John Gaetsewe, European representative of the South African POnHrer of Trade Unions,

couver Monday.

“We will continue the struggle as
long as necessary. We will fight for
it — we will die for it — we are
confident that we will be free.”

These emotional words of Dr.
Yusuf Dadoo, echoed by the un-
ceasing struggle of his colleagues
within the African National
Congress in South Africa and
around the world, must shake the
tottering Voerster regime to its
foundations.

““Voerster sees the writing on the
wall. What has happened in
Mozambique and Angola can
happen and will happen in South
Africa tomorrow.”

Dr. Yusuf Dadoo, vice-president
of the Revolutionary Committee of
the African National Congress
together with John Gaetsewe,
leader of the illegal South African
Congress of Trade Unions, were
guests last week of the African
National Tour Committee, spon-
sors of the public meeting at the
Unitarian Church where Dadoo
and Gaetsewe addressed about 200
people.

Dadoo gripped the receptive
audience with his message of the
impending change that the
apartheid system can no longer
withstand. ‘‘The unholy alliance of
Portuguese colonialism and
Voerster racism is in disarray.’
He said, ‘the underground
movement grows stronger by the
day.” Dr. Dadoo recounted the
growing militancy among black
workers in South Africa where
hundreds of thousands have
participated in the growing illegal
strike movement, the tremendous
unity among the black students,
though physically divided and
segregated, and the powerful
resistance to the ‘resettlement
program’’ — _ the current
mechanism of the Voerster racists
to divide and oppress the black
majority.

Voerster is now on the defensive.

DR. YUSUF DADOO

phasized.

But his reaction is to intensify the
brutal repression within : South
Africa’ while offering peace to

‘ world opinion. This is the ploy

behind his appeals for moderation
to the racists of Rhodesia. ‘Smith
is negotiable, he is a liability,”
explained Dr. Dadoo. This also is
the deception of the token in-

dependence offered to Bantustan :

— “an illusion to hoodwink world
public opinion.”” And in similar
manner, the much-lauded reforms
are actually meaningless, aimed to
remove some features of “petty
apartheid” such as segregation of
park benches and the like. It is all
intended to create the mistaken
conception of a reasonable racist
regime now ready to offer reform.
“We see no change in the South
African situation,’”’ Dadoo em-
“Our policy is to in-
tensify the struggle and fight back.
We use and shall use all forms of
struggle available to us — legal,
semi-legal and illegal forms.”
But inevitably, the ANC leader
stressed, armed struggle would
come. Already the armed forces of
the liberation fighters inflict daily,
casualties upon Voerster’s white

—Sean Griffin photo
speaking in Van-;

army in the occupied territory of
Southwest Africa. :

“We will not let our people be
shot down,”’ he warned. “We will
defend ourselves.”’ For those who
could not grasp the necessity of
taking up arms, he reminded them,
“Hitler was not defeated by non-
violent means.”

Dadoo and Gaetsewe embarked
on the tour to raise moral and
financial support for the liberation
movement. Their appearances on
television, radio and on university
campuses while in B.C. certainly
helped toward that end. Also in
their itinerary was a session with
the NDP caucus in Victoria. A
collection of $750 from the public
meeting will find its way to the
underground movement in South
Africa.

Dr. Dadoo took the occasion of
the public rally to extend a “thank
you”’ to the B.C. provincial
government for their action in
boycotting South African wines. He
said that it was reported in the
South African press and people
there know about it. “This prac-
tical act of solidarity means a
great deal,”’ he said, “thank you.”

TEACHERS

Cont’d from pg. 3

cluding church and government
property and then to require the
application of a uniform mill rate
or tax on all property in the
province.

The next and more far reaching
step to equalize the cost of
education is the elimination of the
school tax from all residential
property, including the residential
part of family farms. Long a
demand of the teachers and the
entire labor movement, this was
pledged by the NDP in the 1972
election campaign.

The recommendations of the
BCTF go on into much greater
detail. They call for amendments
to the “finance formula’? — the
mechanism by which each school
is disbursed funds — to make
provisions for the special needs of
each area.

“Equal educational opportunity
requires unequal instructional
services,” the report points out.
“Equal opportunity can come only
through treating each child as an

individual and providing him/her.

with an educational program
based on his/her needs. An
education finance system must not
limit the freedom of action school
boards must have to plan
programs based on the needs of

PACIFIC TRIBUNE—FRIDAY, APRIL 11, 1975—Page 12

children. To limit this freedom
denies children real equality of
opportunity.”

“When we talk about finances,
we are talking about government
priorities.” So said Minister of
Education Eileen Dailly to the
BCTF convention.

There is no disagreement with
that statement. The debate begins
when the government defines
exactly what its priorities are. For
to remove the crisis of financing
from the local school board and to
relieve the homeowner from the
weight of school taxes means to
apply those charges to some other
section of society. Outgoing
president of the BCTF Jim Mac-
Farlan put it as bluntly as can be:
“Education should be a charge
against the great corporations who
exploit our province’s resources. If
it is to be a charge against
property, let that property be in the
first instance non-residential
property, and in the second in-
stance, the residential property of
the wealthy.”

Time is moving quickly for the
NDP government. The establish-
ment once and for all of this
government’s priorities — for
education or against it — against
the majority or against the
powerful and wealthy minority —
can not wait much longer.

Some 500 municipal employees
and supporters jammed tiie Surrey
municipal council” chambers
Monday night,
Surrey Mayor William Vander
Zalm quit stalling and negotiate
directly with the striking Surrey
civic employees.

Van der Zalm’s answer was quite
typical of ‘his attitude as mayor.
Rather than answer to the crowd,
he adjourned the council meeting
and amongst a chorus of jeers and
shouts of ‘‘He’s resigning!” left the
council chambers. The rest of the
council soon followed.

Earlier, before the council
meeting, B.C. Federation of Labor
secretary-treasurer Len Guy
pledged to the crowd gathered
outside of the municipal hall that
the Surrey workers, members of
CUPE 402, on strike for over five
weeks, ‘‘have the full support of all
230,000 affiliates of the B.C.
Federation of Labor.”

Noting. Vander Zalm’s con-
version to the Socreds, Guy told the
rally that the “workers in Surrey,
through no fault of their own, are in
a political battle. Vander Zalm is
using you so as to advance his own
political career.” ~

Speaking on behalf of the New
Westminster and District Labor
Council, President Gerry Stoney
pointed out that the long range
solution for municipal employees

demanding that:

everywhere is: to get active!
municipal politics and ensure

working people sit on* munidl
councils. '

“There’s an election coming
this fall,’’ Stoney said, ‘at
Vander Zalm has said that-he
not run for mayor again. All
me tell you, that’s the best 1°
that the working people of §
have had for years!” ik

CUPE representative xi
Kramer outlined the umid?
demands of $1.44 per houl i
crease, and a minimum of $650
month for clerical workers.
basic laborer rate is currently *
per hour and some clerical
ployees earn -less than $470
month. nfl

Additionally the union is se@®" |
a strong technological chal
clause and guarantees of Y
security. “These demands ai
out of line.’’ Kramer said,
are compatible with what 0 oo
public employees, B.C. Gove
ment workers, hospital empl0
and B.C. Hydro employees
getting today.” .

“We have been in cons
negotiations since October of igh
and they have never talked 1
seriously, they have never mé@
an offer, and never approache@”
with a settlement. Now, we wal
negotiate directly with
mayor.”

Sa

Bridges blasts Act

Cont'd from pg. 1

advanced by the Social Credit
party and others that workers
should be stripped of the right to
vote on contract settlements that
their leaders have already ratified.

B.C. Federation of Labor
secretary Len Guy also em-
phasized the attempts by em-
ployers and governments to make
workers bear the weight of
economic difficulties and cited the
attacks on the _ collective
bargaining rights of the ILWU and
the Public Service Alliance.

He told the convention that it was
the responsibility of governments
and employers to tackle inflation
and unemployment and outlined a
program to achieve that objective.

“Tf they won’t adopt that
program, they can’t expect us to lie
down and do nothing,” he declared,
referring to the need for greater
unity and militancy in the trade

‘union movement.

Although the officers’ rep?
delivered to the opening sessio?
the convention, dea)
predominantly with the situatio®) P
the U.S., many of the iss! {
crossed national boundaries.

The economic report #
phasized, “‘we are in a deepée'
depression” and was echoed by
Canadian report which noted
Canada has been experienc
recession, reflected by substan!
increases in unemployment.

The report outlined
rudiments of a program to com)
the economic crisis includ!
improved contracts W
maximum protection agai?
layoffs, shorter hours, tax reform
cuts in military spending. W
diversion of funds to sod
programs, opposition to any fo!
of wage controls, decreased F
terest rates and stepped-up tr4!
with the socialist world with
restrictions.

May Day rally set
in city for May I

Labor’s International holiday, May Day; will be marked ®
Vancouver with a rally at Vancouver Technical School, 2600 plock |
E. Broadway, on Thursday, May 1 at8 p.m. j

George Hewison, chairman of the Vancouver May Day Com”
mittee told the Tribune this week that the feature speaker at the”
rally will be Ross Russell, national organizer of the United —

trical Workers.

Peter Rolston, Dewdney NDP MLA, who sparked the protest in
B.C. and in the legislature against the U.S. Trident sub base at
Bangor, Wash., will be one of the featured speakers.

B.C. Communist leader Nigel Morgan will be one of the speakers:
Chairperson will be Helen O’Shaugnessy, general organizer of ah
United Fishermen & Allied Workers Union.

A musical program will be provided by the popular “Bargain at
Half the Price’’and ‘‘Union Train” song groups.

Commenting on this year’s May Day rally, committee chairma?
George Hewison said ‘‘the celebration this year will carry forward
the tradition of May Day and will highlight the fight against the
attempt of big business to impose wage restraints and compulsory
arbitration. It will also further the strngele for Canadian in-
dependence, peace and detente.”’

Proceeds from the rally will be donated to Canadian Aid for
Vietnam Civilians to aid the people of South Vietnam.

eka heed So ae 1 eet ay ea es ee ee

asi