This is no space rocket but a giant Soviet shaft-sinker. It can bury its way
into the ground at the phenomenal rate of 340 feet a month. It stands as
tall as a five-storey block and has just completed its trials in the Kara-
ganda coalfield. It not only scoops out pit shafts—it lines them with rein-

forced concrete all in one operation.

Sask. votes April 22

Saskatchewan will hold - a
general election on April 22, it
was announced last week.

The CCF, which has formed
the government since 1944, held
34 seats in the last legislature
while the Liberals held 21. Re-
distribution will increase the
number of seats in Regina and
Saskatchewan by two each togive
a total of 59:

Last week, the 1963 report of

TRIBUNE

the Medical Care Insurance Com-
mission, which administers the
province's Medicare plan, re-
ported the plan cost less in its
first full year of operation than
had been estimated.

The average cost per bene-
ficiary of the plan, which covers
95 percent of the province’ s pop-
ulation, was $22.05 compared
with estimates of between
$22.39 and $23.06. —

LABOR

Theme:

Invited Speakers:

Place:

Dates:

NUTONOMY—How To Achieve It?

CHARLES STEWART (Amalgamated Transit Union); HARVEY
MURPHY (Mine, Mill & Smelter Workers Union); ORVILLE
BRAATEN and ANGUS MACPHEE (Pulp and Paper Workers
of Canada); TOM McGRATH { Canadian Ironworkers Union, *
Local No. 1); BOB COOK (Canadian Brotherhood of Rail-
way, Transport & General Workers Union, Local 425).

STRY HALL, 125 E. 8:1n Ave., Vancouver, B.C. ~

Sunday, April 5 and April 12. Starting time — 2 p.m.

Questions and discussion from the floor
will be invited

FREE ADMISSION

FORUM

Changes in the composition of
the working class in Canada make
the key task of the trade
union movement now the organi-
zation of the unorganized, Wil-
liam Kashtan, labor secretary
of the Communist Party, told a
Toronto seminar this month.

Such an undertaking by the
trade union movement must
complete the organization of the
industrial working class, where
big pockets of unorganized work-
ers still exist. Kashtan cited as
examples the Dofasco plant in

Hamilton and Atlas Steels in
Welland.
But, he stressed, particular

attention must be paid at this
time to the organization of the
white collar and service indus-
tries, which constitute at this
time the growing and dominant
section of the working class,
but which is largely unorgan-
ized.

Unless this section is organiz-
ed, Kashtan stated, the trade un-
ion movement will not be able to
advance in its fight against the
boss, and working class parties
such as the New Democrats and
Communists will be weakened in
their fight to curb monopoly rule
of the country.

@

At present, he pointed out, of
a labor force of almost seven
million, only 14 million are or-
ganized in trade unions.

To evaluate changes taking
place in the working class, Kash-
tan suggested there are four
areas which must be considered.

* First, the rapid increase in
white collar and service work-
ers. According to the Depart-
ment of Labor, these categories
of workers increased from 33.7
percent of the labor force in
1931 to 49.4 percent in_ 1961.

And for the first time. the
number of white collar workers
only (38.6 percent) was greater
than the number of manual work-
ers (34.9), with manual workers
including laborers, manufactur-
ing, construction and transport
and communication industries.

* Secondly, in every grouping
of manual workers. there is a
continuing decline starting in
1961. In 1951 the situation was
the reverse.

Productivity, however.
risen with a smaller manual
labor force. which indicates
greater exploitation of workers
and a greaterintensity of work-
loads.

* Thirdly. there has been abig
increase in the number of wo-
men workers in the labor force
—from 22 percent in 1951 to 28
percent in 1961. The figure pro-
bably now stands at more than
30 percent, and the estimates
are for a continuing growth of
women in the labor force. Wo-
men are mainly in the service
and white collar industries.

Because of this development
it is necessary that the trade
union movement take a position
for equality for women workers,
and must promote women as
leaders of the trade union move-
ment.

~ Fourthly, there has been an
absolute decline in those engag-
ed in agricultural and resource
industries. In 1931, 28.8 percent
of the labor force was engaged
in agricultural occupations. In
1961 this figure dropped to 10.2
percent. :

These percentages pinpoint the
fact that a smaller number of
workers in agriculture is able
to feed a growing population.

This in turn indicates the high

has

Organize unorganizeé
now unions’ key task

degree of mechanization and pro-
ductivity in agriculture.
we r )

All these changes reflect in
the economy and the means of
production. Technological devel-
Opment and automation — to the
extent the latter has been intro-
duced — have tended to replace
workers in industry and to add
to the white collar and service
occupations.

The changes have vital im-
plications, Kashtan declared.

The capitalists and their
spokesmen have been quick to
assert the changes mean the
trade union movement is in a
period of decline. Trade unions,
they claim, will not be able to
play the role they have played
and working-class parties such
as the NDP will not be able to
succeed. There is no possibility,
they state, of organizing the white
collar workers, and the strength
of the trade union movement will
continue to decline.

If this is true, Kashtan said,
the prospect for advance is
made more difficult.

But. he pointed out, the ques-

sential 2
tion of approach is essential”
to what constitutes the Wo?
class.

The working class.
phasized, includes all those ¥
sell their labor power and W
do not own any of the a
of production, and all those ® :
help create and spread ¥! He
thus enabling the capitalist cl ss
to realize surplus value, or ple
fits. = S

Thus, the working clas® c
not only the industrial work
ing class, and the question 0
working class is a questi?
the relationship of this ¢l@
the means of production.

le
ashtan &
Kashi yor

-~On this basis, ,
clared, there is a growing

ing class. But it is stratit
with the industrial working ©
making up its most cons
and revolutionary part, 2
other groupings making 4 ~
homogeneous whole. i
@
On the task of organizine
unorganized, Kashtan said:
are differences within the!

See ORGANIZE, pg. 7

“HEY, BE CAREFUL THIS NEw PLANT SUPER 1S
LIABLE To PoP UP FRom Anypiace! °

Cas

‘Maintenance Squad’
doing big job for PT

The “Maintenance Squad” is growing. Its fourtee? ||
members now account for 2 monthly total to the “P
of approximately $40. This
of Comunists and non-Comunists, is made up of gra?
workingclass people who know what it takes to keep?
paper like the “PT” going. Their combined monthly |
total already adds up to roughly $560 per year. Truly; |
as “Gene” Debs once said, such people are the “g0
reserve’ of a fighting press.

April 1 begins the annual financial campaign @
raise the $18,000 required to keep the “PT”
battle-line. During the two months of this drive,
monthly donations of ““M-S”” members will be credité
to any additional amounts they may be able to secul®
for this campaign objective.

In addition to the efforts of our ““M-Squad”, othe!
folks have sent in donations to the “PT,” which sine
the beginning of the year to March 20, now total $398 |
—a tremendous help in keeping the “PT” out of wha! |
the Liberal budgeteers call “deficit financing.” | |

The next couple of months is going to require al
the energy our “PT” readers, supporters, and “M
Squad” members can muster to reach that $18,000
objective. But with the example the ““M-S” has already
set in effort and sacrifice, we can count on victory. AP
the more the “M-S” grows, the less will be the need for
high annual campaign objectives. 4

doughty “M-S”, consistiné ;

the |

‘Me IE

: April 3, 1964—PACIFIC TRIBUNE—Pa

ge

Pee ee a ee ee

in the | 7

yo. a bay, . ee ee