(Jewish Telegraphic Agency Mail Service)
The World Migration Congress convoked here by the International Federation of Trade Unions and the Labor and Socialist International adopted a number of resolutions as submitted by the Commission appointed for the purpose of unifying the original resolutions and the amendments.
In the introduction to the resolutions it is said that an incentive to emigration, whether temporary or permanent, is the ever-present desire of the workers to leave countries with lower standards of living and go to others, where the standard of life is higher.
From territories which are greatly overpopulated, and backward in industrial development, there is also a constant stream of emigrants; and yet another cause of emigration which is continually coming to the fore is the political oppression of the workers.
The rush of large numbers of workers to those countries where economic conditions are better and which are therefore still capable of absorbing them may in certain cases be a danger to the working classes of these states, because there are just grounds for fearing a depression of the level of wages and other working conditions for native workers in these countries.
The Congress does not regard the present especially strong tendency towards emigration from states with unfavorable economic conditions as being an effective and permanent method of overcoming the economic crisis; on the other hand, it considers emigration as a phenomenon which is an inevitable result of capitalist development.
The Conference desires to emphasize its conviction that it is the duty of all governments to provide for the solution of migration problems in the manner best conductive to international peace and good-will, and to the protection of the interests both of the emigrant workers and of the workers in the countries to which they go.
The Congress therefore instructs the International Federation of Trade Unions and the Labor and Socialist International to appoint a joint commission to make a further study of the economic, racial, color and social factors entering into the migration question and to bring the results before a future Congress.
The resolutions state: “This Congress considers that every country should establish a state migration office on which the trade union organizations should have adequate representation. In addition, an International Migration Office, also with adequate trade union representation, should be created within the framework of the International Labor Office to draw up international conventions and recommendations concerning migration and to provide ample and reliable information concerning migration.
“The Congress demands the strict prohibition of all propaganda in favour of emigration by private transport enterprises, and the abolition of all private migration agencies. For this purpose it recommends that, where these do not already exist, state migration offices shall be set up to advise and give moral assistance to emigrants. The trade union centres must have adequate representation on these offices. The function of these offices shall be to prepare and secure the passing of legislation providing for the abolition of all private migration agencies, and also for the supply of full and reliable information concerning wages, etc., in the countries of immigration, the medical examination of emigrants before departure, the provision of good travelling conditions, the reception of the emigrants in the countries of immigration and their conveyance to the places where they will live and work.
“The legislation of every country must ensure to all immigrant workers, both male and female, the same rights as national workers in respect to wages and working conditions. The unfair recruiting of immigrants must be stopped by making all emigration agents and all other persons acting in the business interests of these responsible for all prejudice caused to emigrants through the violation of existing regulations or interstate agreements.
“The Congress demands the abolition of passport and visa charges for emigrants in countries of emigration, transit and immigration.
“This Congress recommends that all labor bodies cooperate to secure for immigrant workers complete equality of treatment in respect of all forms of social insurance established by law in the country of immigration.
“In view of the inequality of the progress made in the various countries in the important field of social legislation, this Congres welcomes the efforts of the International Labor Office to standardize such legislation, and recommends that these efforts should be accelerated and extended to every form of social insurance (compensation for industrial accidents, unemployment, sickness, invalidity, old-age and death insurance, widows and orphans pensions).
“The Congress also considers that everything should be done pending the achievement of the above to promote the adoption of the principle of reciprocity of treatment.
“This Congress recommends the International Federation of Trade Unions to take all necessary measures for the organization of immigrant workers.
“With regard to trade union organization, this Congress recommends that international regulations should be drawn up by the national centres affiliated with the Trade Union International and the International Trade Secretariats to ensure the prompt and smooth transfer of emigrant workers from their unions in the old countries to the competent in the new; that trade union centres should do all in their power by propaganda of every kind to stimulate the organization of immigrant workers in trade unions, special groups of foreign nationalities being formed only with the sanction of the national centre in the country of immigration; and that the trade union centres should endeavor to secure the equality of treatment of immigrant members in respect of all trade union benefit.
“The Congress demands the abolition of all restrictions on the right to work of certain categories of workers provided that these restrictions drive these workers out of their native land. Emigrant workers who for political reasons cannot establish their nationality should be provided with passports by an international body.”
Resolutions extolling the lives and accomplishments of the late Alton B. Parker and Oscar S. Straus were read on July 1 at a memorial meeting of the Executive Committee of the National Civic Federation, of which Judge Parker was formely President and Mr. Straus a Vice President. Matthew Woll, Acting President; Frederick R. Coudert and Archibald E. Stevenson paid tributes to them for their services to the community and the country.
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
