2nd Issue June, 1961 WESTERN CANADIAN LUMBER WORKER Israel Report | Editor's note: Arthur Turner, CCF-MLA for Vancouver-East has just completed an extensive tour of Israel a of the Western Canadian Lumber Work nd the Middle East. The following is the first ports on-his impressions of Israel. The re will of a series of re- be arated in succeeding issues by Arthur Turner, MLA “Ts Israel ov er-organized?” is a question I asked myself after a week of inquiry and visits to some of the many institutions and divisions of the economy associated with the Histadrut (Federa- tion of Labour). One soon realizes that a comparison with Canada cannot give the answer. The major difference between Israel and other countries is one of background. Histadrut began 40 years ago in a country with little but sand, swamps and malaria, and where co-operation was essential to survival. That was 28 years before the pres- ent state of Israel was born. That co- -operation and pioneering is re- {fected in the complex and efficient organizations functioning htre in 1961. Histadrut is not only a power- ful labour body determining wages, ete., but actually is the most import- ant factor in the economy of the country. Rederatior of Labour Tf I could describe it in terms of Canadian equivalents, I would say that Histadrut is a Federation of Labour plus Credit Unions, a Work- ers Bank, an Industrial Development 3Zank, Workers and Working Wo- mens Councils, Student and Youth Organizations, Agricultural Settle- ments and Collectives, Producer, Wholesale, Retail and Marketing Co- operatives, a number of industries large and small, an immigration de- partment, to assist settlers. This department is administered in co-operation with the government. They also operate a huge contract- ing business in the building trades. Added to all this is a comprehensive health plan run entirely by the Hist- adrut with its own 950 clinics as well as hospitals and convalescent homes. About two-thirds of the population are covered in the health plan because membership in Histadrut is volun- tary. When a person joins he auto- matically becomes a member of the pene pante union and is covered by the pla eek. are paid according to income and are divided into various funds. Membership fees to the Health Plan cover about one-half of the sick fund budget. Some employers contribute under collective agreements. Govern- ment pays less than 10 per cent of the total. drut Membership Histadrut membership includes doc- tors, nurses, laboratory workers, pharmacists, and technicians as well as wage workers and farmers. They have been largely responsible for promoting advanced labour legisla- tion. One interesting statute is the Collective Agreements Law (1957) which empowers the Minister to ex- tend the standard of working condi- tions set in collective agreements to enterprises which have not yet sign- ed the agreement. articular interest is that a union Bry framing its demands must submit them to the main body, the Federation, to get sanction to go into collective bargaining. The decision as to whether a union shall proceed is determined by relating the demands te the national economy. If, in the opinion of the main’ body the economy can afford the proposed changes, then sanction is given. This may sound strange to us but it must be kept in mind that Histadrut is a democratic organization composed only of persons who work and their first concern is to build an economy and a nation, to raise living stand- ards as productivity increases, and as far as possible, to distribute fairly the nation’s wealth. Political Ticket Another unusual practise is that candidates for workers councils and trade union bodies run on a political party ticket exactly as for election to government. Histadrut could be described almost as a ‘state within a state.’ It retains harmonious relations with the gov- ernment although differences are aired concerning jurisdictions. Its headquarters in Tel Aviv is an im- posing, modern, and beautifully fur- nished building. In another part o the city they own a large up-to-date restaurant and auditorium. There are also many workers councils’ build- ings. training. g- they had been unable to find jobs. Prisoners May Qualify Three thousand prisoners of Ontario’s jails may be made eligible for job retraining under the federal-provincial Vocational Training Act. Ontario Reform Institutions Minister George Wardrope said he has asked the Department of Education to qualify the prisoners for such Wardrope said that many of the inmates had never had proper academic or technical education. Many of these were in jail because Employment Closes Oe The West German government employment insurance fund. It doesn’t know what to do with all the money it has collected. Unlike the Canadian government, which is threatened by a bankrupt jobless fund, the Bonn administra- tion is threatened by a surplus—no one is making any claims for unem- ployment insurance. The fund has already accumulated funds of $1,120,000,000. Because less than one-half of one percent of the working force is out of work, very little of the fund has been going out. So, on Aug. 1, all unemployment insurance contributions will cease in West Germany for a six-month per- z In Canada the government is ex- ected to raise the contributions of employed workers to this country’s fund. The move is needed, govern- ment spokesmen say, because so many people have claimed jobless in- surance in the past three years. Whats New For You BOARDROOM BABBLE is more intelligible with a new miniature hearing aid. About the size of a thimble and weighing only % oz., it fits inside the ear. Powered by a bat- tery no bigger than a headache pill and fitted with sensitive volume con- trol, it has no cords, wires or tubes. Designed for borderline cases of deaf- ness, it is meant for occasional use, to be carried in pocket or purse and popped into the ear when needed. Made in the U.S., and available in Canada. Cost, ee fitting, bat- teries, etc.: $319 * * * COMFORTABLE LUNG. Arti- ficial respirator, made largely of aluminum, lets polio patients sit ua or lie down. A braking device locks the cabinet in any position and a panel allows access to the patient’s back for physiotherapy. * * * FASTER RECORDING of indus- trial processes—such as changes in temperature and pressure — results from a new German-designed system. Changes are plotted in the usual way by means of a stylus, but the con- ventional continuous roll of graph paper is replaced by individual cards fed constantly into the recording machine.. When the information has been recorded on the cards, they are assembled and passed through a per- forating machine, with the position of the perforations corresponding to WEARY FIREFIGHTER taken from his ie to fight fi fire surveys Metis rebut bl Id fire less than 200 yards from main blaze. hile this is an o this scene wil repeated in the years to come here in British Columbia unless greater precaution is taken by all of us. Photo Courtesy The Province the outline of the graph. Advantage, say the designers, is that it cuts out the step of taking average values from a continuous chart and trans- ferring ae to punched cards, * TINY TV camera for closed-cir- cuit filming is small enough to “shoot” the interior of a 3-in. pipe, claims the U.K. manufacturer. Available in Canada, the camera measures 9 in. from lens mount to backplate, 3 in..in diameter and uses a l-in. vidicon tube. No ventilation holes are necessary, so dust cannot enter the camera, it’s salts * WIRELESS, REMOTE CON- TROLLED slide projector, can be operated from distances of more than 40 ft., says manufacturer. Small hand unit sends out two ultrasonic waves of slightly different frequencies—one to focus the lens, the other to trigger the slide advance mechanism. Price in Canada ee projector and con- trol): $299.95 PURE WOOL, Aes with a new chemical process, is said to resist wrinkles and bagginess as effectively as synthetic fibres. Clothes made of the fabric stretch to accommodate the wearer’s movements, but spring back holding their original press in- definitely, say developers. The wool cloth is shrunk to a predetermined size and then treated with a substance somewhat similar to that used in beauty parlors for permanent waves. * * * DRUMMER’S DREAM is a new plastic material for drumheads. Un- like animal skin, it retains “perfect tension” and is unaffected by humid- ity, says the manufacturer. Since it “floats” on the drum shell (does not lie as close to the wooden hoop below the drumhead as animal skin) it doesn’t muffle the shell’s natural resonance. Another advantage: It’s cheaper. * * FLOATING BOWLING ALLEY provides a new water game for swimming pool owners. Set comes with balls and five “pins” held in a floating rack. Ey * * FLOWER POT POLE gives your potted plants the best exposure to sunlight. The adjustable floor-to- ceiling pole has pot holders that turn 360 degrees and may be moved up or down to catch the sun. * Es * EXACT DOSE is what you get from a new medicine dropper. A calibrated top (that doubles as a bottle cap) is rotated to the required dose (from 1 c.c. to 1% teaspoon). You press a button and the correct amount of liquid is sucked up into the pipette. Wholesale price in the U.S.: 1,000 units for $47.50 Time Out FAMOUS LAST WORDS “Don’t bother with the parking Pee er. They never check ’em on this street.” SAD BUT TRUE ... The worst enemy a man can have is a careless friend. * * ~ It must be admitted—luck prevents some accidents. But care prevents ALL Se * Middle age is the time oi life when you wonder if you still want to do He things you’ve always wanted to do. * * * ; All the world loves a lover, unless he’s in a telephone booth. * * * A man spends the first’20 years of his life having his mother ask where he is going. Then the next 40 years his wife does the same. Even when he dies his pallbearers wonder the same esse Today’s eyes Ke number of blasts that come from auto horns in a traffic jam is equal to the sum of the squares at the wheels. enjoy Old Style refreshment = MU 4-1121 YU 8-2636 WA 2-7530 LA 2-0343 This advertisement is Old Style...naturally brewed, it’s naturally brawny. Enjoy some tonight! MOLSON'S CAPILANO BREWERY LTD. for free home delivery not published or displayed by the Liquor Control! Board or the Government of British Columbia. ~ A MOLSON’S QUALITY PRODUCT ——