“NOVA SCOTIA GOV'T. PROVIDES: Cheap labor for trusts By GEORGE MacEACHERN SYDNEY, NS. Industrial Estates Limited is a crown corporation, set up in 1957 by the government of Nova Scotia, for the purpose of en- couraging new industries to set- tle in the province and for help- ing established industries to ex- pand. : Originally capitalized at $12 million the latest report shows this figure to have increased to $150 million. LE.L. claims credit for 60 new manufacturing plants. Most of these have their parent bodies in the U.S.A. but others were recruited from Japan, Sweden, Italy, India, with the latest, Michelin Tires, from - France. Total employment in these new plants is said to be 4,821. Michelin is expected to employ 1,300. No doubt some of these work- ers earn’. comparatively good _ wages. The pulp mills and auto assembly plants would not be far, if.any, below the-rates paid elséwhere in Canada, but many others are not so fortunate. In recommending their first contract to the employees of General Instruments Ltd. (an American firm with an ILELL. subsidized plant in Sydney) the union rep laid it on the line: wages for the next three years were to be the same, for the -great majority of the 700 to' 800 workers, as the minimum wage set by the provincial govern- ment for this zone (Sydney). At By DENIS DEMERS From the points of view of both health and costs, the his- tory of Medicare in Saskatche- wan has demonstrated that in Canada the working class de- © mand for Medicare, and even- tually free medicine, is a cor- rect class demand. When achiev- ed it greatly improves the health of the working class and of the population in general. It benefits all people either direct- ly or indirectly. It is therefore essential that Medicare be im- plemented in the best’ possible manner. : In this respect, Medicare in Saskatchewan was fortunate as it was initiated under the ban- ner of the then newly formed NDP, the political heir of the old CCF which had for years promoted the idea of prepaid medicine. The people of Quebec are less fortunate. For the decision to implement Medicare by July 1970 in Quebec comes through the Union Nationale govern- ment, which no doubt took the step reluctantly as its official position on Medicare was that Quebec “couldn’t afford _ it.” Added cost threats come from the time (two years ago) that rate was: Female 80 cents per hour, for male $1.05 (exper- ienced). No overtime before 48 hours. : The reasons for putting such a recommendation before the membership were given as: e@ General Instruments Ltd. has plants in Hong Kong, For- mosa, Portugal and the southern U.S.A. General Instruments has no stake in the community. The buildings and the land they are on are the property of Indus- trial Estates. G.I. can put their belongings on a couple of trucks and move them out of town whenever it chooses. The contract was accepted and now 7-800 Cape Breton workers are in direct competi- tion with workers in Hong Kong, Formosa, Portugal and the southern U.S.A. It is not known how many of the ILE.L. sponsored plants are in this favorable position but certainly the low labor rate, high’ unemployment and_ the willingness of IE.L. to supply buildings, provide ideal condi- ‘tions for any foreign firm which cares to take a flyer in produc- tion here with a minimum of investment and responsibility. Possibly because of the des- perate need for work and wag- es, and possibly because of its diversification, foreign control of the new industries is not a big issue here. There has been criticism of I.E.L. but it is main- the doctors, who in principle have accepted Medicare but are already laying the groundwork to bleed the plan for all it’s worth; and from the insurance companies’ determination to re- tain their monopoly, continuing to sell medical insurance even if the need for doing so has ceased to exist. Judging from the reports of different unions which have em- ployee medical insurance plans through their collective agree- ments, doctors are quietly ad- ding to their fess anywhere from 200 to 500 percent above what is suggested by the alrea- dy generous schedule of fees of the Quebec College of Physi- sians and Surgeons. Concerning the insurance companies themselves, the pre- sident of the Quebec Blue Cross was recently quoted as saying, “Even though Medicare is on the way in, Quebec Blue Cross won't be going out of business.” Here it should be recalled that the Blue Cross is a doctors’ as- sociation which is supposed to be non-profit. It has amassed profits of over $20 million, but it still pays as little as 10 per- cent of doctor fees in many cases! If allowed to go un- checked, it will rob the work- PACIFIC TRIBUNE - SEPTEMBER 26, 1969-——-PAGE 6 ly directed at Clairtone (elec- tronics) and Deuterium of Can- ada, both of which are crown corporations and both of which have cost the provincial treasu- ry millions of dollars. Deuterium’s heavy. -water plant at Glace Bay, built by an American company which has already cost almost ten times its original estimate, must now have alterations and repairs at a cost of $30 million, bringing the total cost of building to $135 million with no guarantee that heavy water will ever be produced by it. In view of such experiences it is not surprising that the Miche- lin deal, which is hailed as LE.L.’s “proudest achievement” is causing more concern than pride among the people. While I.E.L.’s activities will undoubtedly become an election issue no party has yet made an overall estimation of their long- term effect on the provincial economy. The trade union movement has gone along with the pro- gram, getting wage increases in some plants but settling for next to nothing in such plants as Clairtone and General Instru- ments. In Nova Scotia it is not fear of economic or political domi- nation, but the lack of invest- ment that might make for re- sponsibility, that makes foreign control of industry objection- able, at least for the present. In the meantime the main problem is still unemployment. ing class of its victory through excessive costs. Recently in the United States, cases were uncovered where in- dividual doctors had bled both the federal Medicare and Medi- care programs for sums ranging from $100,000 to $250,000 yearly. In order to assure the imple- mentation of Medicare in the best possible manner, both in costs and service, the trade unions must make known to the Quebec Federation of Labor and the Confederation of National Trade Unions their views on this subject, impressing on both labor centres the importance of a combined and united effort in order to forestall the reaction- ary aims of insurance companies and doctors, and to force the Quebec: government to imple- ment and control Medicare in the interests of the health of -Quebec’s people. How it is put into effect con- cerns the whole working class. Therefore, both labor centres must forget their differences, and become the force which not cnly unites the workers but will also attract the support of citizens’ groups and other de- mocratic forces. “A nation’s health is a nation’s wealth.” Plans to send hundreds from Michigan to the national peace march Nov. 15 in Washington were announced by the newly formed Detroit Coalition to End the War in Vietnam. Some 30 organizations have joined forces in the new coalition to support the drive in a score of US. ci- ties being coordinated nationally by the New Mobilization Com- mittee to End the War in Viet- nam. Fall plans were spelled out by the coalition’s co-chairmen, Jas. Lafferty, Prof. David Herreshoff and Carl Andreas. The Nov. 15 action, they said, will include a march from Ar- lington Cemetery to Washington Monument, with each participant bearing the name of a soldier killed in Vietnam. The Coalition chairmen were asked by a reporter: “What about the workers now working on war work? How do you intend to approach them? The answer was that they had no specific program but would leaflet the plants and that a la- No answers people in 6th By DON CURRIE The headlines in the capitalist press hailing the sixth annual report of the Economic Council of Canada predict great things ahead for the economy and a 35 percent increase in the stan- dard of living of Canadians by 1975. But the headlines don’t square with the fine print. The qualify- ing factors have to be carefully studied by the labor movement. The report admits frankly that Canada is virtually powerless to deal with inflation. The report points out that inflation is caus- ed mainly by the U.S. war of aggression in Vietnam and mo- nopoly profiteering which rose by 20 percent in 1968. The only solution offered by the report is advice to the government not to employ monetary restraints too harshly. On: the other hand the council predicts that govern- ment expenditures will rise by 37 percent by 1975 and warns | that cutbacks in current expen- ditures will have to be made by all three levels of government, increase efficiency or raise taxes. - This advice to the govern- ment, as if it were really needed since this is exactly what is be- ing done right now, runs smack into some other predictions by the Council that gravely threat- en the interests of the working people and poitn up the serious situation in the economy. The report predicts that edu- Peace march plannet for working cation costs will double by te bor committee had been ee The Detroit Coalition het formed some months a8° “is over 200 people came ‘0. Central Methodist Church 1? nat troit after only one lettél. ii, been sent out urging some ; be done to help end the W4 | An effort was made by ¥ the left forces to narrow dow fut role of the 200 people wh? tit! ed out by setting UP ® cog} group of only delegates fort organizations as the future oat This was defeated and the ® coalition was set up. thes? Unfortunately, some of sel ultra-leftists projected ther ik es in “spokesmen” roles © ig press conferences and ea out trade union spokesme? are part of the leadershiP: | jy: The co-chairmen omitté ai role of organized labor 40° fy nored the recent Allianc® iy: Labor Action conferene? jay Washington that adopted @* for peacetime jobs. cto A recent UAW political 4 one conference of 2,000 here Da the the ALA program on engine ig war and for peacetime pla" | ee annual report and that working people yi ed spending more than ever ™ Hou their children to school. % oy ing costs will replace £008 oft penditures as the num ene! outlay for working people: isis will be a major housing {0 two years if action isn’t 1° jw make housing available ! op income families. Price yep! consumer goods should be at 2 percent a year the — ‘ing warns. The report cai an price rises have been 4t in nual 3.5 percent. This Wi, td hard for the average wore swallow when he knows © 4 she price of food clothing 4" ter have gone much hig ; 3.5 percent in the last yea } The council report is 5° yet dling the fight against P™ 9, # It is against such ideas 3 aft guaranteed annual incom ad social welfare programs thot for “opportunity policl©? ap would increase the earnin& ; city of the poor.” ent” The separ warns that A “a ployment is a real dang?’