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: Family life is thriving in the Soviet Union, say Charles

and Annie Stewart, well-known figures in the trade union and women’s movements of B.C. They recently spent a faw weeks in the Soviet Union and in this article tell of

their impressions.

Role of Cuba unions

UBA’S trade unions share fully in industrial man- agement and their transform- ation “into powerful and dem- ocratic organizations that faithfully expressed the will of the working people” was one of the chief tasks of sais revolution.

_ These facts are described in 4 recent issue of the weekly magazine New Times, ~in an articles by Odon Alvarez de la Campa, interhational relations secretary of the Cuban Con- federation of Labor and Faus- tino Calcines of National To- bacco Workers Union. The ar- ticle describes the organiza- tional set-up of the unions.

e In every province( with the exception of Havana), lo- eal unions belong to a provin- cial federation, irrespective of industry. There are five of

these federations. The 33 na-/|-

tional unions make up the

Cuban Confederation of La- i *

bor.

e However, old craft organizations

much of the still

persists at a local level: The |. tobacco workers, although or- | ganized in a single industrial |

union nationally, usually have ‘as many as 14 craft unions in the factories.

e@ In addition to the task of building the unions into pow-

erful and democratic organiz- |

ations, another main job fol- lowing the revolution was to

other imperialist agents.

é é

(Eusebido Mujal Barniol was secretary-general of the Cuban Confederation of La- bor during Batista’s dictator- ship and. fled from Cuba after the revolution. He is now ad- viser on Cuba to George Meany, president of the AFL- CIO. in the United States).

e Workers now share in in- dustrial management through the technical assistance coun- cils; formed by the workers of

'each shop nominationg three

candidates, one of which is selected by the management. These shop delegates make up the technical assistance coun- cils, which now total 6,000 members.

MR

“We shall have to take him to see a psychiatrist — he rid the unions of Mujalist and i doesn’t seem to like normal

toys.” (Peace News, London)

Charles and Annie Stewart Visit Soviet Union

‘What we saw surpassed

UR visit to the Soviet Union last December was

-|the most outstanding event of

our lives, never before did forty-two. days fly past so \quickly. Every day we were confronted with new and ex- citing experiences.

Since our. return’ we realize more than ever the widespread interest of Canadians in the Soviet Union, a country that has amazed the world in its economic, educational, cul- tural, scientific and technolog- ical advance in such a’ short space of time. What we saw and observed surpassed our greatest expectations. ;

Two of the most numerous questions we have been con- fronted with since coming home are: What impressed us most in the Soviet Union? and does the standard of living compare with ours? I will try to answer them in the space at our disposal.

‘What impressed us mest in the Soviet Union was the people, firstly because they are the key to everything and never in our entire lives have we met so many happy, hos- pitable and kind hearted peo- ple as we did during these days.

We could not but recal! the days prior to the October So-

cialist Revolution in 1917, when no people of any country were more oppressed and

down-trodden, and. how it was the Russian workers and peas- ants who were the first to take state power into their own hands and start off to build a new Socialist society. Their task was far from easy, seem- ingly unsurmountable. Ob- stacles had to be overcome. One of the hardest of these obstacles was the slander by the captalists and their lackeys everywhere because: for the first time Socialism had be- come a reality and the hand- writing was on the wall for the exploiters of their fellow men.

It is our firm conviction

| that in no other country in the world will a happier home re-; hospital and--dental eare for

lationship be found. Such, things are not spoken of and) it is not necessary to do so be-

_|}cause we saw with our own

eyes the love and care bestow- ed upon the children which in- cluded an. understanding of parental discipline, and’ when you see the respect and’ con- fidence shown by the chi'’dren to their parents and elders you realize it is only in hemes worthy of the name that> such a companionship between chil- dren and parents, youth -and age could develop: . Bae

- %: 6 3%

our greatest expectations

Prior to leaving Canada we had read that Socialism was! not only building a new So-|

.ciety but it was also building

a new unselfish man. We can truthfully say we saw and talked to some of these dedi- cated men and women who have but one goal, a happy life for all and free from the dan- ger of war and their senti- ments are expressed in - deeds much more than words.’

Comparing the living stand- ards in our respective coun- tries, two people whose living conditions were different could bring home two different ver- sions and both of them would be quite truthful. For example, if you were a company execu- tive and compared your fiving standard with that of the man-

prise you would naturally con- clude that living conditions in Canada were superior. Or if you counted the number of passenger cars on the streets of Vancouver and compared them with the number of similar cars on the streets of Moscow you might conclude that we had the edge by a wide mar- gin. Or you might compare the number and variety of home utensils we had and come to the conclusion that ours was the highest living standard.

We, however, came to the conclusion that such compari- sons are not reliable and at best are transitionary. There- fore, we took a different yard- stick and measured the many concrete advantages the Soviet workers have over Canadians.

Under Socialism every young man and woman ean choose .the job or profession that they are most adapted to, and. never have to fear the scourge of unemployment and want. Every child in the

plete education, free of charge, right through university.

Rest homes and sanatoriums abound in beautiful settings, free- or at nominal rates to

Soviet workers, free medical,

everyone. The finest cultural and’ sport facilities are avail-

- able, at. every plant. and. fac-

tory. Safety and working con- ditions on the job are the best you can find anywhere.

As the economy grows stronger, Wages increase every year with. the highest pe-cen- tage increase going to the lowest paid workers, ‘and at the same time prices of.cssen- tial Brosyor are reduced

2 * :

“The work day is s the shor test

in. the world, six and seven

“hours, with a rest period fore-|

March 31, 1961—PACIFIC oe

| days per year with pays"

ager of a large Soviet enter-

Soviet Union is assured a com-.

| want; when’ the’ threat

noon and afternoon, O% night shift, and a lunch? ranging from twenty tO minutes. ’

Special laws have bé acted to protect the hea women workers and ti not allowed to lift any on the job that weighs than eight kilograms (a) lbs.) Every worker ~ from three to four we

if health requirements cide, aa A Soviet worker P2# city or municipal tax} such administration ¢ borne by Soviet @ While taxes to the state V get only constitute 9 of the total, and before even this minimum tax? abolished. Rents which ® of the large items of a Wj budget in our county constitute 5 percent of ers wages in the Soviet Heating is free and 89 light bills cost not mol® 70 kopecs per month, } pec, new money is slig excess of one cent). citizen in the Soviet U covered by the best old E pension plan that has ¥%| devised: Male workel J claim their pension and women at fifty, also q ers. in- mines. or othel Pt dous occupations get thes sion at fifty. Pensions #” two-thirds of a worker? | ings, computed over three years “of emp! when _ his. earning? — highest. a 4

Many additional adv ous which a worker une cialism enjoys could bem. but we _ believe the abt & enough to convince # ie age Canadian worker |

have a long way to go" ‘ bi

we catch up. We do 20 1Bo

to be experts on Soviet % we did live there nea and a half months and § that space of time no 0? have seen more or 9 more than we did.

We are happy indeed | : dream of a lifetime” reality and that we we to see Socialism i? After viewing at first creative power and @ a people working ‘ou own destiny, we are ™ vinced than ever of t and happy future ahead for Canada W land -will be free * scourge of unemploy™

will be abolished for the exploitation of w man will be replace?

brotherhood of man