EDITORIAL Ottawa schemes fail jobless Unemployment is all too easily turned into a statistic. Instead of people denied liveli- hoods, it comes out as 1.5 million, or the of- ficial rate — 8.6% of the workforce. But un- less it is seen for what it is, a chronic feature of monopoly capitalism, inflicted by the system, and not the fault of the worker individually or collectively, it can undermine workers’ self-confidence. Unless it is recognized as class society’s way of making workers pay for the system’s failures, it can shatter any belief for the future. The nagging reality of unemployment, when you experience it, could be crushing — without the collective workers’ understand- ing of how to fight its source. All the more hypocritical then, and base, are the efforts of the corporations, their governments and their media to put the blame for depression conditions on workers and their unions. Into the same category must go the three-ring circus of government schemes for so-called job creation. Employment Minister Lloyd Axworthy’s latest is a $200-million scheme to provide 27,000 “temporary” jobs (an average of six months) in forestry and fisheries, with pro- vincial co-operation. What evasion of respon- Too much missing No matter what the trappings and glitter afforded it by the Queen’s visit, this pseudo constitution remains unacceptable as it stands. It clearly does not include or acknowledge the French Canadian nation. The Canada Bill, as it was known in the British parliament where the British North America Act underwent the change to a patched-up BNA Act, was approved by the House of Lords on March 25, having cleared the House of Commons earlier. It was an- nounced on March 29 that Queen Elizabeth had given royal assent. If all of that is relevant — and who says it is? — it would have been more relevant for the Canadian people through their organizations to participate in shaping a genuine con- stitution for Canada. Instead it was a political deal among Liberal, Tory, Social Credit and New Democratic administrations, with over- tones of racism, chauvinism and sexism.’ The fanfare will rise and fall, a long fight will ensue to achieve a genuine Canadian constitution whose central theme is a united Canada with equal rights to our two nations, and with democratic rights guaranteed for all. Flashbacks 25 years ‘ANTI-BOMB CRUSADE | World opposition to H-bomb destruction will reach a dramatic climax in an all-Pacific crusade against the hydrogen bomb as the Japanese Council against the atomic and hydrogen bombs plans to send a ship on tour of the Pacific. It will pick up anti-H-Bomb crusaders in Hawaii, Sydney, Jakarta, Singapore, Saigon and Shanghai. The ship will bring them to Japan for a world-wide conference against H-bombs in Tokyo on August 6, anniversary of the American atom-bombing of Hiroshima. It will also pass through the Christmas Island test area and stage a demonstration there, and a Council official said more than 200 Japanese have volunteered to board the vessel. Despite five appeals to Britain, including a personal visit by an emissary of the Japan- ese Prime Minister, London has refused to cancel its test. Tribune, April 8, 1957 PACIFIC TRIBUNE—APRIL 9, 1982—Page 4 sibility when basic, drastic measures are cal- led for! (It might also be asked to what extent these jobs are to try to offset the ruination and pollution inflicted by corporations.) The government is also proud of its share- the-misery plan with employers cutting work weeks (and payrolls) instead of laying off, with UI paying for the no-work days. That’s not the workers’ fault; they are the victims. It is the fault of a system which cannot reconcile its basic drive, exploitation of the workers, with the real world of 1982. If facts are inspected, only the socialist sys- tem has given proof (in the USSR about 50 - years of it) that it can provide gainful employment to every person who wants a job. What about a system that won’t provide jobs — and jobs at rates sufficient to buy necessities and plan a rising standard of life? In all developed capitalist countries workers are fighting for every inch of gain. To do so they must be united or be picked off part by part as Ottawa is trying to buy off the un- employed. Back real steps to arms cuts The kind of policy which can best serve Canada and her people is one that opens the - way to step by step, orderly withdrawal from the brink of world nuclear war. That is not a policy being followed by the USA. It is the policy being advocated by the USSR for mutually agreed upon action. The deceitful mouthings of U.S. president Reagan, devoid of any will for disarmament, aim to mislead people in countries, such as Canada, allied to the reactionary Reagan line. Every proposal of the Soviet Union to les- sen tension and gradually reduce armaments is rejected by Washington, whose global strategy is to make imperialism supreme at any price. No one in Canada but a few monopolists can gain by such foolish and dangerous de- lusions. Canada should press for renewal of Strategic Arms Limitation Talks (SALT) which the USA sabotaged, because Canadian lives are at stake. . The federal government should applaud the Soviet moratorium on deployment of its medium-range arms in European USSR: its freezing of such arms already there, and sus- pension of replacement of the SS-4 and SS-5 with the newer SS-20. These are deeds, re- ena deeds by the other side so that urther steps can be taken. They are deeds 50 years OSHAWA WAGE CUTS OSHAWA —A 10% wage cut affecting both piece workers and those paid hourly was announced by General Motors here today. This cut comes at a time automobile workers are ina most desperate plight due to long periods of un- employment and when many of them are losing their homes which they bought during periods of “prosperi- ty”. General Motors still possesses millions which it de- rived from these workers, but it is they who are now being made to bear the whole brunt of the present Crisis. This cut is but one of the many wage-slashing cuts - throughout all the principle industries excepting only those where militant, Workers’ Unity League leader- ship is to be found. Oshawa workers showed their metal during the 1928 strike — it will be surprising if they accept this cut in docile fashion. : The Worker, April 9, 1932 . clear wasteland. = 2 i a s I 4&3 : \. A : ) qu woRKERS fe) ‘ HALF-TIME : PW Ne — = oe Noo oi CY MORRIS ee aiks bc) JACOB, BURCK OROMI2. which can save Canada from becoming a nu Instead of clinging to Reagan’s war drivé Canada should get out of NATO and NORAD, declare this country a_nucleal weapons-free zone, and make a real contr bution to a peaceful future. The Oshawa Group Ltd., Toronto, made a tidy after-tak profit in the 52 weeks ended Jan. 23, of $15,310,000. That up from $13.5-million a year earlier, and $8.5-million thé year before that. The OG is in wholesale/retail food, a" operating drug and department stores (Towers) and col venience stores and gas bars. Convenient. Editor — SEAN GRIFFIN Assistant Editor — DAN KEETON Business and Circulation Manager — PAT O'CONNOR Published weekly at Suite 101 — 1416 Commercial Drive. Vancouver, B.C. V5L 3X9. Phone 251-1186 ‘Subscription Rate: Canada $14 one year; $8 for six months. All other countries: $15 one year. Second class mail registration number 1560 60 years DECADES OF FAILURE aa The ruling class seems to be utterly incapable of learning anything from experience or the teachings? history. Ghandi, the advocate of bloodless revolutio® in India, has been: sentenced to six years’ impriso™” ment. | The same policy of repression was followed for ce™ turies in Russia and Ireland, with the inevitable resull of failure. But even with these outstanding examples before their eyes, the insensitive imperialists of Brita? think they can keep India, Egypt and South Africa” perpetual subjugation by terrorism. ” If every “agitator” were hanged or shot tomorrow the same conditions which produced them woul speedily develop a new crop of revolutionaries to ta® their place. As the Toronto Star writes: There is 1 cipient revolution in South Africa, Egypt is dissaffe’ | } ed and there’s infinite trouble in India. The Worke® | April 14, 192