SYDNEY — As the Tribune went to
press, workers at Sydney Steel were widely
expected to ratify a tentative contract offer
from Sysco management, effectively
bringing to an end the 44-day walkout in
this eastern steel city. The tentative agree-

intense mediation between Sysco and Uni-
ted Steelworkers Local 1064, representing
the striking workers.

Details of the agreement have yet to be
officially released, but the deal is said to
contain a $1.80 per hour increase over 30
months, an $800 signing bonus, job gua-
rantees for the majority of displaced coke
oven workers, and the establishment of a
joint union-management committee to
examine pension, severance and job secur-
ity issues over the next 12 months.

ment was achieved after four days of

A sticking point in the negotiations up
to this point had been the provincial
government’s insistence that any proposed
settlement fall within rigid wage guidelines

From the
Maritimes

Miguel |
Figueroa

for provincial civil servants. The proposed
agreement would avoid these restrictions
by establishing several new job classifica-
tions, effective April 1988, and bumping
all workers into the higher wage classifica-

Union sees Sysco pact as ‘round one’

tions at that time.

At a March 14 information meeting
held to discuss the company’s offer, some
members expressed dissatisfaction with
the tentative agreement on the grounds
that there is still no firm commitment from
the company to improve pensions and
severance provisions. Nor has the com-
pany guaranteed the future of the blast
furnace operations at the plant.

Local president John Callahan and the
union executive share many of the reserva-
tions about the package. Nevertheless, the
local leadership called the deal as a “par-
tial victory” and recommended accep-
tance to the membership. Many feel that
the agreement was achieved because the
union stood united and was solidly backed
by the rest of the labour movement and

the community.

The Buchanan government, the ulti-
mate power behind the Crown corpora-
tion, was forced by growing public
pressure to settle the dispute. There are
also indications that government circles
were worried that Local 1064 was consid-
ering an appeal to the rest of the labour
movement to join a general strike if a
settlement was not reached.

One striking worker told the Tribune
that although the settlement is not perfect,
the union succeeded in winning “round
one” of the fight. ““We are now in a better
negotiating position for winning the next
time around, in March of 1989,” he said,
noting that the workers will again be in
strike position during the critical moderni-
zation stage at the Sydney plant.

Newfoundland doctors report from Ethiopia

Dr. Charles and Sally Davis of St. John’s,
Newfoundland spent a full year in Ethiopia
from September, 1986 to the fall of 1987
working on the “Addwater program,” a
CIDA exchange program between the Uni-
versities of Waterloo and Addis Ababa. The
Addwater program assists in the training of
graduate students in the field of freshwater
biology and fisheries.

They were interviewed by Miguel Figu-
eroa, Atlantic correspondent for the Cana-
dian Tribune, after their return. An abridged

version follows:

(First of two parts)

M.F.: What were your overall impressions
of the county? Did you have a chance to travel
about?

S.D.: Although we were based primarily
in Addis Ababa, our work took us to the
countryside fairly often, particularly to Eri-
trea, the Rift Valley and Harar regions of
the country. Our general impression of
Ethiopia was of a country on the move. We
were impressed with the dedication shown
among the population in building their
society, from caring for the hungry and
homeless to cleaning and maintaining their
city streets and participating in reforestation
projects.

M.F.: Before the 1974 revolution, Ethiopia
was one of the poorest countries in the world
with the average per capita income of $75 per

year or less. Famine and war have enhanced
their problems both before and after the revo-
Jution. Has there been any progress in raising
the living and cultural standards of the peo-

le?

. C.D.: It is still one of the poorest coun-
tries in Africa. Wages are low, unemploy-
ment is present and food, clothing and
housing are inadequate.

Still, despite the difficulties, the govern-
ment has improved the conditions of the
people in many respects. In the countryside,
there has been a general improvement in
housing for peasants, better roads and
improved water supply. Thanks to efforts to
bring people together in villages the famine
is not as severe a problem since food supp-
lies, water sources; health clinics and
schools are part of the villages. Rural pea-
sant associations have also been formed and
basic forms of agricultural co-operation are
being introduced.

The literacy and general educational level
of the people has also improved markedly
over the past 13 years — literacy has
increased from perhaps three per cent to
about 60 per cent.

S.D.: In the cities people get help now
more than before the revolution due to an
activation of grassroots control by the peo-

2a

ple themselves. Each urban community of
1,000 families or so is organized into a
kebele, or neighbourhood council. Resi-
dents with medical or social problems can
receive assistance from the kebele staff (who
incidently are unpaid volunteers). For those
without money, free food and medical care
is available. Over time, the kebeles have
become meaningful organs of grassroots
community organization and control.

M.F.: Another devastating drought has
again created famine conditions throughout
large sections of Ethiopia and much of East
Africa. What steps has the government and
international aid organizations taken to alle-
viate the worst impact of the famine?

C.D.: There were many foreign aid
organizations active in the affected areas
while we were there. These included Band-
Aid, the Red Cross, Oxfam U.K. and sev-
eral Canadian relief groups. One West
German organization, Menschen fur Men-
schen, (People for People) set up relief
camps for destitute families and orphaned

children, providing training so those old
enough could join the workforce eventually.

Natural factors pose great difficulties for
relief efforts. We met one young couple
from a U.S. Baptist church who worked
north of Addis Ababa. They said the only
way they could bring in supplies was by
helicopter, and the helicopter couldn’t
always come. In those instances, the people
would be forced to pack supplies in to the
starving villagers by foot across steep 1,000-
metre deep gullies.

S.D.: In Addis Ababa, the local kebeles
would agree to administer aid to a portion
of the needy local population. Kebele resi-
dents would go there and give their time
freely.

M.F.: During the last famine, there were
reports in the western press that the Ethiopian
government was obstructing the relief efforts,
redirecting or using the relief funds as a lever
to apply pressure to overcome the secessionist
movements in the northeastern area. Was
there any evidence of this?

C.D.: There are many stories that the
government of Ethiopia is using relief supp-
lies as a political tool. We have no direct
evidence of this. It is true they have difficulty
in safely delivering food to the areas where
there is guerrilla activity.

We spoke to Frank Gillis from the Can-
adian Embassy who is in charge of the
CIDA relief projects, including the one we
were working on. According to Gillis, these
stories have been greatly exaggerated. Of
the supplies which were sent from Canada
to Ethiopia, at least 80 per cent arrived at
the intended destination, a remarkably high
percentage compared to most other relief-
targeted countries.

S.D.: Judging from reports by people
who have visited other parts of Africa,
Ethiopia has the reputation of having very
little bribery among government officials
and others. This is quite a distinction for a
developing country.

M.F.: A lot was written about the national
movements in the Eritrean and Tigrean pro-
vinces. How is the Ethiopian government
addressing this problem and what approach is
being taken to resolving the national question?

C.D.: Little is said in the Ethiopian press
about the war in Eritrea and Tigray. We
had the opportunity to travel through part
of Eritrea. We travelled to the University of
Asmara to consult with a student. From
there we drove to the port of Massawa on
the Red Sea to visit a marine laboratory run
by the university.

Security was high along the route. The
road was carefully patrolled and part of the
time we were travelling in a caravan of
mainly huge trucks loaded with Canadian
wheat. Since then the secessionists have
attacked and destroyed several of these
trucks carrying food to the Tigraians and
Eritreans. One driver was killed.

The government has proposed auto-
nomy for Eritrea and Tigray with a series of
measures which amount to regional self-
government with the exception of military
protection and foreign relations. These
proposals were turned down by the rebels
who are holding out for full independence
from Ethiopia, a position backed by reac-
tionary regimes including the United States.

There are several factions within the rebel
movement which have over the years fought
among themselves. One of the most pro-
gressive groups among them was simply
eliminated by the factional struggle. The
ELF faction in Eritrea wanted to come to a
peaceful resolution of the problem of Eri-
trea, agreeing to autonomy. They were
assassinated or driven out of the country by
the EPLF.

Next week: Ethiopia's social program

Pacific Tribune, March 23, 1988 « 7

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