A demand that one of the Arab delegates from Palestine not be recognized by the World Trade Union Conference, now meeting here, was rejected today by the credentials committee of the Conference. The suggestion came from the Histadruth delegation.
The Arab delegate against whom the Histadruth representatives protested was sent from Jerusalem, with the support of the Palestine Government, as spokesman for the Arab Labor Federation which is opposed to Jewish labor. The credentials committee also approved the seating of George Nassau, another Arab delegate, but stipulated that he is to participate as an observer only. Nassau represents the Palestine Labor League which has been working in full cooperation with the Histadruth for many years.
Berl Locker, Histadruth delegate, and one of the members of the credentials committee, announced that he would not vote against the report submitted by the credentials committee, but that the Histadruth reserves the right to take steps to insure that only bona-fide trade unions become affiliated with the international trade union movement.
Aaren Rabinowicz, another Histadruth delegate, addressing the plenary session of the conference on post-war labor unity, warned against the danger of feudal and meek trade unions which are arising among the Arabs in countries of the Near East under the leadership of “effendis” who are trying to exploit these so-called labor unions for their political aims to create labor bodies which oppose bona-fide trade unions.
“The Histadruth,” the speaker said, “instructed its delegates to emphatically urge post-war unity in the ranks of organized labor, because we, Jews, suffered a terrible fate partly on account of disunity among labor. The task of the international trade union movement is to awaken the masses to real labor principles, for international solidarity, and for a genuine control of the workers movement through democratic elections. We, Jewish labor of Palestine, oppose government interference in the affairs of organized labor.”
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