It is amazing how quickly the

mass media dropped David
Lewis’s charges about the Cor-
porate Rip-Off and the Corpor-
ate Welfare Bums and substitut-
ed the unemployed recipients of
unemployment insurance bene-
fits as the most objectionable
Rip-Off Artists.

It is far from accidental that
all concessions granted in the
matter of tax reform legisla-
tion, social security and general
economic policy by the Trudeau
administration have gone to
monopoly. Instead of a ‘just
society’ we have drifted steadily
towards a ‘means-test’ society
for workers thrown on the scrap-
heap by the selfish profit motive
of big businéss.

It is the large monopolies, the
huge international corporations,
who dictate government policies
and who manipulate the mass
media to suit their own aims.

How well they have succeeded
in this terrible swindle has been
illustrated beyond belief in the
statements by such progressive
and hitherto widely trusted peo-
ple as Reuben Baetz, executive
director of the Canadian Council
of Social Development, _ and
Edward Broadbent NDP-MP., to
mention only two.

It will simply mean disaster if
the Trudeau administration is
pushed into further concessions
to reactionary demands for the

emasculation of the Unemploy-

ment Insurance Act.
_ Paid for by Workers

An attempt is being made to
create the impression in the

public mind that unemployment °

insurance is a welfare scheme
paid for out of tax revenue.
This is a lie. It is an insurance
scheme for which workers pay
premiums along with employer
contributions, and which is then
being augmented by contribu-
tions from public revenue to
which workers again contribute
in the form of taxes collected at

the source. Even the unemploy-

ment insurance benefits are now
taxed, so that $100 per week
which is the highest benefit paid
actually becomes $85 per week
after income taxes are deducted.

For workers the loss of jobs is
a disaster. Workers do not
choose to be unemployed. They
are the victims of unemployment
and policies that aggravate un-
employment. It is the employers
that decide to close plants and
businesses, pursuing their profit
motive regardless of consequen-
ces in terms of growing unem-
ployment.

As the Communist Party told
the parliamentary committee

BY BRUCE MAGNUSON

LABOR SCENE Sanceciclsel ground -swell
to protect UIC rights

conducting public hearings on
the new Unemployment Insur-
ance Act in 1970: “The econo-
mic, legislative and social poli-
cies which in our days and age
determine in large measure
country-wide economic develop-
ment and the creation’ of new
jobs are in the hands of govern-
ments. Unemployed workers
ought not be penalized and
forced to accept a lower stand-
ard of living because of circum-
stances beyond their control.
«> inasmuch as unemploy-
ment is a direct responsibility of
private and corporate employers,
the cost of unemployment in-

-surance should be a charge

against corporate earnings and
profits.

“Because government too is
an employer of labor, as well as
the determining factor in the
projection of economic, legisla-
tive and social policies, it should
assume its rightful share of the
cost of unemployment insurance,
to be a charge against general
public revenue.

“Since unemployment is not a
matter governed by the indivi-
dual concerned but is a social
problem rather than a private
personal issue, unemployment
insurance should be non-contri-
butory as far as workers are
concerned. This would be a just

way of handling the situation.

We believe that some day that
principle will be accepted and
enacted into law of the land.”

Rightfully Earned

If there is anything wrong
with the Unemployment Insur-
ance Act it is not that it is too
generous as far as workers are
concerned. It does not go far
enough to give workers their
just and rightfully earned con-
sideration. Why, for instance
should there be a waiting period
of two weeks before insurance
becomes payable? It penalizes a
worker and his family for loss of
a job beyond his control. Why
should there be a gap between
the worker’s regular paycheck
and the worker’s receipt of Un-
employment Insurance Benefits?
Payments ought to be payable
for the entire period of involun-
tary unemployment.

Presently the average ULI.
benefit collected is $66 per week
for and average of 15 weeks.
For a family man this is not rid-
ing on a gravy train. It is totally
inadequate. No person. collects
$100 per week and average time
collected is not 51 weeks as the
propaganda mills suggest.

There is no mystery about the
fact that a growing number of
unemployed means a rise in the
payout of benefits, which in turn

Want tracks off watertront

By CHARLES MASCOT

WINDSOR — Even capitalist
politicians are speaking in favor
of removing the railway tracks
from our city. Among other ad-
vantages, this could lead to bet-
ter use of land.

Characteristic of spokesmen
of big business is that they
don’t say at whose expense this
should be done.

Since it is highly desirable
that all of our railways be
merged into one state-owned
system, the profits accruing

from such a system could well
PERE PORK ee 2 Poe

be a source for payment of such
removal.

This is not to say that the
clearing of the tracks from the
city must necessarily wait the
state takeover of the railways.
It does mean that working peo-
ple must not be burdened with

the cost.

More and more people in.

Windsor are ‘demanding the re-

moval of the CNR tracks from.

the waterfront and the CPR
freight yards that cut off about
a mile of east-west traffic.

This can be started imme-

diately.

cause an increase in premiums
paid, including contribution by
the government. There is no
other way, except to leave the
unemployed to starve.

Perhaps this is what Mr.
Broadbent forgets when he talks
about the legal aspect of gov-
ernment contributions. Or Mr.
Baetz when he contradicts his
own testimony before the parlia-

mentary committee in 1970.

It is to say the least, ironic,
that with the honorable excep-
tion of Bryce Mackasey’s excel-
lent reply to Reuben Baetz, the
reactionary attempt to make un-
employed Canadians the scape-
goats for disastrous economic
policies by government and big
business, is not being challenged:
by the trade union movement,
whose leaders are conspicuous
by their stony silence on this
matter.

This situation must be revers-
ed by a universal chorus of de-
mands from every local union,
labor council and provincial fe-
deration, that labor will not
tolerate any emasculation of the
Unemployment Insurance Act.

If there is a need for any
through investigation of any-

thing it is not the Unemploy- .

ment Insurance operations as
demanded by Tory House Leader
Gerald Baldwin, but rather the
big Corporate Rip-Off and the
amount of tax evasion and inter-
est-free loans given to mono-
polies which runs into billions
every year. .,

| AM FIGHTING
INFLATION:

SVE
WIS AZ,

Our uranium sent to Spain

OTTAWA—Canada has signed
a sales agreement with Franco
Spain for nearly $60 million, in-
volving some nine _ million
pounds of uranium oxide. It will

be used by Spanish electric util-
ity companies for the generation
of electric power. So says the
President of Uranium Canada
Ltd., Jack Austin. Mr. Austin is
also deputy minister of energy,

mines and resources, and he
signed the agreement in Madrid

on behalf of the Government of |

Canada. Also signing the agree-
ment were Stephen B. Roman,
defeated Tory federal candidate,
who is chairman of the board
of Denison Mines Ltd, and John
Kostuik, President of Denison.
Denison Mines negotiated the
agreement on behalf of Canada’s
Liberal government.

\

Communists stronger after election

Party calls for banner year in “73

The main report to the, Centra] Committee-of the Communist Party of Canada by Party leader
William Kashtan (excerpts from which appeared in last week’s Tribune) was adopted unanim-
ously by passage of the following resolution on the last day of the meeting, Nov. 26.

The Central Committee adopts the report On

the Outcome of the October Federal Election
submitted to the meeting by Comrade Kashtan
on behalf of the Central Executive Committee. .
_ The Report outlines the tasks confronting the
Party and all Communists in this period of
minority Liberal government with the New
Democrats holding the balance of power. The
Report correctly emphasizes that the outcome
of the election creates the possibility for the
working people through organized mass strug-
gle to win important concessions from the gov-
ernment, while at the same time laying a basis
for further electoral gains in the next election
when it comes.

In adopting the main report the Central Com-
mittee declares that Party organizations and
members across the country can be justly proud
of the contribution the Communist Party made
to the general election campaign in bringing to
the forefront the vital issues confronting the
people at this time — issues all other parties
tried to sweep under the rug.

It is to the great credit of the Party that by
the valiant efforts of its candidates,’ election
committees and campaign workers the Party’s
election program was taken to millions of Cana-
dians through the platform, leaflets, advertise-
ments, newspaper, ‘radio and television coverage,
election meetings and debates.

The Central Committee heartily congratulates
all Party members and supporters who took the
Party’s election platform to better than 600,000
homes in house to house distribution, put up
thousands of posters, distributed tens of thous-
ands of election leaflets, the Canadian Tribune,
Combat, Pacific Tribune and Young Worker,
canvassed and participated in sccres of all-
candidate and Party election meetings.

The Central Committee heartily thanks and
congratulate the Young Communist League, its
officers and members who so ably and energetic-

y

d FD AGT AGE Ete

ally assisted the Party in this great election
campaign. The Central Committee particularly
congratulates the eight YCL members from B.C.,
Alberta, Ontario and Quebec, who as candidates
of the Communist Party conducted excellent
campaigns adding a refreshing youthful aspect
to the Party’s image.

The experiences gained by all Party Commit-
tees across the country during the election has
proven in life that the 21st Convention of the
Party was correct when it demanded that the
Party lift its sights and run a maximum number
of candidates. :

The election demonstrated that the Party
grows politically, ideologically, morale-wise and
numerically when it campaign in a truly mass
way for its own independent positions skilfully
blended with a strong unity policy. ©

The Central Committee declares that the
Party is stronger for the election campaign. It is
strengthened from the improved reception ac-
corded our election workers from the people
they met in their door to door work. It is
strengthened by the lively interest in our election
materials and proposals shown by many voters.
It has drawn new strength from the many non-
Party workers who came forward and volunteer-
ed their services as election workers. It is
stronger politically and numerically by the ad-
dition of new members who joined the Party’s
rank during the election campaign. :

In view of the new ground and new possibil-
ities opened up by the Party’s pre-election and
election work, and above all, because the work-
ing class needs a strong Communist Party if it
is to win new policies and a new direction for

Canada, defeat the danger from the Right and —
elect a large progressive group to Parliament in

the next election, the Central Committee calls
upon every Party committee, every Party mem-
ber to make 1973 a banner year for Party, YCL

r gtagetee 3% | eyes i 1? Ses

-and’Press' building.’ |”

PACIFIC TRIBUNE “FRIDAY, BECEMBER 8! 1972-4PaGE Ss
APIEC IID WADVSIeT CHELAN OAT