workers' or employers' federations it is necessary that the majority of the active federations be legally recognized by the Ministry of Labor. The Ministry of Labor will have supervision of the federations and confederations and will name representatives to supervise their functioning and watch over the receipt and use of the social funds. Conditions are set forth for the dissolution of a federation. The confederations or central federations shall have as their principal objectives the holding of national or international congresses, the passing upon matters in their special field, representation of the interests of their affiliates before national and legislative authorities, and maintenance of relations with other national and international organizations. Although the decree does not mention by name the Confederation of Cuban Workers (Confederacion de Trabajadores de Cuba), that organization obtained full legal status with the signing of this decree: Meeting of British Trades Union Congress, 19431 THE fifth wartime congress of the British Trades Union Congress, the seventy-fifth annual meeting of the organization, opened September 6, 1943, under the presidency of Dame Anne Loughlin, the first woman to hold the office. The 753 delegates present represented 75 percent of all the trade-unionists in Great Britain and represented 230 unions in which membership in 1942 was 6,024,411 (1,203,543 women). This T. U. C. membership was the highest since 1920. Post-War Problems and Policies Reconstruction occupied an important place on the agenda. According to the general secretary, Sir Walter Citrine, labor does not expect to return to its prewar position; its object is to secure a compelling voice in economic affairs so that future opportunities and rewards shall be fairly distributed. The general council report on post-war reconstruction adopted by the congress stated that transitional post-war policy must insure a speedy change-over from war to peace production; that control of prices, production, distribution, and consumption should continue as long as circumstances require; and that the continuance of labor controls may be necessary, and unions must be prepared to accept these controls. By resolution the Government was urged to clarify its post-war policy on social and economic affairs. The T. U. C. was requested to authorize a plan for reconstruction to maintain full employment and to decide the degree of national ownership of industry. Land, coal mining, banking, and transport were named as primary industries which must be reconstructed. The general council was requested to explore the possibilities of calling a world conference of organized labor as soon as war conditions permit. The object of such a meeting would be to consider the most pressing problems of policy and organization affecting the interests of 1 Data are from British Information Services, Press release No. L-110; Labor (Trades Union Congress), September 1943; and Economist (London), September 11, 1943. working people, thereby promoting the widest possible unity of aim and action in the international trade-union movement. Attitude toward Germany.-A resolution dealing with the attitude of the T. U. C. toward the enemy pledges continuance of the war until both Germany and Japan surrender unconditionally. Punishment was demanded for all those responsible for war atrocities. A pledge was made to restore trade-unions in occupied and enemy countries, giving them their full freedom and independence. Restoration in enemy countries would follow the complete overthrow of totalitarian government and the establishment of genuinely democratic regimes. Passage of the resolution marks a reversal of policy endorsed in June 1943, when the Labor Party Conference declared that the vast majority of the German people as well as the German Government shared responsibility for the war. At that time the conviction was expressed that Germany would have to be occupied for a long time to educate the people for life under a system of democratic government, and to cooperate with free nations. Trade-Union Structure and Affiliations A provision of the Trade Disputes and Trade-Unions Act of 1927 prohibits civil servants from belonging to labor organizations other than those whose membership is confined to persons employed by or under the Crown. After unsuccessful attempts to have the law amended, the Union of Post Office Workers recently sought to affiliate with the T. U. C. The Government, however, warned the members that if affiliation took place, the position of the postal workers would be jeopardized, under the terms of the 1927 law. The postal workers' application was therefore withdrawn on August 22, in the interest of national unity, and instead a joint committee of the T. U. C. general council, the Labor Party Executive, and the Parliamentary Labor Party Administrative Committee was established to attempt to work out a satisfactory arrangement. The T. U. C. has been desirous of having the above restrictive provision of the Trade Disputes Act as well as others rescinded and, in fact, has sought for many years to have the law repealed. At the congress in September 1943, the legislation was discussed in secret session first and later in a public session. A resolution was unanimously adopted "complimenting the T. U. C. general council on its general policy of strong opposition to the Government for failing to amend sections 5 and 6 of the Trade Disputes Act, and urging the T. U. C. to press for repeal of the whole act." Another resolution requesting the general council "to examine trade-union structure, with a view to avoiding overlapping and competition" between unions was adopted unanimously. A similar resolution at the 1942 session was rejected. Activities of the United States Conciliation Service, October 1943 THE U. S. Conciliation Service, during October, disposed of 1,871 situations involving 1,127,857 workers (table 1). The services of this agency were requested by the employers, employees, and other interested parties. Of these situations, 165 were strikes and lockouts involving 72,733 workers; 1,078 were threatened strikes and controversies involving 323,786 workers. During the month 318 disputes were certified to the National War Labor Board, and in 61 cases other agencies assumed jurisdiction. The remaining 249 situations included investigations, arbitrations, consultations, etc. TABLE 1.-Situations Disposed of by the United States Conciliation Service, October 1943, by Type of Situation 1 During the month 185 cases involving 74,979 workers were adjusted subject to hearings-officer or arbitration procedure with the hearings officer or arbiter to be selected by the National War Labor Board. The facilities of the Service were used in 27 major industrial fields, such as building trades and transportation, and the manufacture of iron and steel, transportation equipment, textiles, food, etc. (table 2), and were utilized by employees and employers in 48 States, the District of Columbia, Alaska, Hawaii, and Cuba (table 3). TABLE 2.-Situations Disposed of by United States Conciliation Service, October 1943, by Industries TABLE 3.-Situations Disposed of by United States Conciliation Service, October 1943, All States.. Alabama. Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Colorado by States Connecticut. Cuba Delaware District of Columbia. Florida Georgia. Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts |