CPR Delegates Oppose WFTU Conference Plan (FBIS, 13 May 1964)

=== [PDF page 1] === CPR DELEGATRSOPEOSES WEEN CONFERENCE PLAN | Peking NCNA International Service in English 1309 GMI. 13 May 1964--W (Text) Bucharest, 2 Mey --The ‘Sec ona” Tt ernational ne ade Union Conference on the Problems - of Women Workers opened - ‘here on ll May.: A sharp debate took place over the composition of the conference presidium as proposed by the Secretariat of the World Federsetion of Trade Unions (WFLU) in accordance with the opinion of a few persons. === [PDF page 2] === Renato Bitossi, chairman of the WFTU, announced at the conference that an honorary presidium of the conference should be formed by the heads of the delegations to the conference gnd that an executive presidium should be formed by the heads of 18 delegations including China, Cuba, France, the Soviet Union, and Yugeslavia, the members of the WFIU executive -. committee taking part at the conference. He demanded that the conference put this decision--arbitgarily made by a handful of persons--to the vote. At this point, Jorgji Prenti, head of the Albanian delegation, rose to speak. She expressed the indignation of her delegation at the composition of the presidium as proposed by the WFTU Secretariat. She opposed the inclusion of the Fugoslav trade union organization in the executive presidium while the organizattotts of many countries at the very forefront of the fight against imperialism, colonialism, and neocolonialism were excluded from it. She pointed out that the activities of the Yugoslav trade union organization were part of the treacherous policy of the Yugoslav leaders, that the Yugoslav organization was an agent’ of U.5. imperialism, and that, under the cloak of nonalignment, it wes carrying out divisive activities within the international trade union movement and plotting against the socialist countries. Speaking next, Huang Kan-ying, vice head of the Chinese delegation, expressed firm opposition to the undemocratic practice of the WETU Secretariat. In order to make the conference a success, she said, matters concerning the composition of the presidium, the agenda and regulations of the conference should be submitted to the conference after unanimity of views was reached through democratic consultation. Respect for the © democratic rights of the delegates to the conference demanded this. It is regrettable that the conference had acted otherwise and in an obviously undemocratic way, she said. Whet is especially shocking, she went on, is the exclusion of the trade union organizations of many countries which are standing staunchly at the foréfront of the struggle agesinst imperialism, colonialism and neocolonialism and in defense of national independence, such as Albania, Korea, Guinea, and Mali, from the executive presidium as proposed by the WFIU Secretariat. Among the members of the executive presidium is the Yugoslav organization whose leadership has been bought over by and is in the service of U.S. imperialism,:and is engaged in undermining the unity of the international trade union movement. In what way is this justifiable? she asked, The Chinese delegation she said, proposes that the methods practiced at the fifth congress of the WFDU be adopted at the: present conference, that is, oll delegations, big and small, should take part in the presidium and act as executive chairman by rotation and no executive presidium.° need be formed, === [PDF page 3] === Sri Ambar, head of the Indonesian delegetion, opposed the WFTU secretariat's proposal on the composition of the presidium. According to practice, she said, a presidium should be formed only after all the delegations were consulted and that it sould be fair and not discriminative. Many countries, especially Asian, African, and Latin American countries, were excluded in the proposal. In the opinion of her delegation, she said, the best way would be the inclusion of the heads of all delegations who’ should serve in rotation as executive chairman, In face of the firm opposition of the Albanian, Chinese, and Indonesian delegates, Renato Bitossi resorted to demagogy. He accused the Albanian delegate of making "political attacks" in her speech and alleged that the WFIU Secretariat's proposal "conformed to" the Indonesian celegate's proposal and that the Secretariat's practice. was "most democratic," In aefiance of the reasonable views-expressed, he demanded that the conference put the proposal to the vote, Kuo Chien, vice head of the Chinese delegation, immediately rose to sterniy criticize the arbitrary practice of the WFTU Secretariat. She pointed out thet this was a carefully designed plan on the part of a handful of WETU lesders in an attempt to manipulate the conference and thst it was @ most undemocratic way totry to reilrcad anything by means of the voting machine. She reiterated the opinion of the Chinese delegaticn which stood for the inclusion of all delegations in the executive pres? “ium. While Kuo Chien was speaking, somewdelegates made catcalls, A Russianspeaking woman left her seat, and standing in the aisle, uttered strange shrill cries. The proposal of the WFIU Secretariat was finally forced through the meeting by means of the voting machine, The Indonesian, Albanian, Korean, and Chinese delegates voted against it, the Japanese delegation abstained and some other delegations did not take part in the voting. The agenda of the conference is as follows: 1) Participation of women workers in the trade union struggle to realize the program of action adopted by the Fifth Congress of the World Federation of Trede Unions and to oppose the antisocial discriminative policies against women workers followed by capitalist monopolies; 2) Role and contribution of women workers of colonies and newly independent countries in the struggle to eradicate colonialism and to strive for and. extend their rights; 3) Efforts to bring and organize wide sections of women workers into trade unions and to make them take an active part in trade union life and Leadership..