OTTAWA — The Canadian Laber Congress has urged that Canada’s immigration policy be closely tied to the country’s eco- nomic and manpower planning. In an 8,000-word submission to the Special Joint Committee on Immigration Policy and _ the “Green Paper on Immigration”, on Sept. 25, the CLC stressed its belief that “immigration policy cannot be discussed in isolation from domestic issues such ‘as housing, urban congestion, trans- portation, job opportunities, re- gional disparities or economic growth.” The Congress outlined 18 spe- cific proposals on which to base a Canadian immigration policy and said that if past government policy “had been tied in more closely with national economic and manpower planning rather than the ad hoc approach which has characterized immigration policy, the search for a consen- sus on this issue in Canada would not be the formidable problem which it has obviously become.” One key CLC recommendation was that immigration cannot be used to correct régional and de- mographic problems which have developed because of the lack of job opportunities in many areas and regions of Canada. “If there are jobs available in the rural regions of Canada that pay a de- cent wage, then both immigrants and Canadian citizens alike will move to these jobs,” said the submission. “If industry is dir- ected to establish itself in the rural regions as part of overall economic and regional planning, then, and only then, will depopu- lated rural areas attract people away from the cities.” The brief contended that the basis of present racial tension is economic and not cultural and social. It explained that racism develops in times of economic stress and high unemployment. “It is the competition for scarce jobs that provides the primary ~ outlet for irrational prejudices and not the mere fact of an in- termingling of people of varied races and cultures,” the CLC asserted. Other Congress immigration policy recommendations were: e Immigration policy should not promote the imbalance be- tween the two founding groups in Canada — French and English —and immigrants should be ex- pected to speak the language of the community to which they emigrate. e To intelligently assess the job market, employers should be compelled to register all job vacancies with the Department of Manpower and Immigration so that immigration can be in- telligently geared to employ- ment opportunities. e Immigration must never be used to supply cheap labor for Canadian employers or to take jobs away from unemployed Ca- nadians who must be assured first right to available jobs wherever they occur. e Immigration must not be used in a manner which will en- able employers to escape their. responsibilities for training or retraining Canadian workers for: jobs. e There should be close co- Cape Breton unemployment 30% MLA says Sydney steel plant must be saved By GEORGE MacEACHERN On Labor Day the provincial minister of labor estimated the unemployment rate in Cape Bre- ton as being 13%. This is a very conservative estimate. Paul Mc- Ewan, NDP, MLA, for Cape Bre- ton-Nova, considers 30% as being more realistic. If we strike a medium, or even accept the minister’s estimate, it is still a very bleak picture, made more bleak by the contin- ually deteriorating state of our industries. Coal, which was lauded to the “skies for making a miraculous comeback has run into a slack- ening of production in the new Lingan mine and a complete (if temporary) shut down of No. 26 in Glace Bay because of an un- derground fire. : The General Instruments _ plant, a fly-by-night American outfit, paying low wages but em- ploying up to a thousand, closed when the demand for the “car radio parts” they were making fell off with the end of Ameri- can participation in the Vietnam war. The Canadian Motors Industry (Toyota) assembly plant has served notice that it is closing up shop. The heavy water plant is near completion, when hun- - dreds of skilled tradesmen will be thrown out of work. Politically Appointed The Sydney steel plant, form- erly Dosco, now Sysco, hangs on seemingly on a day-to-day basis. This plant was cast aside by its’ absentee owners (Hawker Siddley) in the Fall of 1967 and picked up at a price by the pro- vincial government of G. I. Smith which generously allow- ed Hawker Siddley to keep con- trol of its more profitable opera- tions in Trenton and Halifax. ” PACIFIC TRIBUNE—OCTOBER 3, 1975—Page 6 Premier Smith acted after a spontaneous protest by the peo- ple of Sydney, which expressed itself best in a huge “march of concern.” Robert B. Cameron, a New Glasgow industrialist, was ap- pointed general manager of Sys- co with a politically appointed board of directors who were mainly distinguished by their lack of experience in the mak- ing, or marketing, of steel. One of Mr. Cameron’s first acts was to sell the wire and nail mill to a company in Dart- mouth of which he is said to be part owner. The employees were either pensioned off or found work in other departments of the plant. For a while the production of steel ingots improved and, in fact, a record open hearth pro- duction of one million tons was announced in 1969. Strangely enough a financial loss was also recorded for that period. A massive rehabilitation pro- gram which, to date, has cost $92,000,000 was undertaken. Mr. Cameron was named “Man of the Year” by the Kiwanis. Union Stepped In The rod mill was next to go-— supposedly because it was obso- lete and parts for its repair would be impossible to get. Next in line was the bar mill, but here the steel union, which had elected a new executive, stepped into the picture and sav- ed the mill. ‘Things were looking up, reha- bilitation was in full swing, Mr. Cameron was in his office (some- times) and all was right with the world. And then the bubble burst...-- Either by expert bungling or by design, priorities got mixed up so that the blast furnaces (the heart of the plant) were neg- lected while a whole new rail finishing mill, which could well have waited, was imported from West Germany in a deal that is still questioned by the steel- workers. Demands for an investigation into the bungling became com- mon. Mr. Cameron “resigned,” the new management continued with the old rehabilitation “priorities.” Sorry Mess The provincial government, which seems hell-bent on having ; private capital take over the plant, counters demands for in- vestigation with obscure plans for a whole new plant, capable of producing eight million tons _ of steel per year. It’s to be built with federal aid and private in- vestors, at Gabarus, a fishing village 25 miles from Sydney and from the nearest railway, and connected to Sydney by a narrow winding road and a one- lane bridge over the Mira river. Union heads consider this to be a scare tactic. They question what is to be done with eight million tons when there are al- ready tens of thousands of tons of billets stored on the Sydney plant without a market. They are no longer willing to leave planning in the hands of those who have made such a sorry mess of rehabilitation. The national office ofthe Steelwork- ers Union has been asked to have its research department study the situation—productivity, pos- sibility for fabrication, relation to world markets in matters of distance, as well as possible new markets in the socialist and de- veloping countries. A concrete program, based on such information, would find great support from the people of this area who have been kept in a state of deferred (and dimin-. ishing) hope since Friday, ,Oc- tober 13, 1967, “Black Friday.” ~and manpower planning says CLC ordination of immigration, policy with the developing countries to ensure that no confiict arises between our policy to assist in their development and the recru- iting of skilled immigrants. e@ There is no place in Cana- dian society for the “guest worker” for there is already too much poverty and discrimina- tion in this country without cre- ating more through government policy and intent. e The recommendations in the International Labor Organiz- ation Convention 97 concerning migrant workers must form a part of Canada’s immigration policy and practices. e Prospective immigrants should be well briefed on their rights and obligations as pros- pective Canadian citizens. They must be informed about their right to transfer from one job to another, the availability of me- dical and hospital care, welfare services, unemployment insur- ance, language institutions and of available civic and commun- ity services. e The immigration tion package for immigrant should explain workers’ righ and the freedom to join a union | and to engage in free collective | informa | bargaining. The CLC should bé | consulted on the informational | bulletins which’ describe work | ers’ rights and freedoms. e There boards at the community level t which the immigrant can tu for advice. e Canada must continue th humanitarian practice of accept | ing political refugees. should be public | e Immigration policy must bé | free from discrimination on grounds of race, color or nati@ nal origin. ; The Congress also called for revision of the points systeMm | used in judging the admissibililY | of immigrants, including redu& | tion of the number of. points d& | voted to personal qualitie® | | “which are wholly subjective 0 | the part of the interviewing of | ficer.” ANPLAS LIBERDADES DEMOCRATICAS E A SUA FIRME DEFESA Broad democratic freedoms and their firm defense. REFORMA AGRARM, DESENUXVINENTO DA AGRICUL- TURA E NEUNORAMENTO RADICK. DAS CONDIGOES DE VIDA DA POPULAGAO TRABALHADORA DOS CAMPOS Ag + [= i d. A ’ of ag- and radical bettering of liv- ing conditions for the working popy- lation on the farm. PROSSEGUIMENTO DA DESCOLD- ELEVAGHO D0 NIVEL DE VIDA DAS CLASSES TRABALHADORAS E DO POVO EN GERAL Raising the standard of liv- ing of the working cl and the people in general. UMA REAL POLITICA DE MpEPEN - MIZACAO ave > COMPLETA DRCIA NACIINAL , UA POLITICA DE INDE PEMDENCIA Paz E DE AMIZADE COH TODES 05 Powes Following up the pro- A real policy of linde- ¢ of o new demo ed, LL Se s - gee ; ie oper! of- peace cratic state af the service to complete independ- ~~ and friendship with all peo- 4), le and the homeland. : ence, ples. ie - ACESSO A WSTRUGHO E A CU F TURA DAS HASSAS POPULARES Access to education and i for the people. NACIOMALIZAGAO DOS SECTORES FUVOAMENTINS DA ECONOMIA IMACIOMAL E DESENVOLVINENT? ECOMOMICE EM BEVEFIO’ DAS AMPLAS MASSAS TRABALHADORAS E DA EFECTIVA IWOEPEN- DBMCIA DE PORTUGAL Nationalization of the basic sectors of the | tional y and ic develop- ment for the benefit of the broad working masses and for the effective independence of Portugal. (Smoke from factory stacks spells out “Adeus,’’ Goodbye.) APOIA O w SUPPORT THE PORTUGUESE COMMUNIST PARTY brought illustrations as well as text, the program of the PCP. Le: ae of the Portuguese people can read or write. (POR QUE LUTAM OS COMUNISTAS | WHAT THE COMMUNISTS ARE FIGHTING FOR: 7 EN ET ee PARTIDO COMUNISTA — | | | |