y thewestern canadian lumber worker i ae. Photo courtesy of B.C.G.E.U. REGIONAL PRESIDENT JACK MUNRO addressing the first of nine public rallies called by the B.C. Federation of Labour to protest the anti-union legislation passed by the Social Credit government. This rally held January 23rd in Nelson drew over one thousand trade unionists and was the largest of Its kind held in the City. Also shown on the platform are Federation President Jim Kinnaird left and John Fryer, head of the B.C. Government Employees’ Union. BARRETT CHARGES SOCREDS FAVOUR SALE OF CANADIAN FIRMS NDP leader Dave Barrett has charged that the Social Credit government was behind the successful emasculation of the federal agency which sereens foreign investment in Canada. , He produced documents from the Foreign Investment Review Agency, which showed that since the Socred adminis- tration took office, 63 firms with more than 5,000 employ- ees have been acquired by American companies. He said the Socred govern- ment did not oppose a single application, although under the terms of the foreign invest- ment regulations legislation, the provincial government must be consulted on each take-over before federal ap- proval is given. BENNETT SCORED BY FEDERATION B.C. Federation of Labour officials have bitterly accused Premier Bennett of trying to make political hay at the ex- pense. of the Federation. The reason for their anger was the statement by Bennett that the Federation snubbed the government by failing to show at a cabinet meeting called February ist, to hear labour’s annual brief. Federation officials pointed out that not enough time was allowed for the Federation to prepare and have such an important document ratified by the Executive Council — as it must be — before presenta- tion to the cabinet. The Assistant Deputy Pro- vincial Secretary was in- formed of this six days before the meeting was to have taken place. The Federation also informed the government that its time would be fully taken ‘up by a series of public rallies which had been scheduled long before the invitation to address the cabinet. The Vancouver Express newspaper reported in its Feb- ruary 2nd edition that while Bennett was rebuking the Fed- eration’s actions, he failed to mention that the B.C. Chambers of Commerce had also been asked to attend a cabinet meeting the same day and failed to show. Barrett produced dozens of documents, including secret reports to the federal cabinet, to back his claim that the Socreds conspired with the fed- eral government to weaken the foreign investment agency. He quoted from statements made by Premier Bennett and some of his cabinet ministers, in which they complained to the federal government that See “BARRETT” page 2 2 ji ska BIVATE SECTOR WORKERS TOMORROW ? ISSN 0049-7371 FEBRUARY, 1979 LABOUR RALLIES WINNING WIDE PUBLIC SUPPORT A The B.C. Federation of La- bour is receiving wide and enthusiastic support from trade unionists and the general public for its series of rallies called to protest the Social Credit government’s anti- labour legislation. A total of nine rallies have been planned for various areas of the province of which five have been held to date. Big turnouts attended the five rallies and people had to be turned away at the ones held in Kamloops and Kelowna. Regional President Jack Munro was one of the featured speakers at the rally held in Nelson January 23rd, which drew an estimated one thou- sand people. The Cranbrook meeting drew six hundred and fifty, Kamloops seven hun- dred, Kelowna seven hundred and fifty, and Nanaimo over one thousand. The other four rallies will be held in Prince George Febru- ary 17, Terrace February 22, Victoria February 26, and Van- couver March 7, where it is ex- pected thousands will turn out to mark their protest. In his address at the Nelson rally Munro called on the people to examine the number of anti-labour Bills passed by the Socreds in the past three years. The legislation, he stated, was designed for the sole purpose of weakening the PUBLIC SECTORS TODAY pf labour movement and destroy- ing the hard-won rights of the workers. He pointed out that while the main thrust of the Socred at- tack is centred at the present time on the public sector work- ers, it wouldn’t be long before the workers in the private sec- tor also came under. attack. He also stressed the very real danger of the government bringing in right-to-work laws. The fact that the government is already on record as opposing such. legislation means noth- ing, he said. Anybody who believes the government can be trusted, he stated, is living in a dream world. To back up his remarks, he pointed out how the govern- ment gave labour a commit- ment that it would act fairly during the West Kootenays “Schools strike and then broke its word by bringing in legisla- tion which completely re- stricted the rights of workers in schools, municiplities and universities. _ He suggested that the workers of British Columbia had better become politically active and support the NDP, the only party that cared for the workers. He concluded by warning ‘that if the Socreds were re-elected again the prov- ince would be a Utopia for the rich and hell for the working people.