WORLD Dominica reels under ROSEAU, Dominica — It’s reported that when Chris- topher Columbus was asked to describe the mountain- ous island of Dominica after returning to Spain from his wanderings in the Caribbean back in the late 15th cen- tury, he crumpled up a sheet of parchment paper and threw it on the table. ‘It’s like that’’, he is said to have told his bankers. The mountains are still there — as the taxi ride over the central mountain range from the airport in the north to the capital, Roseau, in the south of the 290-square miles island will readily show. What has changed is the degree of exploitation of the island’s mostly Black population of 81,000 in one of the region’s most underdeveloped economies. Instead of being slaves and poorly paid workers, today’s Domini- cans continue to reel under “heavy manners’’ of the ruling Freedom Party of Prime Minister Eugenia Charles. A jobless level of 30 per cent-plus reflects what trade unionists refer to as the government’s anti-worker poli- cies. However, they are quick to add that it will all soon end. Speaking with the Tribune, Alex Gage, an organizer with the 4,000-strong Waterfront and Allied Workers Union (WAWU) said bluntly: ‘‘The government has no respect for the workers, for the unions, or for the people of Dominica. But it can’t last because we can only take so much.” Gage, whose union waged a successful campaign to unionize workers at the island’s Royal Bank branch five years ago, referred to retrenchment at such statutory bodies as the Water Authority and the Dominica Electri- cal Services. Indirect taxes such as a 50 per cent hike in drivers licence fees are also on the rise, he argued. Across the other side of the capital which was all but flattened during a devastating 1979 hurricane, General Secretary of the Dominica Farmers Union, Julian Pro- vost, charged that the ruling Freedom Party is “doing nothing”’ in regards to land reform in the banana and citrus fruit-producing agricultural country. He points out this is because most of the government MPs (they hold 16 of Parliament’s 21 seats) own the better part of the good arable land on the big plantations. ‘“How can they carry out meaningful land reform without affecting their own interests?’’, asks Provost, whose union represents over 40 per cent of small and medium farmers. Although banana production in Dominica (not to be confused with the Dominican Republic further north) jumped from 34,000 long tons in 1985 to 50,000 tons last “heavy manners” From the Caribbean Norman Faria year, the DFU explains that increased monies from ~ overseas sales has not reached the small farmers. Interestingly, the DFU has close links with the. Na- tional Farmers Union. Several Canadian farmers come to the island (which gained independence from the U.K. in 1978) every year to live up to six weeks with ordinary Dominican farmers. ‘‘We both face similar problems in terms of marketing, pricing and exploitation by trans- national corporations,’’ Provost commented. On the political front, the Charles administration ap- pears headed for certain defeat in national elections slated before 1989. Michael Douglas, head of the opposi- tion Dominica Labour Party told the Tribune that the ruling Freedom Party’s policies are ‘“‘Thatcher-like and - anti-people’’. He is also confident that with the comple- tion of the unifying of several opposition forces, includ- ing the Dominica Liberation Movement, the DLP will form the next government. Both Douglas and his brother and fellow-MP, Rosie (who was deported from Canada in 1976 for participating in the Sir George Williams sit-in), pointed to the Jan. 13 municipal vote in Paix Bouche where DLP-backed forces dealt the Freedom Party a stunning defeat. Rosie Douglas said he is so confident he is considering leaving the Paix Bouche seat to another DLP stalwart and runing against Charles in the Roseau Central riding “‘if the party remains strong’. Among the planks of the DLP platform are the build- ing of closer ties with non-aligned movement countries and the socialist community — a complete opposite to Charles’ staunchly pro-Washington policies. (She was at Reagan’s side when he announced the U.S. invasion of Grenada in 1983). In this regard, the DLP would like to see more links between the island’s trade unions and those from other countries, including Canada. The party recently joined with the influential National Workers Union in condemning the Charles government refusal of entry to a Soviet trade unionist last November. The unionist, representing the USSR trade union federa- Michael uglas tion, had been invited to Dominica by NWU head Rawl- ings Jemmont who attended a meeting of the World Federation of Trade Unions held in Moscow last year. If elected, the DLP plans to build an international airport close to the capital and institute immediate re- forms and assistance to the island’s 7,000 Native people, the Caribs, who today live in an impoverished reserve without electricity and with limited educational opportunities. Last month Carib chief Irvince Auguise served noticé the first Dominicans will press for a better deal, including control over all reserve land. -Chemobyl aftermath: steps. towards cooperation The USSR is taking additional steps to preclude Chernobyi-type accidents in the future. 8 e PACIFIC TRIBUNE, APRIL 1, 1987 MOSCOW (APN) — Five U.S. ex- perts have concluded that the Soviet nu- clear power facilities they visited earlier this month are safe. Speaking at a press conference here, Dr. Frederick Berthall, vice-president of the U.S. Nuclear Deregulatory Commis- sion, said the radioactive emissions from the damaged Chernobyl reactor were very low indeed, that the first and second reactors were operating at full capacity and the radioactive situation there was normal. The U.S. experts visited Chernobyl, the Zaporozhskaya nuclear power sta- tion in the Ukraine, a factory in Lenin- grad manufacturing heavy duty equip- ment for nuclear stations, and several research institutes. In the autumn, said Dr. Berthall, a group of Soviet experts will visit the U.S. where they will visit similar facilities, including Three Mile Island. The U.S. experts, who had travelled 130 kilometers by car from Kiev to Cher- nobyl, confirmed that all the villages out- side the 30 kilometer danger zone were ~ fully populated and appeared normal. At Chernobyl, they said, activity so far was limited. Some villages inside the’ zone were abandoned, but everywhere radia- tion levels were lower than the maximum permissible. While visiting the Chernobyl station, the Americans saw the first and second power units and the control room. They viewed the tomb covering the damaged reactor on video display screens and monitored the instruments installed both inside and outside the tomb. According to Dr. Berthall, though the Chernoby] reactors and those used in the United States and other countries are dif- ferent, the Soviet approach to nuclear plant safety was essentially the same as all over the world. Operating at Cher- nobyl are 1,000 MW, one loop uranium- graphite reactors equipped with a tested safety system protecting them from ex- ternal and internal influences. Presently, the USSR is taking addi- tional steps to preclude Chernoby]-type accidents in future. Among other things, it is building containment shells over the reactors and is introducing more efficien! methods of slowing down the nucleal reaction. Soviet officials attending the press conference said that the Chernobyl acc! dent was caused by breaches of safety procedures committed by station pel sonnel, and that several persons will be brought before the courts in Kiev soon: While not naming the individuals, the of ficials said most Chernobyl engineers and technicians have been replaced, an! that the former station director, chief et” gineer and several shift supervisors wer being held responsible. Most rank and-file personnel have gone back 10 their jobs. The third power unit, which is closes! to the damaged reactor, will be started uP in the second half of 1987. Constructio® work on the fifth and sixth power unit$ will begin soon. Dr. Berthall said that the visit was thé first and very efficient step toward both countries’ cooperation in nuclear safety, He said a document defining new areas 9 cooperation has been drawn up.