organizations,” a Latin-American unions resist AFL By CLIVE SMITH SAN JOSE, Costa Rica—The Latin American Fe ernment, of any political party, WFTU asks Iran end union ban By MARCEL DUBOIS PARIS—Unless the Iranian government stops terrorizing its labor movement, leaders of the World Federation of. Trade Unions will lodge a formal protest against that country with the United Nations economic and Social council. < A WFTU delegation, headed by its general secretary, Louis Sail- lant, called on the Iranian am- bassador here Dec. 18, demand- ing that the government return seized union property and that it restore labor’s right to organ- ize and strike. It also insisted on the immediate release of jailed unionists and adequate compen- sation to the families of labor or- ganizers allegeq to have been ex- ecuted, Among the WFTU officials on the delegation were Adoph Ger- mer, CIO representative to: the |. WFTU, Walter Schevenels, WFTU assistant secretary, and Michel Faline of the Soviet Union. _UN seeks day’s _ pay to aid needy NEW YORK. “One Day’s Work for One Free ’World!’ That’s the slogan of a new hu- manitarian crusade to get work- ers in every United Nations coun- try to contribute a day’s pay for relief of the world’s needy when _ UNRRA is liquidated early next 2 year. ‘ . The relief project is the brain- child of Dr. Aake Ording of the Norwegian UN delegation. It was indorsed by the UN economic and finance committee, which instruct- ed Secretary Gen. Trygve Lie to draft a report on the plan and submit it to the economic and so- _ Cial council for final approval. An estimated $100 million could be raised from organized labor alone if the drive is launched with world union support. Addition- al millions could be expected from _ unorganized workers and employ- ers’ groups. - Ording revealed that the Nor- , _wegian labor movement and em- ployers’ organizations shave pledged their cooperation. It is expected that all international non-government agencies, including the World Federation of Trade Unions, will rally behind the cam- “The CTAL must bring togeth- er all labor, without discrimina- tion, in cooperation with those democratic, political and social in- stitutions that work for the eman- cipation of Latin America,” the adopted resolution stated. Z The Latin American labor lead- ers announced they would fight back vigorously against attacks upon the CTAL by the AFL which, they said, were aimed at Splitting their organization and destroying the sovereignty of the Latin American republics. The AFL has been trying to re- cruit Latin American labor lead- ers to set up a rival movement to the CTAL. At its convention last October the AFL pledged in- creased support to this campaign. “As a consequence of these at- tacks by the AFL,” the confer- ence declared, ‘the Latin Am- erican Federation of Labor now Passes from the defensive to the offensive and will initiate a of any church or religious sect,” here recently. The policy statement was a reply to charges that of Latin America and was also regarded as a rebuke to clerica deration of Labor (CTAL) will remain “independent of any gov- it was decided at a meeting of its central committee the CTAL was dominated by the Communist parties 1 groups accused of trying to split the organization. campaign through manifestees and statements written in all languages of those countries in which there are organizations affiliated to the World Federa- tion of Trade Unions, denounc- ing the wanton tactics used by the AFL.” A committe was selected to tour Latin American countries to explain the nature of the AFL campaign against the CTAL. AIOE AUSTRALIA—Workers in capi- tal cities of all six Australian states will get at least $1 more per week in their pay envelopes as a result of an interim decision by the’ Commonwealth Arbitra- tion Court. The Australian Coun- cil of Trades Unions had peti- tioned the court to grant the pay raise which, it is estimated, will cost employers $84,500,000 annu- ‘ally. AFL PRES. WM. GREEN In Latin-America to disorganize the organized. federation also asked that the name of the bloc be changed to the Electoral Bloc of Democratic Parties and Trade Unions. The decision to seek greater representation in parliament was adopted at a plenary session of the federation’s central commit- tee, also attended by the lead- ers of 31 central unions and 16 district committees. In the present provisional par- liament, the unions have 22 dele- gates of a total of 444. The exact number of delegates sought by the unions has not been dis- closed but is believed to be between 30 and 40. reasons why the electoral bloc will probably comply with la- bor’s request. First, because the two-million-strong federation claims it can deliver about four million votes. Second, and even more important, the carrying out of the 3-year reconstruction plan, which is the major plank in the electoral bloc’s program, requires the fullest cooperation from the unions. TH RATHI GREECE—Leaders of the To- bacco Workers Union arrested by the government in Salonica and threatened with deportation have been released after strong pro- tests by the legally-elected of- ficials of the Greek Confedera- tion of Labor. : { liament, the Polish Trade Union There are two important - By RUTH BARTLEY Polish trade unions seek full representation in coming elections WARSAW-—In a move to increase direct labor representation in the forthcoming par- ederation has asked the Electoral Bloc. of Democratic Parties, which it supports, for the right to place its own labor candidates on the coali- tion list in the January elections. In agreeing to campaign actively for the coalition, the ’ Ten of thousands of Spanish workers are held in Franco prisons, awaiting action by the democratic powers to move decisively in the ousting of the fascist butcher Franco. The campaign of the World Federation of Trade Unions for the ousting’ of Franco must have the fullest support of all unions. C10 to launch new wage drive PITTSBURGH, Pa—The CIO's big three ended a the strategy to be employed in round two of labor’s wage is a battle of all the American people, the CIO for a spring wage increase campaign. Before the report had already been issued. It showed that American industry could give a 25 percent wage in- _ crease, without a rise in price, productivity, volume of produc- tion and without a tax decrease, and that the total profit would still be much higher than the average profit for the 1936-39 pe- riod. “It was the junanimous opinion of the representatives of the three c said CIO leader Philip Murray, “that the economic report, showing substantial wage increases can be paid without _ PACIFIC TRIBUNE — PAGE 2 will bend ever policy, conference held here last week in full agreement on battle. Since labor’s fight for higher wages and lower prices y effort to rally millions of workers and the U.S. public CIO’s Big Three (steel, auto, electric) sat down together an economic raising prices, provides an op- ing those .in fabricating plants.|that “it has become self-evident portunity for widespread public Between them the electrical, auto that there is a deliberate and discussion of factors that have to do with internal economy of the nation.” Of the ‘three organizations (OSWA-CIO, UE-CIO, UAW-CIO) the auto union has already an- nounced it is going after an hour- ly increase of 23% cents for its 900,000 members. By January 15 the steel union will have begun negotiations for wage boosts for some 560,000 basic steel workers. The negotiations will eventually include 1,000,000 workers, includ- . and steel unions have a member ship in excess of 2,000,000. While the Big Three were meet- ing CIO president Philip Murray was still awaiting a reply from William Green on_ his proposal that the “Big Three” of all Am- erican labor—the CIO, AFL, :and the Railroad Brotherhoods — join together to map an overall joint wage and legislative policy. In his letter to Green appeal- ing for unity, Murray warned monstrous movement under way to cripple, if not destroy, the labor movement of this country.” Murray then appealed “in the interest of all of the democratic and progressive forces of, our na- tion” for a meeting of the AFL, CIO and R.R. Brotherhoods “for the purpose of, devising a common program of economic and legisla- tive measures.” Unions score UN delegation By JOHN BRANDON LONDON — British repre- sentatives to the United Na- — tions general assembly meet- ing will be brought under sharp attack for their ‘disgrace- ful and scandalous’ behavior by members of the British Trades Union Congress delegation who attended the UN sessions and have just returned here. The unionists confirm the re- port that Foreign Minister Ern- est Bevin is ill and under doc- tor’s care and that he is under the guidance of reactionary For- eign Office officials. The 3-man delegation consists of Pres. Will Lawther of the Na- tional Unien of Mine Workers; Herc, Bullock, a representative of Bevin’s own Transport and General Workers Union; and Her- bert Tracey, TUC publicity chief. The report which they will issue soon-is expected to provide pow- erful support. for Labor M.P,’s who have become increasingly dis- turbed over the present British foreign policy. Asked for their comments on the alleged secret military agreement between Britain and the U.S., the unionists declared they are extremely suspicious of such a major decision made with the consent of a foreign secretary who, in their opinion, is too ill to have any independ- ent opinion. In the House of Commons Ste- phen Swingler, a Labor M_P., asked Prime Minister Clement E. Attlee for assurances that the British government would not make any military pact with the U.S. without the prior approval of Parliament. Attlee declined to give assurance,«saying that “it would be entirely contrary to con- stitutional practice to require the government to obtain prior con- sent of parliament before taking any detailed steps.” ; Jew-Arab unity . Palestine need — TEL AVIV—The growing unity between Jewish and Arab unionists may eventu- ally provide the cornerstone for a peaceful, democratic Pales- tine free from British domina- tion. The unions, whose membership constitutes roughly 9 percent of the country’s population, have conducted a great many joint — strikes during the past year. What has stimulated united ac- tion is the fact that living costs for Jews and Arabs alike have risen 300 percent since 1937 while wages have gone up only 50 per- cent in the same period. Of the 145,000 organized work- ers, about 108,000 are Jews and 37,000 Arabs. The Jews are group- ed in the Histadruth (Jewish Federation of Labor) and the Arabs in three organizations: the Palestine Arab Workers’ Society. (15,000), the Arab Workers’ Con- gress (18,000) and the Arab La- bor League (4,500). The Arab Labor League is af- filiated to the Histadruth but Jewish and Arab locals are sep- arate. Progressive laborites of both nationalities oppose this sep- aration and are striving for or- ganizational unity. ake During the past year Arab -and Jewish workers engaged in joint strikes against the U.S. Socony-Vacuum Oil Co. Anglo- Dutch Shell Oil Co., British | army post exchanges, the Dead Sea Potash Co. and the Nur Factory, the last owned by Jewish capital. Each of these strikes involved thousands of workers, — a When Arab and Jewish govern- ment employees were on a na- tionwide strike, Arab postal em- ployees particiated in a mass meeting at Histadruth’s head- quarters in Tel Ayiv. They sup- ported a declaration denouncing British imperialism for trying to stir up conflict between Jewish and Arab workers.. FRIDAY, JANUARY 3, 1947