International Labor Organization Hears Report on Jewish Labor, Industry in Israel

A report on the achievements of Jewish labor and industry in Israel was presented today to the International Labor Organization, meeting here.

Speaking in behalf of the Histadrut, I. Bershira outlined the role which the establishment of specialized settlements played in the increase in industrial production and services. He also lauded the setting up of a network of Histadrut schools and other cultural institutions as aiding in this development. The Israeli delegate emphasized that Jewish labor in the new state considers the absorption of thousands of newly-arriving immigrants into the life of the country its chief responsibility at the present time.

M. Rosen, representative of the Israeli Manufacturers Association, reviewed the growth of industry from its early beginnings during the mandatory period to the present time. During the war, he asserted, Jewish industry in Palestine rendered important assistance to the Allied war effort. Israel’s principal industries, he added, are now concentrated in the fields of textile manufacture, food production, chemical and pharmaceutical products, metal goods and diamond cutting.

The Israeli industrial envoy declared that manufacturers in the Jewish state favor a high standard of living for workers whose purchasing power, he noted, is the “main factor in the country’s inland market.” Mr. Rosen stated that employers and employees in Israel “enjoy full freedom of association” and said that industry in the Jewish state was seeking to create employment for all. He also stressed the need for private capital investment front overseas to aid in the absorption of large numbers of immigrants.