WORLD FEDERATION OF TRADE UNIONS NO LONGER EXISTS

Wanganui Chronicle, 29 March 1949, Page 5

WORLD FEDERATION OF TRADE UNIONS NO LONGER EXISTS

LONDON, March 28. The tour trade union leaders who staged the walk-out from the W.F.T.U. executive bureau in January Arthur Deakin and Vincent Tewson. of Britain. James Carey, of America, and Evert Kupers, of Holland -have appealed to national trade union centres which are still affiliated to the Communistled World Federation of Trade Unions to withdraw from the organisation. The appeal said the Marshall Plan was a factor which precluded all hope ol reconciliation between Communist and non-Communist trade unionists. In a foreword, they accuse Communist trade unions of systematically pressing demands of a political character. This statement specifically mentions abortive negotiations with international trade secretariats, disagreements within the W.F.T-U. missions to Germany, .Japan and Persia, and the W.F.T.U. decision to refuse affiliation with German trade unions until the movements in the various occupation zones are unified. The statement says: “The old line-up of the Communist International and the free trade union international looms ahead. There is no longer a world federation. The oldest and most experienced trade union movements will be outside. When in the W.F.T.Uthese movements had to contend with vilification and abuse.” This call coincided with the arrival of Trades Union Congress lenders in the United States for talks with the C. 1.0. and A.F.L. loaders on the possibilities of a new international rivalry With the W.F.T-U.