Unions aid _

Tie

liberation ~ movements

PEKING

A French union leader embraced |‘

a Viet Nam (Free Indo-China) labor delegate and a Dutchman Shook hands warmly with a fight-

ing Indonesian. This was the at-| -Mosphere of the Trade Union Con-|; ference of Asian and Australasian

aus- |: Pices of the World Federation of |’

Countries, held here under

Trade Unions.

These demonstrations of inter- national solidarity were new in Character, Instead of the Asiatic labor leaders pledging compromise With some sort of reformed colon- jalism, the unionists from Europe pledged unlimited support to the Colonial liberation movements

_ against “their own” imperialists.

President B. Blokzijl of the Un-

ity Trade Union Federation of the

Netherlands said to delegate Mard- Jono of Indonesia: “My organiza- tion has chosen the path of solid- arity with the Indonesian people. The’ working class knows that 4 nation which oppresses another na- tion cannot itself. be free. In Holland, there is a_ big protest Movement against colonial war. Fathers, mothers and wives of Soldiers ask’ the government to bring them back home. Some weeks ago, one group of Dutch Soldiers refused to go to Indon- esia—they were thrown into pris- On,”

Delegate A. Le Leap, speaking for the French General Federa-

tion of Labor (GGT), asked Viet

Nam labor leader Luu-duc-Pho to

convey this message to his union:

‘In all our meetings in France there are slogans demanding the end of the criminal colonial war against Viet Nam... - Dockers at Marseilles have decided to load no ship for Indo-China. ‘Many troops have been punish- ed because they refused to fight Viet Nam. I thank the Viet Nam workers for their aid to French miners when they were on Strike.” .

Viet Nam delegate Luu-duc-Pho contrasted the wide representation and international friendship at the Peking conference with the Asian Trade Union Conference sponsored by the AFL, CIO and_ British Trades Union Congress. He also attacked the charge that many Asian unions are “not genuine but “political’ in nature.

“Only the servants of the dol- lar are not genuine trade un-" ionists,” Luu said.

3-1 vote returns Larsen

in North. Wash. IWA

By a decisive 3-1

ia , In the referendum vote Larsen

_ defeated R, J. Carino of Tacoma,

leader inthe right wing group SUP- porting the program of IWA presi- dent James Fadling, Carino car, ried his own local by only 22 votes and lost all others by majorites ranging from two to 10 to one.

‘The vote was a decisive expres- sion of rank and file support for the progressive political and eco-

nomic policies of the district. Lar |

sen is a leader in the fight for unity and autonomy and for substantial bread and butter benefits.

Last spring Fadling, as head of the Northwest regional negotiat- ing committee, scuttled demands for wage increases and the six-hour

majority Pr reelected to represent District 2 on the in the International Woodworkers of America.

day. This year these demands are

again expected to be raised.

Release demanded

Demand for release of L. L. Sharkey, general secretary of the Australian Communist party recently sentenced to three years’ imprisonment for a state- ment opposing anti-Soviet war, is finding widespread support among workers. Last month Syd- ney dockers staged a half-day work stoppage to protest against the sentence imposed on Shark-, ey, more than 1000 signing the union petition although only 250 are required under union rules. Ex-Senator Jupp Gardiner, prom- inent Labor member, is address- ing a sézies of protest meet- ings at the risk of being ex- pelled from the Labor party.

Peace Week celebrated

SYDNEY Peace Week, launched by the Australian Peace Council, has just been celebrated throughout

‘Australia. Peace congresses, rallies and open-air meetings, film nights and dramatic performances, weal- ing of peace buttons, were some of

the features of the Peace Week celebrations. : Among unions which have

thrown their strength behind the peace movement are Miners’ Fed- eration, Postal Workers, Amalga- mated Engineers, Clerks, Sheet- metal Workers, Hotel Club and Restaurant Workers, Ships Paint- ers and Dockers and sections of the Railwaymen. ‘4

Support for the movement ~has also been expressed by the United Associations of Women, Fellow- ship of Australian: Writers, Labor party pranches and veterans

Ss.

ee ues ballot is now being or- ganized in all states of the com-

monwealth.

TSEATILE esident Karly Larsen has been international executive board of

KARLY LARSEN

Fadling wins IWA vote by 397 margin

SEATTLE

Reflecting growing rank-and-file opposition to the class-collabora- tion policy of top CIO: officials, IWA president James Fadling has won re-election by the narrow margin of only 397 votes over a lethargic right-wing opponent.

With only 25,161 votes cast, Fad- ling defeated Claude Ballard, for- mer international vice-president and ousted assistant organization director, by a neck and neck tally of 12,779 to 12,382, Less than half the membership took the trouble to vote for either candidate.

However, William Botkin, sec- ond vice-president seeking re- election on the Fadling ticket, was defeated 18,597 to 11,171 by John Hawkins of plywood. Bot- kin has been closely identified with the IWA’s. southern “or- ganizational” drive but the Dixie locals, containing a large Negro membership, voted against him.

Both Ballard and MHawkins were officially supported by the strong right-wing Columbia River District Council, which broke with Fadling in a struggle for power within the international.

|The break came over control of the organizational department, Co- lumbia River wanted Ballard nam- ed director. ‘Fadling, however, gave the post to Adolph Germer, hatchet man for CIO president Philip Mur- ray; Germer ousted Ballard and

named Al Hartung, first vice- president, as his “assistant.” Neither Fadling nor Ballard

raised any issue in the campaign and the referendum was not even mentioned in the columns of the International Woodworker, official union paper, during the balloting. As a result, thousands of workers, particularly in the Strong anti- Fadling areas, took a “plague on both your houses” attitude and boycotted the election.

In the other contested position Herbert J, Irving was elected trus- tee over Gordo Jolinson by a vote of 14,226 to 10,633, Hartung, first vice-president, and Carl Winn, secretary-treasurer, were unop- posed.

Although the international ~of- fice in Portland has not yet an- nounced a breakdown of the vote, it is reported that Fadling lost several locals in British Columbia as well as a number in the South where the much-touted “Operation Dixie” is bogged down in the mire of accomodation to jim-

crow plus the Murray-Reuther program of “conform or get out.”

The referendum also adopted a constitutional amendment author- izing the international officers to appoint an administrator, for any section of the IWA which takes overt steps to secede; raising the constitutional minimum dues from $1 to $2 and permitting locals to elect officers évery two years if they so choose. :

_ Even as the balloting was being conducted, Germer bluntly stated the policy of the Fadling admin- istration toward rank-and-file de- mands for substantial wage in- creases, an employer paid health and welfare program, the six-hour day and a genuine paid vacation clause. Germer was quoted in the International. Woodworker as, stat- ing that “pension plans are the

Bread and butter policies.

- : e P ;

main issue before the workers,”

jat this time.

STRIKE GREATEST SINCE THIRTIES

of the thirties.

withdrew its endorsement.

‘

any member is fired.

reports published by Canadian

French workers display strength

By MARK FREEMAN |

The general strike throughout France was the biggest mass demonstration the country has seen since the Popular Front days

The strike, called to protest against low living standards and government refusal to grant a $10 monthly cost-of-living bonus, was nearly 100 percent effective. Unions which walked out included most Catholic labor locals, although the national leader- ship of the Catholic French Federation of Christian Workers

French workers are indignant over publication of the new draft collective agreements law, which the government presented as a “concession.” This legislative Broposal provides for com- pulsory arbitration and would outlaw all strikes called during arbitration procedure or to protest against arbitrators’ decisions. | Under its provisions, unions defying such decisions would be pun- ished by withdrawal of all paid holidays from their members. They would also forfeit their legal right to receive notice before

Here’s what a key freight terminal in Paris looked like during the nationwide general strike on November 25. All unions participated in the walkout which, despite disparaging

demonstration of labor’s strength since the war.

PARIS

daily papers, was the gteatest

week.

Officials of the Chinese People’s Republic.

The Peking People’s Daily was reported as having said that this “sreat victory on the medical front’ was due to the timely mea- sures taken by the government. the high efficiency and hard work of. government and medical work- ers, the strict blockade of the in- fested area by the Liberation Ar- my and the aid rendered by the Soviet Union.

The fact that the plague was Stamped out in such short time the paper commented, “further strengthens our firm confidence that under the leadership of the Central People’s government, headed by Chairman Mao Tse- tung, and with the full develop- ment of the people’s strength, as. well as consolidated and close Sinto-Soviet friendship, we are able to conquer any difficulty or

calamity, and construction of the new China will surely develop swiftly.”

PACIFIC TRIBUNE —

They were seen off by leading

Nigerians raise

Soviet scientists help China stamp out plague

—SAN FRANCISCO

“A group of Soviet scientists and specialists, after helping to elim-

inate the plagues that had struck Northern Chahar in China, have left js ; , “ Z '

| for home, Radio Peking, as monitored in San Francisco, reported Jast

freedom demand

—LAGOS.

The people of. Nigeria, West Africa, are rising to demand national freedom following the No- vember 18 shooting of more than 20 strikers by British police. The strikers, in the government-oper- ated Enugu coal mines, had been demanding an 80c daily wage.

A Union of all African Political .

and Labor Organizations was form- ed November 27 to support the strikers and demand punishment for the police who opened fire on them. All Nigerian unions also staged a genera} strike. Governor Sir John MacPherson, re- plied to this move by declaring martial law, clamping on press censorship and calling on the Bri-

tish air force to bring armed re-

inforcements into the colony.

In London, British officials said

they had troops ready to smash the Nigerian independence move- ment, now the strongest in Britain’s African empire.

DECEMBER 9, 1949 — PAGE 3

British -

British |