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' The federal government’s task
force on unemployment in-
surance is out, finally.

_ Accompanying its release - it
took the flourishing of a leaked
copy to the press by NDP leader
Ed Broadbent to force it into
public view - is a second task force
Teport on labor market
developments in Canada.

Employment and immigration
Minister Lloyd Axworthy’s sum-
Mary of the two reports in a glossy
Pamphlet ‘‘Are we ready to
change?’”’ not only confirms
Tumors of substantial ‘cutbacks
in UI, but gives a diabolical ra-
tionale for those cutbacks.
| _ “The (new UI) structure has

also been based on the assump-
tion that, in areas of chronically
high unemployment, there is a
need, not for higher and higher
levels of income transfers (UI
benefits), but for improved and
more innovative measures to pro-
Mote stable and long-term forms
of employment.”

In other words, the money sav-
ed by UI cutbacks, an estimated
$220 million, will be refunnelled
Into the governments various job
creation schemes.

United Fisherman and Allied
Workers’ Union welfare director.
Bert Ogden put it this way in an
interview with the Tribune Tues-
\day. ‘‘How many people will be

FRASER
VALLEY
PICNIC |

Aug. 23 .
Webster’s Corners
Hall, Maple Ridge

Celebrate 60
years of the
Communist Party

Ausp.: South, Eas L
Fraser Reg. cities’

( Federal task force report —
_ proposes more cuts in Ul

cut off UI to provide more jobs?
‘In addition, what will be the

ratio of newly created jobs to the —

people that are being cut off?

“It’s bloody well immoral to
expect the victims of unemploy-
ment to subsidize the govern-
ment’s employment projects.”

According to Ogden, the
theme that runs throughout the
entire UI task force report is,
‘how to save money.” ‘‘And if
you are successful at saving
money in a UI plan, that means
it’s coming off the backs of the
unemployed. It means that those
who are eligible to collect now,
won’t be eligible after the changes
go through.”

The biggest cutback comes in
the form of toughened up
eligibility requirements, which
will especially hit seasonal
workers. Those applying for UI
benefits will need 15 to 20 weeks
based on the regional rate of
unemployment compared to the
present requirement of 10 to 14
weeks for a minimum attach-
ment.

In B.C., which is considered a
high employment area, claimants
will need 20 insurable weeks
before they qualify for benefits.

“To justify the change, the
report notes that in order to
simplify or streamline the special
entrance requirements for new
entrants, re-entrants and

™ repeaters, ‘‘a single entrance re-

quirement applicable to all
claimants had to be devised.

“This should result in a signifi-
cant simplification and be more
equitable,” the report states.

Another change will be the
elimination of the current three
phases of UI collecting: the initial
benefit phase (one week benefit
for each insured week up to a
maximum of 25 weeks)’ labor
force attachment phase (one week
benefit for every two weeks of at-
tachment over 25 to a maximum
of 13 weeks); and regional phase
(two weeks benefits for every $5)
percent over the regional rate of
unemployment for a maximum
of 32 weeks.) :

Again, in the interests of

BERT OGDEN ... UI pro-

posals “immoral”

‘‘simplification,’’ the recom-
mended change to one benefit
collecting phase instead of three
includes the lopping off of an
average 10 weeks from the pre-
sent benefit period with its
various extensions.

The UI task force, in what
Ogden labelled ‘‘a vindictive
move and a bloody crime,” has
also recommended that the three
weeks UI benefits paid to workers
upon retirement be eliminated.

And for those who voluntarily
quit their jobs, and who are
presently penalized for doing so
by being disqualified from collec-
ting benefits for up to six weeks,
that disqualification period will
be doubled to.a maximum of 12
weeks. . oe

“Tt will have the effect of
chaining of workers to their
posts,’’ Ogden declared.

‘Tt’s obvious that the govern-
ment can Create all the jobs they
want without touching a penny of
the UI fund,’’ he concluded.

“‘They could begin by taking
the well over 5 billion spent on
arms this year and embark on a
conversion program to peace-
time uses. Then they could use the
endless reams of job creation pro-
posals submitted by the labor
movement, including a massive
housing construction program,
an upgraded coastguard, and so
on, and then wouldn’t it stand to
reason there would be far =

claimants?”

Your invited
to a special

in honor of |
the delegation

sister city of

Vancouver

$10 by reservation only
254-7678; 879-1905; 420-5866

Tribune

banquet, reception

from Vancouver’s

Odessa

Including the mayor and
representatives of Odessa who
will be guests of the city of

or from Co-Op Books, Pacific

Ivk

Sunday, Aug. 23
Cocktails 5:30 p.m.
Dinner 6:30 p.m.

CFU wants

Heinrich’s
resignation

The Canadian Farmworkers
Union this week angrily demanded
the resignation of Socred labor
minister Jack Heinrich after the
minister publicly declared that the
Socreds would not bring farm-
workers under minimum wage
legislation.

Heinrich stated on CJOR radio
Tuesday that if the weather was
poor and crops bad, and a picker
only picked three pounds in an
hour, that person should only be
paid according to quantity, ie. on
piece rate. ;

CLASSIFIED
ADVERTISING

COMING EVENTS

PORT ALBERNI
AUG. 8 - After the Comox demo,
come to a trout dinner at the
Moshers. Sun. Aug. 9. Turn off the
North-Port-Tofino Rd. at the mall
for 2 miles on Cherry Creek Rd.
Some. camper space availabie.

AUG. 8 — The Great Chilean Trio
Puelche IN CONCERT, 6 p.m. at
Tupper Secondary School, 419 E.
24th Ave., Van. :

AUG.:9 — SOLIDARITY CAFE —
5 p.m. to 7 p.m. crab and salmon
dinner; after 7 p.m. entertainment
and refreshments. At 7879 115 St.,
North Delta. For directions phone
585-9935 or 596-6022. Sponsored

““We aren’t going to change the™ by YCL.

law,”’ he added.

“The minister of labour
doesn’t know what he is talking
about,”’ said angry C.F.U. leader
Raj Chouhan. ‘‘Until he comes out
and works in the hot sun for $1.50
an hour, he shouldn’t be making
these kinds of statements. How is
anybody supposed to live on $1.50
an hour in this day and age. Mr.
Heinrich should know that this is
1981, not 1891.” .

- The union charged the minister
with ensuring starvation wages for
the very workers who are putting
food onto the province’s tables.
“Such callous indifference to
workers on the part of a minister of
labour requires an immediate
resignation,’’ said Chouhan. He

-added that the union plans to

follow through on its complaint to
the Human: Rights Commission
concerning the racist implications
of the ministry’s exclusion of farm-
workers from basic minimum wage

Chouhan said that ‘‘the vast ma-
jority of farmworkers in the Fraser
Valley have been making far below
the minimum wage. In fact, the
average wage for strawberry and
raspberry pickers has been around
$1.50 per hour.

‘‘We know of hundreds of cases
where farmworkers made as little
as $1.00 per hour,”’ said Chouhan.
‘“‘In a recent survey near
Aldergrove, the union found some
farmworkers earning only $4.50
for a day’s work as a direct result of
Heinrich’s minimum wage exclu-
sion for berry pickers.”

LABOR
PICNIC

Aug. 23
- 12-6 p.m.

(Trout Lake) _

@ Real Estate and Conveyancing
@ Divorce and Family Law

John Henry Park

Swimming — races — tug-o-war - volleyball
tournament - games - entertainment - food
-crib. Speaker: Jack Phillips.

In case of rain: Ukrainian Hall

Tis see See eee ee ee ee

RANKIN, ROBERTSON & DONALD

Barristers & Solicitors

3rd Floor, 195 Alexander St.
Vancouver, B.C. V6A 1N8

682-2781

Offers a broad range of legal services including:

@ Personal Injury and Insurance Claims

@ Labour Law
@ Criminal Law
@ Estates and Wills

AUG. 16 — COPE Garden Party, 2

p.m. at Rankin’s, 3570 Hull St. Van...

Dinner, refreshments, : .entertain-
ment. $5. Bring your own
lawnchairs. In case of rain, it will be
at the Russian Hall, 600 Campbell
Ave., All welcome.

AUG. 23 — Annual YCL Volleyball
Tournament will be held in conjunc-
tion with the Summer Labor Picnic.
Those who want to set up teams or
be on a team, should contact
Donalda at 254-9836.

AUG. 23 — SUMMER LABOR
PICNIC — 12 Noon — John Hen-
dry Park (Trout Lake). An event for
the whole family. Children’s games,
international food table, entertain-
ment, annual YCL invitational vol-
leyball tournament. Speaker: Jack
Phillips. Keep this day open for a
fine afternoon. If raining, picnic will
move inside the Trout Lake Com-
munity Centre. For more informa-
tion contact Betty Griffin, 988-2501,

Donalda Greenwell 254-9836 —

(days).

AUG. 30 — YCL Salmon Bar-B-Q
at Legebokoff’s, 3310 Cardinal Dr.,
Burnaby. Contests, swimming,
food, prizes, refreshments.

COMMERCIAL

CONDOR’S PAINTING & build-
ing maintenance. Free estimate.
Phone 433-1145. A progressive firm
owned and operated by Chilean
Canadians. Reasonable rates.

ELECTRICAL, plumbing, appli-
ance repairs. Don Berg. 255-7287.

ROOF REPAIRS — Reasonable.
New roofs and alum. gutters,
277-1364 or 277-3362.

GRAMMA PUBLICATIONS.
Complete printing services.
Brochures, menus, leaflets, etc.
Special rates for the progressive
movement. A union shop. 1595 W.
3rd Ave., Van. 733-6822.

LEGAL SERVICES

RANKIN, STONE, McMURRAY
& BOND, Barristers and Solici-
tors. 500 Ford Building, 193 East
Hastings St., Vancouver 682-7471.

HALLS FOR RENT

RUSSIAN PEOPLE’S HOME —
Available for rentals. For reserva-
tions phone 254-3430.

WEBSTERS CORNERS HALL —
etc. For rates: Ozzie, 325-4171 or
685-5836.

UKRAINIAN CANADIAN CUL-

TURAL CENTRE — 805 East

Pender St., Vancouver. Available

for banquets, weddings, meetings.
. 254-346.

Ph

PACIFIC TRIBUNE—AUG. 7, 1981—Page 7

SI oy) wins nea ieee

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