Amsterdam International Praises Jewish Labor’s Cooperation with Arabs

(Jewish Telegraphic Agency)

The efforts of the Jewish Labor Organization in Palestine to cooperate with the Arab workers were highly praised and the attacks of Communists against the Palestine Jewish Labor Organization were repudiated by the International Federation of Trade Unions, known as the Amsterdam International. The Palestine labor organization is affiliated with the International.

A report of the International’s press service states:

“The national trade union centre of Palestine now numbers some 23,000 members. The Communists are constantly accusing it of thwarting the organization of Arab workers, but there is really no ground for the accusation; the centre does all it possibly can to recruit Arabs. If success cannot come in a day, this is not due to any ill will of the Centre, but to natural difficulties of a cultural and social kind, and to the fact that, as yet, very few Arabs are industrial workers. Moreover, the comparative backwardness of industry is also an important factor.

“In agriculture, which is the principal occupation of Palestine, the Arab fellaheen, who are the chief cultivators of the soil, are mostly peasant tenants who rent their land from the government or from the large landowners in plots usually too small to need the aid of land-workers. Industrially, with the exception of the enterprises founded by Jewish capital since the war, there are but few concerns and these, which are chiefly engaged in making soap, cigarettes and earthenware, are all primitive and, together with handicrafts, only find employment for some few thousands of Arab workers.

“Arab workers are also to be found in transport concerns (the railways) in constructional works, road-making, and as dockers, but most of these are not permanent residents in the places where they work, so that it is a very difficult matter to organize them. A considerable number have already, however, been won for trade unionism. For instance, 50% of the members of the railwaymen’s union are Arabs and in many other trades there are the beginnings of Arab organizations, which receive all possible aid from the Jewish workers.

“Last year, with their help a strike of Arab carpenters and tailors was successfully organized and ended in victory, working hours being thereby reduced from 14 to 9 hours. A club of Arab workers has been founded at Haifa through the agency of the Jewish workers. The national centre issues a weekly paper in Arabic. Of course, the Communists do their best to undermine the bona fide organizations under the pretext of a ‘Unity movement’. At the same time they maintain relations with the ‘effendis’ or large land-owners and leaders of the reactionary Nationalist Party, for reasons which are not far to seek. As usual, they must needs create confusion and upheaval, no matter at how high a cost, or what means are employed to do it!”