i LABOUR ‘Dialogue’ reopens between Soviets, CLC By KERRY McCUAIG The head of the Canadian Labour Congress says her recent meeting with Soviet leader, Mikhail Gorbachev, may lead toa resumption of relations between the labour movements of the two countries. Shirley Carr ‘told the Tribune her visit to Moscow last month “has reopened the dialogue’’ be- tween the two labour centrals which were served 10. years ago. The head of the 2.5-million member congress emphasized that discussions would continue to focus on peace and human rights issues and reported prog- ress had been made in both areas. Two of the cases she planned to raise with Gorbachev had already been dealt with by Soviet authori- Carr: The head of the 2.5-million member congress emphasized that discussions would focus on peace and human rights. Butt out! Toronto’s Board of Health has given the nod to a city by-law which would require employers in every workplace to develop and implement a policy on smoking. The agreement can be a com- promise between smokers and non-smokers but the law gives non-smokers the final say. Of- fenders face a $2,000 fine. Many labour organizations have a non-smoking policy for their conventions and meet- ings, and some unions have addressed the issue in collec- tive bargaining. Japanese TU condemn law Japanese newspaper and communication unions are tak- ing out ads in major western papers attacking a new labour law proposed by the Japanese government. “Besides cheating ordinary Japanese workers of overtime pay and holidays, the new law would help Japanese firms to become more competitive, further boosting the: bilateral trade imbalance,” reads the ad the New York Times. Japan is often criticized by its trading partners for the ex- traordinary long length of its work week. The proposed bill would reduce the current 48- hour week to 40 in incremental steps. However businesses which has already appeared in _ ties. Ida Nadel has emigrated to Israel and Igor Volkov, has been released from a psychiatric hospi- tal. Open Dialogue Carr described the two hour meeting as ‘‘very open’’ and felt that the Soviet leader was per- sonally committed to disarma- ment. ‘He is a very strong per- sonality,’’ she noted. ‘‘His people want peace, he does himself and for his child and grandchildren.”’ The CLC leader met Gor- bachev as part of a top level delegation from the International Confederation of Trade Unions. The delegation has also met with other heads of state and NATO leaders. The federation is waiting for a date to be set with the White House. The Soviet leader indicated he was prepared to sign the ICFTU’s statement on disarmament. The delegation expressed support for the Soviet proposal for a nuclear weapons free zone in the Arctic to deal with the build-up of air and sea missiles in the north. He noted the favourable re- sonse of the public and govern- ments of the northern states to the idea but pointed out the “‘negative reaction in definite NATO circles. ““We are very serious about these proposals’’, he told the delegation. ‘‘We intend to launch them into international politics.”’ Speakers also approved of the with less than 300 workers will be exempt. The unions say the govern- ment is using the law to per- suade world public opinion that it is taking steps to over- come trade friction. The real objective is to worsen the al- ready long, intensive and flexible work schedule, the ad says. The unions’ womens com- mittees have also expressed fear that a flexible working week, set at the whim of employers, will not only affect workers’ health and disrupt family life, but will present se- vere roadblocks for women workers, especially mothers of young children. Construction — unions rebuild Alberta’s construction C'MON WINNIPEG, For My SAKE... accord reached between the USSR and the United States to eliminate medium and _ shorter range missiles from Europe and stressed that this should be seen as a first step to solving other disarmament questions. Similar sentiments were shared on the U.S Star Wars program. “‘We are against the arms race in space and we are glad that you support this stand,’’ Gorbachev told the labour representatives. “*Should such a race start, the en- tire process of talks would be undermined, nothing would re- main of the elements of con- fidence that have begun taking shape ... If the Americans im- pose the arms race in space, all of us are in for bad times.”’ Responding to remarks from Third World delegates on the im- morality of squandering re- sources On armaments while more than a billion people live in poverty, the Soviet leadér con- curred that ‘‘Third World indebt- edness is a social time bomb which can lead to the most dread- ful consequences.” He issued a challenge to the western states. “‘Can this system ensure the living standards of its people without militarization and without exploiting the human and material resources of the develop- ing world? There is no escaping this question because the situa- tion is that the rich are becoming workers are back on the job, sporting union cards and work- ing with improved wages and conditions. The government of Alberta has brought in legislation that will force contractors and unions to negotiate a multi- trade agreement. This is the result of a mas- sive campaign, spearheaded _ by the Alberta Federation of Labour, to change anti-union laws in the province. Another factor is the need to keep skil- led workers in the province. Many had left because of low wages and unemployment. The new law says that if an agreement is not negotiated by mid-December the govern- ment will impose one. How- ever with the notorious lock- out law in place, where con- tractors can terminate a con- richer while the poor are becom- ing poorer. In this process too there is a line being crossed which is no less dangerous than the arms race.’ On human rights issues Gor- bachev said he was willing to open a dialogue but warned that discussions could only be useful if it was agreed to respect the ‘*socio-political choice made by nations.” He assured participants that the Soviet Union ‘‘wishes to realize the entire potential of our socialist system — through democratization’. He cautioned that an “‘honest dialogue should be conducted on human rights problems — there cannot be any teacher in world politics now. We all learn from contemporary history.”’ Gorbachev told participants he hoped that contact would be made between the 83-million member ICFTU and the 100- million World Congress of Trade Unions. The ICFTU split off from the WFTU during the cold war. A House of Commons health committee has taken a tough stand against routine drug testing in the workplace or the routine testing of job applicants. The committee findings were a Slap in the face for the Prime Minister, who had fol- lowed U.S. Prsident Reagan’ S lead last year in promising a crackdown on illicit drugs. The report fails to confirm Mul- roney’s allegations that Canada suffers from an “epidemic’’ of drug abuse. It names alcohol as the most widely misused substance Health committee takes stand against workplace drug testing blaming it for premature deaths, accidents, illness, vio- lence and family disruption. Mandatory drug testing is legal in the U.S. and several companies including Air Canada and American Motors in Canada have begun testing new employees. The labour movement has called for a ban on mandatory drug testing. At its convention in Quebec City last week, the Canadian Union of Public Em- ployees called the practice ‘‘another smoke screen to hide the real problem — an un- healthy and stressful. work- place.” aspen phn ek aN rT a SEN TARDE SS SS Sa NIN IE ET ee PES Labour briefs tract by locking workers out for 25-hours, nothing prevents employers from undermining the newly imposed agree- ments. The re-organization of Al- berta’s construction trades began with a spontaneous walk out at the end of August. Hun- dreds of trade workers, fed up with non-union conditions and wages closed down major sites in Calgary, Banff, and Leth- bridge, protesting abuses by non-union contractors. Neighbours at — work for you Winnipeg’s city workers have gone proud in a mass ad- vertising campaign to inform residents of the unique ser- vices they provide. The cam- paign was in response to the Drive Slowly Near The Work Sites . S bt of City Crews! yor oo recent deaths of two city road workers, killed by passing motorists. Local 500 of the Canadian Union of Public Employees, which represents the workers, felt the tragedy reflected the low value city management and consequently - taxpayers, place on the work their members do. The campaign began with bill boards, posters, transit ads and radio messages urg- ing motorists to drive care- fully near work sites. It ex- panded to cover all the work performed by city workers in parks, recreation, libraries, hydro, water and sanitation. Titled ‘‘Neighbours at work for you’’, leaflets and ads out- line the services city workers provide and give helpful in- formation on energy conserva- tion, garbage pickup and useful phone numbers. et. ost Foley CUPE poster urges motorists to take common sense approach when driving. 6 e PACIFIC TRIBUNE, NOVEMBER 18, 1987 _