INFLUENCE FOR PEACE

Chronicle (Levin), 2 July 1949, Page 5

INFLUENCE FOR PEACE

N@w International Trade . Ujjipjl LQNUQ^ J:uly L The .qpiniqn tlrnt illb nn fy&P natibnal -ttades uniop dations fpr which wore. during a meetjng .las^ wjeqjltep^ \. 0 iGeneva,^ could prove a tremend.^ influenq^tfor peace in-,fhe world, expressed -by fhe vice-president of the New Zed|and Federation \Qi . Laboiw^, Mr. F, Prf^alsh, wliQyWlttfs,the prea dent of the,:;,ibieration, Mr^ A. W. Croskery, represeuted the New, Zealand trades unioii mowament at- tir^'Geueya-, cdnferenpe. Mry jQj°skery,' present, att.ending. a meeting of , Interoatiq^iai Labour Crganisatioii iu Geueya, was appp-ijted .clmirmam tiie' drafting committee ' of '.- the iiew^ internafional prganiaatiVn.'-wfeieh 1? jexpect^ to be formaii'y established at'Ta wbrid couferen.ee to bce held in Noyember. Jn tjaxgi capaeity Mr. Croskery ^vili represent both Australia an.d New.Zealaijd. Air. \falsh, .who we^t to (Qeneya during an ipterval in thq me. at and pro.daee pegotiatipn^ in ILopdon -w-herei' he has been serving as New GqvQrnment rPPI,esenfafiwe, said .tliatall delegates who attended tfie Qeq&y® meeting— b.etween thero they reprbaeut- ^ ed §Q,QQjQ,0O!Q trades unionist's— rW6Fe' agree, d that an ■ internatiopal ■ tradpe union movement could qply funcfiqn .in the best interests of the workers ijf it. were completely free from th.e- (fomih.a-. tion and control of totalitarian Qoyerpments such as those existipg behjnd the ^[ron Curtain and in Spain. There h.a.d been a general feeling qf 'regret- that the World Federation of Trades Unions which could have been of such service to trades unionism generally, had falleh under this domination. As a result, instead of -functioning in the interests' qf the workers generally, the W.F.T.U. had become a mere instrument to further the aims and pbjeets qf -the Itussian totalitarian system. It had been partieularly pleasing to find that the new movement to breah away from the W.F.T.U. ahd establisjf, an jndependent body, wq,s supported at the Geneva confer'ence by the Ameri . can Fed.eration of Labour and American Confprence of Industrial Organissp tions and the United Mineworkers of Ameriea.