Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-02-05
Strife PeriIs
International
LoborGroup
By JOSEPH M. GAMBATEsE

ny SOoGI n 4NAs Wanda
The International Labor Organi-
cation, founded In 1919 as q League
Of Nations adjunct but not q spe-
cialized agency of the United Ma
tons, is In trouble.
For Is years. until we joined In
1884, the ILO got along without
United States participation. Also
from 1899 to 1854 it got along with
out Russia.
Now that both states are infiuen-
tial members Of the 7l-nation world
labor body HOS ability to carry on
its program Of trying to raise work
ers' living standards the world over
is seriously threatened. So is HOS
very existence.
These are the threats:
. At Geneva headquarters, the
United States delegation is contin-
uing two-year fight over the seat
ing Of so-called employer" and
worker" delegates from eight Com
munist countries.
. Here In the United States, q
three-way split has developed, in
volving not only the Communist
issue but also basic no policies
and the question of whether the
United States should continue as
Sistance to and participation in the
organization.
The main body of no is the In
ternational Labor Conference. at
tended every June by four delegates
from each member country-two
representing the government and
one each sent by the dominant bust
ness and labor organizations as en-
ployer and worker representatives.
The governing body Of 40 meets
this month and two other times a
year as a sort Of board Of directors.
Eight industry committees meet
every two years. Technical assist
ance in labor problems Is provided
to member countries which request
1t.
Year-round activity of no is car
ried on by the International Labor
Office, of which David A. Morse,
former United States Assistant
Secretary Of Labor, has been direc-
tor general since 1913.
Treoty-Mokine
Basically. 10 acts through the
adoption Of conventions for i'm
proving labor standards. These are
in the form Of draft treaties which
members are supposed to take home
for ratification.
The 104 conventions adopted by
no in its 37-year history cover
minimum wages. safety, health.
night work. social security, mater
nifty protection and other matters
affecting workers.
The convention on maternity
benefits. for example, provides that
a worker must be given at least IL
weeks maternity leave, with free
medical care and disqualification
II needed, and receive during that
period cash payment from the gov
eminent equal to two-thirds Of her
wages.
10 also adopts recommendation
and resolutions, which carry less
weight than conventions.
Forced labor is on the agenda for
next June's conference and Job
discrimination will be discussed
in 1857.
The United States has ratified
only seven conventions, six in
volving international working con-
ditions for seamen and one pro-
cedural.
The Communist problem gained
prominence in 1854 after the Soviet
Union, Ukraine and Byelorussia
rejoined no and five other satel-
lites. already members but inactive.
suddenly renewed interest.
Red Delegates Challenged
United States employer and
worker delegates--William L. Nc
Grath, president of Williamson
Heater Co.. Cincinnati, and George
p. Delaney of the AF,L, now AFL-
CIO-and their counterparts from
other free countries Immediately
challenged the seating of Commu-
mist employer and worker" dele
gates. charging that the groups they
represent are not free but under
the control of their governments.
That, 1t is claimed. gives the Com
munist governments actually four
votes. instead of two, in each Of the
eight countries, thus violating the
tripartite representation called for
by HOS constitution and giving
the Communist governments an adj
vantage over free ones. United
States Government delegates sup
ported this position.
Efforts to prevent their being
seated failed and Mr.. McGrath last
year refused to sit on committees
with Communist employer delegates.
An attempt was made to put
through constitutional amendment
which would recognize only employer
and worker delegates nominated by
organizations which are free from
government control. 1t resulted in
the appointment Of a neutral COM
mittee from three countries to study
the extent Of freedom of employer