Government betrays CUPW LTE LTT TLL) ‘Bad faith’ says union By MIKE PHILLIPS TORONTO — Six months fol- lowing one of the dirtiest government-media gang-ups on a union in the history of the Cana- dian trade union movement, the Canadian Union of Postal Work-- ers find that the contract which it signed with the federal Post Office isn’t worth the paper it was written on. a. Almost from the day the con- tract was signed ending Canada’s longest postal strike, Post Office management has been violating practically every clause in the agreement in a concerted attempt to render the agreement mean- ingless. According to CUPW national vice-president Jean-Claude Par- rot, reports from only one of the four regions in which the union is organized shows a total of 1,300 grievances outstanding since the ratification of the contract in De- cember. With three other regions to report; Parrot estimates that the final count eventually could be in the neighborhood of 2,500. ‘“‘What we’ re faced with,”’ Par- rot told the Tribune, ‘‘is a con- certed campaign by the employer to use legal procedures on every contract dispute.”’ He indicated that this tactic by the Post Office management was designed to tie the union up in legal battles which are both costly and time consuming, in order to ignore the terms of the agree- ment. An example of the govern- ment’s flagrant disregard for the agreement was expressed in its open violation of the clause deal- ing with Technological Change — Article 29. This provision in the contract , requires that the Post Office.give detailed notification to the union of any technological changes, and also requires that these changes be negotiated with the union be- fore they are put into effect, to protect the livelihoods of the workers to be affected. In two cases heard by Public Service Staff Relations Board (PSSRB) Adjudicator Ed Jolliffe _ on May 18-21, involving charges that the Post Office had violated Article 29 in illegally implement- ing technological changes in Lon- don and St. John’s Nfld., the ad- judicator ruled that management had failed to meet its obligations under the collective agreement, however instead of ordering the GDR: progress, prosperity, peace, By FILS DELISLE Tribune Berlin Correspondent BERLIN — The Ninth Con- gress of the Socialist Unity Party (SED) has focused the attention of the world on the fact that the German Democratic Republic has completed five years of dynamic economic growth and will bring its people even greater prosperity and wellbeing by 1980. The delegates to the congress, and the people at large, took for granted the economic, political - and cultural advances reported to the congress. Erich Honecker, first secretary of the SED, was able to say that his report to the Congress had been accepted by . the delegates and the people as a whole ‘‘because the people have _ written it.” On every street, in every vil- lage, in es city, GDR citizens see all arotind them the better life that the last five years of socialist construction have brought. Towns and cities are changing rapidly in a vast program of reno- vation unknown in any capitalist country. There are more con- sumer goods in the stores. Everyone is earning more. There is more housing, with housing construction one of the central features of the new five year plan. There are educational oppor- tunities and jobs for everybody. There are no economic disloca- tions or crises. There is social security for the young and the aged. Income and pensions have gone up in the last five years, and will continue to do so. Newlywed Credit Newlyweds can get a credit of 10,000 marks with which to fur- nish their new homes. Others can get an astounding credit of 65,000 marks, with which to build their own homes on a private plot if they are ready to do the main work themselves, and many are prepared to do so. Because the Eighth Party Con- gress five years ago promised this better life, and implemented the promise, no one here doubts that the call of the Ninth Congress for a further dynamic improvement in every field will also be carried through. The Congress and the country as a whole accepted as self- proletarian internationalism evident the declaration of Prime Minister Horst Sindermann to the delegates that “‘the main objec- tive is the further raising of the material. and cultural standard of living of the people’’. To that end, he said, the national income will rise by 27 to 30% by 1980. In- dustrial production during the same period will rise by 34 to 36%. About 240 billion marks will be invested in the economy for modernization and expansion until 1980, whichis an increase ofa walloping 60 billion marks above the last five years. Upset by Reality This picture of solid advance, untouched by the paroxysms, the ups and downs of capitalist coun- tries, posed a dilemma for some of the more than 500 foreign corres- pondents. Some were upset or disorientated by the reality they saw here, which struck them as so different from the picture of the ‘‘grey, drab’? GDR always pre- sented in their publications. Some tried to master the facts of this socialist state that knows no crisis, that has confirmed its posi-. tion as one of the 10 leading in- dustrial countries in the world, and is now a regular member: of the international community, with diplomatic relations with 119 countries, instead of the 30 which acknowledged its existence only five years ago. Despite the disorientation an bafflement of many western jour- nalists, the success story of the German socialist state com- manded the serious attention of many leading publications all over the world. That this was not often ‘the case among some Goebbels- type journalists from the Federal Republic of Germany was no sur- prise to anyone. These had little to say about the Congress, lying - instead about the GDR itself in their reports. One. notable CIA-type of job was done by Ellen Lentz in a re- port to the New York Times. Paralleling some of the bunk about the GDR current in U.S. and Canadian commercial papers, Miss Lentz distinguished herself by writing in the Times that ‘‘the persisting controversies among Europe’s Communists PACIFIC TRIBUNE—JUNE 11, 1976—Page 8 over Moscow’s claim to sole leadership of world communism overshadowed proceedings at the Ninth Congress of the East Ger- man (meaning, GDR) Party Con- gress’’. Observers here saw three major lies in this single sentence. Firstly, there were no ‘‘persisting controversies’’ here, as every- body present could see. Second- ly,\‘‘Moscow’s claim to sole lead- ership of world communism”’ is a stale and stupid myth tirelessly circulated by the CIA and its agents masquerading as jour- nalists in various parts of the world. Thirdly, the two things which did in fact dominate the Ninth Congress were the solid advances recorded by the GDR, unmatched by any capitalist . country in the same period, and the demonstration of interna- tional solidarity in the communist and workers’ movement of the world. One of the striking features of this congress was the presence of 103 delegations from Communist, Workers’, Socialist, Social Democratic, National Liberation and other parties from abroad. These delegations, in the speeches. of their leaders, made the congress a sounding board of internationalism, solidarity and fraternal collaboration between the various parties seeking pro- gress and socialism all over the world. ; This tendency was so strong in the speeches of foreign delegates that even the New York Times had to admit that the delegate of the French CP, Paul Laurent, told the Congress: ‘“‘Differences of opinion that exist between Com- munist Parties can under no cir- cumstances be allowed to form an obstacle to joint action against imperialism and the proclaiming of joint goals.”’ In. actual fact, Workers’ and Communist leaders from every continent brought the message of internationalism and solidarity to the Congress. And Erich Hon- ecker drew thundering applause from everyone present when he declared that the slogan of his Party and the GDR was: ‘*Socialist patriotism and proleta- rian internationalism.” employer to comply, Jolliffe did nothing. What hurt most as far as the union was concerned, is the fact that Article 29 came from the Moisan Conciliation Board Re- port. Mackassey at the time of signing said that it was a fair basis for settlement of the automation dispute and signed article 29 on behalf of the Post Office Depart- ment, the Treasury Board, and the government. The situation now with Article 29 is that it is being violated with tacit approval of the PSSRB. The union’s tactics at this stage are to make as many people aware of the situation as possible so that pressure can be put on the Post- master General to force the higher officers of the Post Office Depart- ment to comply with the agree- ment. In this regard the union is presently and will continue in. the future to sponsor educational seminars for its members to keep them informed of these develop- ments and to discuss ways and means of bringing the question to the forefront of public scrutiny. In addition, the union held a press conference June 3 in which it outlined the many areas of the contract where the employer was not living up to the agreement. © Union officials are not talking _ Office to comply with the agi term, never coming out of # of the possibility of direct actid in the line of a strike at this ti prefering to take their case to public in the hope that in this W4 sufficient pressure can be put? the government to force the FO ment before it is too late. Job security was another hot sue in the recent negotiations, 2 — the Post Office agreed that s# would not be reduced arbitral) but that whatever staff cuts wow” occur, would take place throug! process of attrition. Instead # Post Office has initiated what) calls term employment. 1 means that people are hired by?) ~ department to work for a spec! probationary period of empld ment, never enjoying full unl rights, and consequently not ® ing subject to the provisions of contract. Clearly the Post Office is out! destroy the collective.agreeme Expressing the frustration working under those conditio®) Parrot told the Trib: ‘*Un@ normal conditions it is © employer’s job to implement ® terms of the collective agreem® and the union’s job to police) We are in the position now whey we have to fight just to get") agreement implemented.”’ ~ CP plenum prepares; convention document TORONTO — The Central Committee of the Communist Party of Canada met on May 28- 30 and worked out a major docu- ment for the guidance of the 23rd CP Convention scheduled for October. | Party leader William Kashtan presented a draft resolution which was then discussed and amended to serve as the basis of discussion by Party members across the country during the months be- tween now and the Convention, as is Communist Party practice. A number of resolutions, passed at the meeting, dealt with both immediate concerns and with long-range Party policy. The Central Committee noted the con- solidation of many of the pro- posals laid down at its previous meeting in January. It sharp- ened its directives for carrying . forward Party policy on many fronts, including labor, culture, work among women, building of the Young Communist League, and launched new efforts toward building an anti-monopoly coali- tion across Canada, aimed at changing government policy in -the interests of the working people. ; One of the meeting’s fitst acts was to pass aresolution calling for actions to free Chilean political prisoners held by the fascist junta. The main document under dis- cussion took note of promising changes internationally, yet em- phasized the need for continued efforts to defend peace, such as circulating the Stockholm Appeal for disarmament. It reviewed the Canadian scene, situating the Communist Party in the rapid events around labor’s fight-back against controls, and opposition to monopoly power in Canada. It looked at New Democratic Party policies in relation to grow- ing labor militancy and, under ‘working-class and democratic unity,’’ debated the Communist role in today’s fast-moving events. It presented an alternative ‘program to the crisis policies | - finish, had as one of its duties: | ‘Youth Festival, tobe heldinY 4 _ monopoly WILLIAM KASHTAN | monopoly, which will be P lished for discussion in the ® future. 4 And, on the decisive quest”, of the building and ideolo#!) strengthening of the Commu!) Party, the wider disseminatio# its press and the expansion off | Young Communist League; | draft resolution set out objec!) on the basis of increasing int) in and respect for Comml) policies in the labor movel™ and beyond it. This Central Committee ™} ing, which brought together *) ing Communists from many Pi) of Canada, and which retaine®) confident buoyancy from s' +f formulation of a document “) Democratic People’s Cultll) which sets forth the Commi!) Party’s views and propos this vital and threatened field} In endorsing the 11th Wy in 1978, the meeting pledg@7 help in ensuring Canadian p? f pation reflecting the broad, ®} imperialist youth movement Canada. ; In his closing remarks, Wi!) Kashtan said that ‘‘we are €? ing: a period when the laws | monopoly and of capitalis™ 7 working in our favor . . .’’ Hé that conditions are maturing f f major counter-offensive a8* | and monoFy) power.” y | rn