VOL. 20, NO. 1
FRIDAY, JANUARY 6,

VAMDUVER, B. C,

1961

Belgian workers fight
new austerity’ plan

Over Christmas and New Year week mighty struggles

gripped Belgium. At its height a few days ago no less than
three-quarters of a million workers were out on a protest

Strike.

Key industries. such as Min-
ing, railroads, gas and @lec-
tricity, port, engineers, textile
and other workers are inyoly-
ed. Called by the Socialist-jeq
General Federation of Labor
(Belgium’s CLC) there are few
industries which have not hbeen
affected.

‘Cause: the government of
Premier M. Eyskens’ “auster-
ity program.” Aim of the pro-
ram is to load the loss of rev-
enues sustained in the Congo
on the backs of the people and
help Belgian’ monopolies re-
coup their lost profitsfrom the
pay envelopes and living stan-
dards of the Belgiay workers.

‘The « Belgian © gOvVernment’s
“austerity” proposals _ would
increase taxation: Upon the peo-
ple to the tune. of $123 million’
dollars; while: social: and ‘other
essential servicés jffecting the
workers would bé@ cut by $198
million, thereby placing intol-
erable burdens upon the work-
ing class.

In key centreslike Antwerp,
Liege, Brussels}; Ghent, Mons
and others, tremendous pro-
est demonstrations: have .been
Staged. These have been met
with unprecedented police and
military terror, Fire hoses, tear
8as bombs, club and sabre-
Swinging police, plus mass ar-
rests of communist, socialist
&hd trade unjon leaders. Un-
pemmied, wees in the face

of government terror and bru-
tality, the Belgian protest
strike remains solid.

The British Daily Worker
sums it up this way: “Belgium
is once again showing that the
colonial peoples and the work-
ing people in the imperialist
countries have common inter-
ests and common enemies. The
same power which sought to
bleed the Congo white, is now
turning its savagery upon its
own working class.”

At press time the situation
in many Belgian centres was
reported “‘quieter,’”’ but it could
be the ‘‘quiet” before a greater
storm if the Eyskens govern-
ment fails to heed the just de-
mands of Belgium’s “working
‘people.

The Greater Vancouver Council of the B.C. Federation of

i usicinployed has called for a mass demonstration at City Hall on

Tuesday, January 10.

Preliminary to the jobless
march to City Hall; a mass
rally will be held in the Pender
Auditorium, beginning at 12:30
p.m., to hear the outline of an
Unemployed Council brief
which will be presented to city
council.

Pat O’Neal, secretary of the
B.C, Federation of Labor, will
be the main speaker at the
rally. Andy Brogan, unemploy-
ed organizer, will report on un-
employed organization and
Eric Waugh, chairman of the
Greater Vancouver Council of
the B.C.F.U., will report for all
unemployed committees.

The unemployed brief to
city council will reiterate de-

mands for a moratorium
against all seizures of unem-
ployed workers’ homes and
other properties; a halt to the
practice of cutting off electric-
al services from unemployed
homes for non-payment of
bills.

These and other issues will
be raised, as well as the cen-
tral demand that governments
at all levels begin a serious

tackling of programs to pro-
vide work and wages, in lieu
of usual promises and “sympa-
thy’, which, as many jobless
workers put it, “just gives us
the run-around.”

The BCFU has also request-
ed the backing of the Vancou-
ver Labor Council in its efforts
to win recognition in its repre-
sentations before civie Social
Service Committee on behalf
of its members. During recent
weeks such representation has
been denied the Unemployed
Council by the city’s Social
Services Committee.

BCFU officials appeal to all
Vancouver unemployed to turn
out to this meeting and démon-
stration on January 10° and
make it a‘signal success in the
1961. struggle for work and
wages. ;

‘Canada Must Act In Laos”

A demand that Canada face up to its responsibility as a member of the Laos truce
supervisory commission was made Tuesday by the Communist Party of B.C.

Pointing to the serious crisis
in Laos arising from U.S. ac-
tion, the Communist Party in
a wire to Prime Minister Dief-
enbaker said:

“Canadians gravely alarmed
over U.S. action in Laos which
threatens world peace. Canada
has a special responsibility in
the Laos crisis as a member of
the truce supervisory commis-
sion with India and Poland.

“We urge the federal govern-
ment to immediately concur
with suggestion of India gov-
ernment that the commission
be called together to enforce
the 1954 agreement.”

The wire also demands ‘that

“Canada repudiate the..U‘S..

US. breaks with Cuba in
prelude for new attacks

New danger of U.S. intervention in Cuban affairs was
seen this week with the announcement Tuesday night

that the U.S. had broken off diplomatic and consular re-

lations with Cuba.

The U.S. action:came on the eve of the debate in the (1
United Nations on Cuban charges that the U.S. was pre-|

paring a military attack.

solidarity from all unions.

As the PT went to press the Vancouver Longshore-
men’s Union received a cable from the executive com-
mittee, Cuban Confederation of Labor, appealing for help
to stop imminent American aggression and appealed for

military alert which creates an
explosive situation in South-
east Asia.”

The crisis in Laos reached
the danger point Monday with
a U.S. announcement that it is
stepping up its military activ-
ities. Meanwhile. the Soviet
Union and China have warned
of the serious consequences of
U.S. intervention and have
called for an international con-
ference to “put out the fire.”

Although the 1954 Geneva
agreement on Laos binds all

signatories, including thd U.S.
to refrain from any interfer-
ence in its domestic affairs,
the U.S. in the last six years
has poured $233 million’ worth
of military aid into Laos. This
was in direct contravention of
the Geneva agreement.

The U.S. action.in Lags has
been openly admitted to be an
attempt to set up a pro-U:s.
government in Laos and to
turn the country. -into aj base

against its socialist neig&bors.

SPOTLIGHT ON ALGERIA

AC

is
A

Oasis Pi Kufra

‘
Beate i.

is eeudie’ s plebiscite on Algeri

&.. seme —

LFRENCH WEST ALRioR

ia is i be held this weekend,

The Algerian government-in-exile has called on Algerians

to boycott the vote.

Tim Buck 70th Birthday Celebration

SATURDAY, JANUARY 14 — 7 P.M.

RUSSIAN PEOPLES HOME
~ (600.

Campbell Ave.)

For Tickets Phone MU 4-1451

IN ieee alee

eae rere

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