gp photos: Soviet postal workers Ping in convention. Bottom Photos: CLC convention, 1974.

Example of trade union democracy

Power in hands of the membership

Special tothe Tribune

MOSCOW — As Ontario trade unionists prepare for the annual convention of their provincial labor federation, their brothers and sisters in the Soviet Union are planning for the next congress of the All Union Central Council of Trade Unions (AUCCTU) set for March 21, 1977.

Meetings by 683,000 union groups across the USSR began two weeks ago to review their

work and elect delegates. There

are about 107 million members in unions in the USSR which takes in about 97% of all wage earners.

Unlike any trade union centre in the capitalist world, the prep- arations for the (AUCCTU) con- gress involves a massive effort through membership meetings conferences and meetings of work teams (composed of groups of about 30 workers), to encour- age the participation of union members at the basic level. These meetings review the work and leadership of the unions since the last congress and chart the plans for the future participation of the unions in Soviet life.

It is on the basis of. these re- views and plans that local, district and republic union leadership will be elected.

In contrast to the AFL-CIO, the Canadian labor movement and its central bodies are essen- tially democratic in operation and the input and control of the rank and file.

However, nothing in Canada compares to the degree of partici- pation of the average Soviet worker in the formulation of pol- icy and criticism of the leadership of the USSR labor movement.

As the fight put up by the dele- gates to the last CLC convention to defeat undemocratic constitu- tional amendments which would have limited rank and file partici- pation in conventions showed, Canadian trade unionists must jealously guard their hard won rights to an open and democratic labor movement.

In Canada not enough lo: al unions are encouraged by their parent bodies to discuss the issues of the day pertinent to labor and to formulate policy in the form of resolutions for convention dis- cussion. Some unions actually try to discourage their membership from actively participating in the central labor bodies. The current underground campaign being waged by many U.S.-dominated building trades unions, resentful of the growing trend towards au- tonomy within the Canadian labor movement from U.S. influence, to encourage the withdrawal of these unions from the CLC is a case in point.

The 15 million strong AFL-CIO sends delegates to convention who are with very few excep- tions, appointed by top executive committees of the respective na- tional affiliates. Members don’t even get the chance to discuss policy or elect delegates to con- vention let alone determine the AFL-CIO leadership. ~

The AUCCTU daily organ Trud, has emphasized that the meetings preparing for March 21 should concern themselves with all problems affecting the work of unions including those concern- ing the five-year plan and the workers’ living conditions.

“They: should be carried out’’, said Trud, ‘‘ona high political and organizational level with strict observance of internal union democracy, a Leninist norm of

-trade union life, on principles of

collective leadership and demo- cratic centralism.”

The reports at these meetings, Trud said, should be made in the spirit of ‘criticism and_ self- criticism with an objective evalu- ation of the work and an analysis of shortcomings.””

The paper also called for the advancement into leading posi- tions of more women, leading workers and youth in the AUCCTU.

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Canada-Soviet Union exchange _ delegations of war

Large numbers of Canadians

ave recently marked November -

_ ‘1 as Remembrance Day, a day ©n which they pay tribute to the €ad of two world wars.

Not so many Canadians are aware that this year and last wit- hessed exchange visits between

anadian and Soviet veterans.

ast year a Canadian delegation Visited the USSR as guests of the co War Veterans’ Commit-

This year, two Soviet military

Officers attended the Royal Cana- ; a Legion’s 26th bi-annual con- ference in Winnipeg, in June, and JOined Legion officials in toasting Improved relations between the ‘Wo countries. _

The Soviet representatives, Admiral Semyon Zakharov, leading the delegation, and

ajor-general Alexander

Golyakov, joined in signing a_

statement of accord between the Legion and the Soviet War Vete- rans’ Committee.

The accord said the two groups ‘expressed their mutual desire to develop the relations . . . between our organizations, to seek new ways of cooperation and thereby to promote the deepening of ties between our two organizations 1n the interests of the good relations

‘established between the peoples

of Canada and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics.” Representing the Legion were its president, Robert D. McChes- ney, who headed last year’s Soviet visit, and other senior of- ficers of the Dominion Command. Other Soviet officials included. Victor Smirnov, chairman of the executive committee of the Soviet of Working People’s De- puties of Moscow’s Lenin- gradsky District, and Adolph Feidorov, assistant chief: of the

veterans

foreign relations department of the Soviet War Veterans’ Com- mittee.

The accord said the two groups were determined to work to con- tribute toward the developing in- ternational detente.

The Soviet officers told a news conference at the time that there are more than 9,000,000 war vete- rans in the USSR. The veterans’ committee administers a wide variety of benefits for veterans, the disabled, and veterans’ de- pendents, the Soviet spokesmen explained, as well as making legis- lative proposals.

-Jn addition to pensions and medical benefits, the news con- ference heard, the Soviet system pays half the rent of disabled vete- rans, allows them free access to city transit systems and pays for one trip annually anywhere in the Soviet Union.

The AUCCTU comprised of 683,000 union groups representing 107

’

Tagg,

million workers or 97% of the workforce, will meet in convention in March

1977.

Uruguayan Communists celebrate anniversary

MONTEVIDEO — _ The Communist Party of Canada has received a letter from the Com- munist Party of Uruguay, over the signature of its general secret- ary, Rodney Arismendi, on the occasion of the Uruguayan Par- ty’s 56th anniversary, Sep- tember 21.

The letter outlines the valiant history of the Communist Party of Uruguay and the bitter conditions under which it has been working since the fascist coup in 1973. It describes the resistance by wide sections of the people to the dictatorship and the role of Uruguayan communists to unite all anti-fascist forces who oppose the torturers and assasins now in control.

Expressing its appreciation for the solidarity shown-their struggle from the international community and especially the socialist com- munity of states, the letter says that today the struggle for the re-

lease of the many militants, Communists, unionists and others in fascist prisons has reached new heights.

_Rodney Arismendi’s letter listed some of the leaders of the anti-fascist struggle now in pris- ons and at the mercy of the tortur- ers. They include former presi- dential candidate of the demo- cratic popular front, General Seregni and two others leaders of the democratic coalition, General Licandro -and Colonel Zufriatequi.

Communist Party Central Executive members Jaime, Perez, Jose Massera, Alberto Altesor, Gerardo Cuesta and Rosario Pietraroia, and Communist Party Central Committee members Wladimir Turiansky, Luis

Touron, Eduardo Bleier and Rita ~

Ibarburu are imprisoned as well

as Communist Youth League —

general secretary Jorge

‘Mazzarovich.

Brother from the West---

nor in the sea

the great struggle continues.

at night embrace their children and depart before dawn.

Many will not return. What does it matter?

From you, brother, we expect and to you we offer not the hand of charity

but the hand of comradeship

‘Brother from the West

This thought-provoking poem, unsigned, appears in the beauti- ful 1977 African National Congress calendar which is available for $3. by writing to P.O. Box 123, Station ‘E’, Toronto.

(How can we explain that you are our brother?) the world does not end at the threshold of your house nor at the stream which marks the border of your country

in whose vastness you sometimes think ~ that you have discovered the meaning of the infinite.

Beyond your threshold, beyond the sea

Men with warm eyes and hands hard as earth

We are men tired of shackles. For us freedom is worth more than life.

which misleads and humiliates

— committed conscious. ee can you refuse, brother from the West?

y,

PACIFIC TRIBUNE—NOVEMBER 26, 1976—Page 7