EDITORIAL

Labor unity May Day call

All over the world working people
celebrate May Day, and renew their de-
dication to international labor solidarity,
and unity of all workers. With this one-
ness, working people can advance; with-
out it every effort will be used to divide
and conquer them.

In’ Canada, the question of workers’
rights comes to the fore. They are battl-
ing, in the first place, for the right to life
— in the face of reckless nuclear provo-
cation by the USA, to which the capitalist
system ties us.

Workers are fighting hard for the
right to jobs — jobs being destroyed by
deliberate de-industrialization of
Canada by U.S. branch-plant shutdowns
— with the complicity of Canadian
governments — jobs destroyed by
technological ae at workers’
expense, and by lack of working-class
buying power due to the assault of living
standards.

Workers are fighting for affordable
housing, either individual houses (and

there is nowhere else for families with
children), or apartments whose rents are
soaring out of reach.

Working-class families are fighting for.
proper educational content for their
children, and for daycare for the

younger ones.

And, of course, workers, men and
women alike, are refusing to retreat on
demands, not only for “equal pay for
work of equal value”, but for access by
women to the full range of employment
opportunities.

Around all these questions is the cry-
ing need for labor unity, a solid front, in
step with the broadest sections of Cana-
dian democratic expression — ousting
racism, rejecting police arbitrariness,
demanding the human rights (including
human rights for Native people).

The period following this May Day isa
time for workers to make unity more
than a word, and. united, to win the
tough battles ahead.

Native claims vs pipeline

Can there be a more treacherous de-
ception than that ak aaa against the
Native people by Ottawa’s pushing
through of its tricky Bill C-48 — the
Canada Oil and Gas Act?

Can the Native people of the Macken-
zie Valley — and any others who. are
observing it — ever trust any capitalist
SRS The almighty dollar is the

eity of the corporate exploiters and

_ their loyal government henchmen alike.

In the first place, Ottawa appointed a
commission headed by Mr. Justice
Thomas Berger in 1974, to recommend
on building or not building a pipeline
through the Mackenzie River Valley.
Berger, in 1977 strongly opposed it —
calling for a 10-year moratorium, and
insisting on resolution of Native land
claims before any oil corporation may
start pumping oil from the north.

In the second place, federal govern-
ment spokesmen are at this moment in
the midst of negotiations with the Dene
people on this issue. The negotiations
are not through, and yet they are making
a deal with a U.S. multi-national at the

expense of Native people’s rights.

If Energy Minister Lalonde and In-
dian and Northern. Affairs Minister
Munro expect people to believe that
their concern for Native rights rises
above their service to monopoly
capitalism, they had better see to it that
Native claims receive priority.

Southern Canadians need to wake up
fast to the realization that while re-
sources and ecology are being sold out
under the feet of the Native people, eco-
logical and social disaster is being built
into Canada’s heritage.

While the Liberals drape themselves in
the flag of Canadianization they are pre-
pared to sacrifice northern people to
satisfy multi-national. intruders. The
question is, are Canadians in their mil-

lions, trade unionists who know about -

divide and rule tactics, conservationists,
New Democrats, democratic people in all

walks of life, willing to let the big business |

government commit crimes on the pre-
text that they only harm the Native
people. The truth is that these injustices
are a threat to all.

Independence for Namibia

At first glance it might seem that it is
entirely a colonialist mentality that drives
the governments of Britain, France, the
USA, West Germany and Canada (the
so-called contact group) to drag their
feet and deliberately prevent the inde-
pendence of an African country,
Namibia. There is undoubtedly an ele-
ment of that, since racism is part of the
“control” system of the ruling class in the
majority of these countries.

But it is more. These countries, which
are interfering in the United Nations
clear call for independence for Namibia,
from the illegal military occupation by
apartheid South Africa, are imperialist
cohorts of the racist Pretoria regime.
They are all part of the same club.

So they believe that as in South Africa
(where 4.5 million whites have just re-
elected the apartheid regime, while 20

million Blacks are denied the vote), in
PACIFIC TRIBUNE—MAY 8, 1981—Page 4

Namibia, the imperialist powers in
league with the 11% who are white, and
with South African storm troopers, can
preserve a grip on the uranium and
diamonds of Namibia.

While there is a good chance the
majority in the 15-member UN Security
Council would vote sanctions against
South Africa’s racist.government for its
military hijacking of a whole country, the
USA, Britain and France would be ex-
pected to veto such a move against their
‘partner. ~ 2

If the Government of Canada had a
shred of decency it would raise a cry that
would be heard and acted upon
throughout the world. Since the big bus-
iness rulers of Canada lack that shred of,
decency, it is up to the people of Canada
to lay it on the line: get Pretoria’s troops

out of Namibia; give Namibia its inde-

pendence!

Sinking!

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Flashbacks

25 years ago... 50 years ago...

BUILD GAS LINE
AS PUBLIC UTILITY
“Control of Canada’s
economic lifelines should be in
Canadian hands,” delegates

_ attending the Canadian Labor

Congress convention declared
in a resolution on the Trans-
Canada gas pipeline. ;

Building of the line as a
publicly-owned utility and
distribution of gas under public
ownership was approved by the
delegates.

The resolution drew attention
to the long delay being oc-
casioned by hearings of the Fed-
eral Power Commission in the
US.

It urged a public ownership
plan because the pipeline
scheme “is dominated by Ameri-
can capital and will be operated
chiefly for the benefit of the
American industries at the ex-
pense of Canadians.”

; The Tribune,
May 7, 1956

i y Profiteer of the week

TRIAL OF FOUR
WORKERS HELD

The trial of four Timmins
comrades including A.T. Hill
who were charged with breaking
a town bylaw when they de-
monstrated last month has gone
to court. The comrades de-

fended themselves with Com- —

rade Hill as their spokesman
who protested the bylaw and
demanded the right of workers
to parade and speak.

There is a growing police ter-
ror developing in Timmins.
Speaking or parading on the
streets without a permit has been

forbidden; the capitalist press is

working up a hysteria against
the reds and particularly attack-
ing the foreign born workers.
The fascist Canadian Legion is
being organized to smash up
theetings of workers.

The Worker,

May 5, 1931

Car drivers have noticed how the price of gasoline keeps creep-
ing up at the pumps. We all know that it’s because the federal
government Is bleeding the oil corporations, so they have to beg
from us to survive. So not to shatter this dream we won't tell you
that Shell Canada Ltd., made an after-tax three-month profit

(Jan.-Mar.) of $89,000,000.

===

Editor — SEAN GRIFFIN
Associate Editor — FRED WILSON
Business and Circulation Manager — PAT O'CONNOR

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