Soviet trade unions & the state

Do Soviet trade unions ‘‘work
hand in glove’’ with the state?
That allegation is often used in the
West as ‘‘evidence”’ that they are
not “‘real’’ trade unions.

The answer is — Yes, they do
co-operate with the state. But
there’s nothing fh that conflicting
with their independence or their
role as representatives of their
members.

The unions work together with
the state because, in the socialist
USSR, they have an identical
class basis and common objec-
tives to pursue.

They engage in such coopera-
tion at their own free will, so as to
join forces in resolving the com-
mon problems of developing pro-
duction and through it, advancing
living standards.

The state, in turn, recognizes
the key role trade unions play in
. society.

In preparation for the 16th
Congress of Trade Unions of
the USSR, meetings were held
to discuss the draft basic
guidelines for the development
of the national economy in
1976-1980.

The meetings were attended
by over 92 million workers, col-
lective farmers and other
employees. Almost 8 million
people spoke making over one
million suggestions.

This is why there have been no
anti-trade union laws passed in
the almost 60 years of Soviet his-
tory, no act restricting their rights
in the least.

Soviet trade unions are not sub-
ject to registration by government
agencies, nor do they have their
operation or budget controlled.

Completely Independent

They are completely indepen-
dent and function in accordance
with the USSR Trade Union
Rules and with the Rules of sec-
toral unions on the basis of demo-
cratically taken decisions.

Far from interfering, the state
helps the unions, materially and
legally which is a duty of govern-
ment and economic agencies
stipulated in the country’s con-
stitution.

The state provides the unions
with premises and covers the
maintenance cost of their clubs
and libraries.

The trade unions have their
health resorts complete with all
their facilities, under their full
control and are allotted money to
conduct. their recreational, cul-
tural and sports activities.

Legally, the unions are vested
with extensive powers.

The Soviet Trade Union Coun-
cil (TUC) for instance, makes ef-

fective use of its right of legisla-
tive initiative.

It was with its active participa-
tion that the country’s fundamen-
tal labor legislation was drawn up.

All questions of labor and
wages are settled by government
agencies in conjunction with
TUC representatives.

Extensive rights are enjoyed by
trade union bodies down to fac-
tory branch level.

Managerial Functions

There are more than 70 man-
agerial functions performed by
factory and plant executives
jointly with the TU branch com-
mittee. And another 20 are within
its exclusive competence. ;

The scope of trade union-state
co-operation in every aspect of
the life of society, above all in the
economic field, is widening all the
time.

Take the permanent produc-
tion conference, for example.

This is an advisory but very au-
thoritative vehicle of public opin-
ion which keeps everything going
on at factory or office within its
field of vision.

Two in three of their members
are workers, and the workers are
often in command.

Anyone is welcome to address
such a conference, not only to
make suggestions or put forward

Carter’s ‘human rights’ campaign
won't end aid to fascist states

“‘More than 58% of the coun-
tries presently receiving U.S.
military aid are dictatorships and
have been classified as repressive
regimes,’” says the Apnil issue of
“Latin America and Caribbean
Inside Report’’.

The newsletter, published
monthly by the Canadian News
Synthesis Project and the Latin
American Working Group, says
the Carter administration’s deci-
sion to make human rights a major
consideration of U.S. foreign pol-
icy has not affected to any great
extentits ‘‘aid’’ to such countries.

The methods by which the U.S.
government can avoid its own de-
cision are listed by the newsletter.
which charges that more than
69% of foreign aid by-passes the
U.S. Congress. It says that there
are 15 major channels, falling into
three categories, through which
the U.S. gives aid to repressive
regimes:

MILITARY ASSISTANCE

Foreign military assistance in-
cludes the weapons, technical
services, and personnel training
given or sold on credit to foreign
governments:

Economic assistance

Although. economic assistance
to the third world countries is in-
tended to feed, shelter and
employ the poorest people, it in
fact serves primarily to prop up
faltering economies and national
elites.

U.S. GOVERNMENT
CORPORATION AND
FINANCIAL
INSTITUTIONS

These are semi-autonomous or
self-sustaining goverment cor-
porations and U.S.-supported
financial institutions. Some of the
most important are the Export-
Import Bank (EXIMBANK(,
Overseas Private Investment

Corp., the World Bank and the
International Monetary Fund.

Decisions to provide financial
support and to which countries
are made in private by officials
within the institutions who are not
directly responsible to the public.

‘‘Inside Report’’ points out that
this was how Chile received
$357-million in U.S. aid, though
only 21% of this amount was de-
bated by Congress. - Similarly,
Argentina has received and is
scheduled to receive a total of
$700-million in 1977 (up from
$64-million in 1975) via such
chantiels, though it was publicly
stated that country would receive
only $15-million in military cre-
dits next year.

The newsletter concludes:

‘*The publicity around human
rights provides a convenient
smokescreen for both the donor
and recipient countries in order to
clean up their public image. U.S.
corporations will continue to re-
quire a stable climate for their in-
vestments, assured access to
foreign resources and markets,
and abundant supplies of cheap
labor. Since this stability can only
be secured through the mainte-
nance of repressive regimes, cor-
porations and financial institu-
tions will find alternative ways to
channel military and economic
assistance to their favorite dic-
tatorship.”’

Aid to Dictatorships Through Major U.S. Bilateral -
and U.S.-Supported Multilateral Channels
Fiscal Year 1976.
(millions of $)

There is not a field of work in socialist society in which women are not |

involved. They are guaranteed by law equal pay with their male coun- |

terparts, paid maternity leave and subsidized daycare.

proposals, but to level criticisms
at management as well.

The discussion produces re-
commendations which execu-
tives must take into account.

Such permanent production
conferences produced 1,400,000
proposals and recommendations

in the past year alone, of which

1,100,000 have already been put
into effect.

~

In Case of Disagreement

If the workers of a Soviet en-
terprise disagree with the state
plan, what can they do to change
it?

Certainly, if a plant or factory
finds the plan handed down to it to
be in excess of its capacity, both
the management and the local
trade union committee have
enough powers to get itamended.

But what often happens is an
opposite development — the
plans ‘‘from above’’ fail to take
into account all the production
potentialities which only the
workers themselves can know in
full measure. That is when they
put forward their ‘‘counter plan.”’

This is bound to bring benefit
not only to the state as a whole but
to the workers themselves; carry-
ing out a “counter plan’’ has a
higher value attached to it than
fulfilling an ordinary one.

Fourteen thousand such plans
were adopted in this country’s in-
dustries last year alone.

Finally, the state delegates
some of its functions to the trade
unions. They control the state so-

* includes AID, Food for Peace and Peace Corps

** includes MAP grants, military training and credit sales

*** includes the Export-Import Bank, Overseas Private Investment
Corporation. Housing Investment Guarantee Program. Commodity Credit

Corporation and Paris Club.

****includes World Bank, Asian Development Bank. Inter-American
Development Bank and International Monetary Fund.

Source: Center for International Policy 1977

PACIFIC TRIBUNE—MAY 6, 1977—Page 8

Economic = Military U.S. *** Multilateral | Total | cCial insurance scheme and also
At? Aid ** Financial Banks *°°* handle its budget.
South Korea as Str eek Seeepaes J iSee TT] te Same time, one, of Ihe
: principal functions of a trade un-
Philippines 50.5 43.7 751.4 612.3 1357.9] ion has been and remains that of.
Indonesia 87.8 45.0 165.5 631.7. | 930.0] Safeguarding the working
: people’s interests and rights
Chile 74.3 0 $5.7 22755 357.5 This seems paradoxical, but it
: would be rather strange to expect -

Argentina 0 34.9 68.6 415.1 518.6 two independent and different or-
Uruguay 0.5 37 9.1 87.8 101.1} ganizations of the working class,
Haiti 18.7 0.2 23: ne S75 78,7 of all working people, a state and
a public one, to treat all matters.
Brazil 3.6 co a ba 479.1 774.4 1318.2— without exception with an en-

Iran 1.0 0 182.5 ° 0 1x3.5}  tirely identical method.

sctahieenmnamndeemmsesinammmmmane vn An ese : 7

Some organs of the state or
some of its officials may fail to
take into full account the interests
of the working people, and some-
times may even be seen to ignore
them altogether, by neglecting
improvements in working condi-
tions, permitting unlawful over-

time and breaking labor legisla-
tion.
This is where trade unions

stand up to defend every one of ©
their members. And they have |

substantial powers in doing so.
At the urging of a trade union
technical inspector, for example,

work in substandard conditions

can be suspended.

An important thing to em- —

phasize, however, is that a shop

or factory closure entails no —

layoffs, nor any infringement of
the right of the workers con-
cerned — they continue to get
their full pay.

Economic executives, what-
ever posts they may hold, can be
replaced at the demand of trade
unions, should they break labor
laws or fail to meet their commit-
ments under
agreements.

No worker can be dismissed —

without union consent.
If such a dismissal does occur,
a court of law will overrule it and
impose reinstatement with full
pay for enforced idle time.
The ‘very existence of trade

uniohs with so extensive rights,

prepared to speak up for the
workers’ interests, damps the ar-
dor of over-zealous executives
who may try to fulfill their output
plan at any cost, even through a
breach of labor legislation.

(Soviet Weekly) —

Attached to or near every fac-
tory andoffice are medical clinics.

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collective ©