must not have his hands tied by instruc- tions.” ; At the end of debate and after a standing. vote was taken, the resolution passed by a vote of 60 for and 48 against the mo- tion. g In another motion before the council and with a similar close vote, the council passed a reso lution that was, in the words 0 a delegate who spoke to the question, “singularly one-side and ‘a complete distortion of the recent history of the Mid-East.” Without making any reference to lands illegally taken by Israel in the 1967 war, the resolution placed the entire blame for the latest war in the Mid-East on the Arab states and stated that, “Since 1948 the basic issue un derlying these hostilities is the failure of the Arab states to rec ognize the United Nations’ deci- - sion to establish a Jewish state and its right to exist.” One delegate. after another underscored Israe]’s record © ageression in the Middle East especially in the conflicts that Israel provoked in 1956 an 1967. A delegate from the NewS paper Guild told the council ‘membership that “the present war is the logical outcome ° Israel’s: refusal to abide by. thé United Nations’ resolution which called for a withdrawal of Israe occupation forces ‘from all thé lands seized in 1967. This res lution has seen fit to recogni that the UN called for the rec08” nition of Israel as a Jewish staté and ignores the resolution tha was passed by the UN after thé 1967. war.” The Executive Board's Stat ment passed in a close show © hands. ce ee € - Honor Allende MOSCOW — To uate the memory of Salvador | lende, “courageous fighter the cause Aes the Chllesn wor ‘ing people, prominent ™ trialist movement of Latin rica, winner of the Inte _al Lenin Prize for the tion of Peace Among Natio Soviet public organizati have proposed to name © him one of the streets in # cow ond a marine ship under construction, to ma