WESTERN EUROPE CANADA INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS

Document Type: 
Collection: 
Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 
CIA-RDP79T00865A000600190002-5
Release Decision: 
RIPPUB
Original Classification: 
C
Document Page Count: 
10
Document Creation Date: 
December 12, 2016
Document Release Date: 
December 27, 2001
Sequence Number: 
2
Case Number: 
Publication Date: 
March 24, 1975
Content Type: 
NOTES
File: 
AttachmentSize
PDF icon CIA-RDP79T00865A000600190002-5.pdf253.01 KB
Body: 
Approved For Release 2002/01/10 : CIA-RDP79T00865A000600190002-5 Confidentia No Foreio Dictum 0 9 ^ Western Europe Canada International Organizations Confidential s_ Q No. 0159-75 March 24, 1975 Approved For Release 2002/01/10 : CIA-RDP79T00865A000600190002-5 Approved For Release 2002/01/10 : CIA-RDP79T00865A000600190002-5 Warning Notice Sensitive Intelligence Sources and Methods Involved NATIONAL SECURITY INFORMATION Unauthorized Disclosure Subject to Criminal Sanctions Classified by 005827 Exempt from general declassification schedule of E. 0. 11652, exemption category: ? 5B (1), (2), and (3) Automatically declassified on: Date Impossible to Determine Approved For Release 2002/01/10 : CIA-RDP79T00865A000600190002-5 Approved For Release 209/fl'1Y4b; -RUP79T00865A000600190002-5 WESTERN EUROPE -- CANADA - INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS This publication is prepared for regional specialists in the Washington com- munity by the Western Europe Division, Office of Current Intelligr nce, with occasional contributions from other offices within the Directorate of Intelligence. Comments and queries are welcome They should be directed trr, the authors of the individual articles. New Economic Measures Fail to Appease Icelandic Workers . . . . . . . . . . . . . ICFTU's Latin American Regional Organization May be Restructured . . . . . . . . . . . . NATO Consideration of Public Relations Aspects of CSCE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . March 24, 1975 CONFIDENTIAL Approved For Release 2002/01/10 : CIA-RDP79T00865A000600190002-5 Approved For Releas~"'2002~1`/TO": N2.1~9T00865A000600190002-5 25X1A New Economic Measures Fail to Appease Icelandic Workers The Icelandic Federation of Labor's luke- warm reaction to a package of government econ- omic: proposals suggests that a. general strike on April 7 is still under consideration. The economic proposals are designed to cut government spending and assist low-income workers. Income tax laws will be adjusted and some import duties will be reduced or eliminated. The government claims that the proposed tax reduction will. mean a six to seven percent increase in wages. Forced savings measures will require those with high income3 to purchase government bonds. The government also proposes a tax on departing travelers and an increase in landing charges. Current wage negotiations between the government and labor under way for weeks have made little progress. Labor had hoped that the government's package would contain tough measures to ease the economic pinch. Labor claims that a 20 percent devaluation of the kronur last month, a one percent sales tax hike, and recent rate increases for utilities have contributed to nearly a 50 percent loss in purchasing power over the last year. The Icelandic Federation of Labor must give notice by March 26 in order to strike on April 7. A Labor spokesman said that after a thorough examination of the government's package, the IFL would inform the government of its reaction. March 24, 1975 CONFIDENTIAL Approved For Release 2002/01/10 : CIA-RDP79T00865A000600190002-5 Approved For Release fiklNfl iC[ tiTT00865A000600190002-5 Labor's patience is wearing thin. The unions probably believe that a strike is their only remaining option following the frustrating wage negotiations and the disappointing tax bill. (Confidential) March 24, 1975 CONFIDENTIAL Approved For Release 2002/01/10 : CIA-RDP79T00865A000600190002-5 CONFIDENTIAL Approved For Release 2002/01/10 : CIA-RDP79T00865A000600190002-5 25X1A ICFTU's Latin American Regional Organization be Restructured An International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU) delegation--composed of the organization's President, Secretary General and top officials of the Mexican and certain West European affiliates--are winding up a two-week "special mission" to Latin America. The main purpose of the trip is to discuss the policies and future of ICFTU's Interamerican Regional Organization of Workers (ORIT) with Latin American affiliates. ORIT has been in a deep crisis for some time as a result of financial and administra- tive problems coupled with widespread member dissatisfaction over the organization's poli- cies and general ineffectiveness. In particular, there are sharp differences between ICFTU and ORIT regarding Chile. Various European trade union leaders believe that ORIT has shown in- sufficient concern over the coup and subsequent developments. There has been considerable pressure on ICFTU to either reorganize or dis- band ORIT and the leaders of the Mexican, Colombian, Venezuelan, and Argentinian affili- ates agreed last December to work toward the creation of a new regional organization. During their visit to Caracas, the ICFTU delegation held substantive talks with local trade unionists and a consensus was reached that the Latin American democratic trade union movement badly needs restructuring in order to give it a new impetus. To this end, it was agreed that representatives of the key ORIT labor centrals--Canada, Mexico, Colombia, March 24, 1975 a 3 -3- CONFIDENTIAL Approved For Release 2002/01/10 : CIA-RDP79T00865A000600190002-5 01- ~~M~0`: T Approved For Release 2002f0~~F7 865A000600190002-5 Venezuela, and the US--would get together before the ICFTU World Congress in Mexico in October in order to discuss what form the hemispheric organization should take. It was implicit during the discussion that the end result of this process might be a simple reform of ORIT, and a. replacement of its present leadership, rather than the creation of an entirely new organization. The Venezuelans had been in the fore- front of those pushing for a new organization and their readiness to retain the ORIT structure may result from the fact that the Mexicans have paid up their back dues and an expectation that a Venezuelan would take over the Secretary Generalship as a part of a prospective reorganization. ICFTU and the Venezuelans also agreed that it is essential that the AFL-CIO and the Canadian union organization should continue to participate in the hemispheric labor organiza- tion. (Confidential) 25X1A March 24, 1975 -4- C,ONFIDENTI.AL Approved For Release 2002/01/10 : CIA-RDP79T00865A000600190002-5 Approved For Releas 02/0?/'fD'. NA- RDP79T00865A000600190002-5 25X1A NATO Consideration of Public Relations A?3cts of CSCE NATO's political committee last week approved the US proposal that basic guidance be drawn up for members to use in explaining the results of CSCE to their publics. The representatives seemed to agree on several points: --The West should strike a balance be- tween the positive and the negative. While it should be stressed that CSCE is only an element of detente and does not necessarily represent a turning point in East-West relations, Western participants should not appear to be "poor losers" by overemphasizing the conference's limited results. ---This balance will be difficult to achieve. As the Danish representa- tive put it, the West will have to overcome the "paradox" of saying that 'SCE results are positive enough to permit a summit-level conclusion while at the same time emphasizing that the conference's achievements are not earth-shaking. Western participants should stress that the ultimate importance of CSCE can only be judged after it is seen how agreements are implemented. -Each Western participant, within the March 24, 1975 _5- CONFIDEN'TIAL Approved For Release 2002/01/10 : CIA-RDP79T00865A000600190002-5 )VI Approved For Release7l.'iD-k&T00865A000600190002-5 limits of the basic guidelines agreed upon, will wish to stress different themes in different ways. The French representative illustrated this last point when he said that, unlike other Western participants, France will not be able to emphasize that MBFR is the key to military detente in Europe. The French- man thought his country would also wish to stress that detente is as much a bilateral as a multilateral exercise. The West Ger- man representative said that, in order to counter likely Soviet propaganda claims that the conference had codified'the ter- ritorial status quo in Europe, Bonn would wish to point to the CSCE provision endorsing the peaceful change of borders. (Confidential No Foreign Dissem) March 24, 1975 AFT-6- Approved For ReleasecU21 AP IA 1~bAT00865A000600190002-5 Approved For Release 2002/01/10 : CIA-RDP79T00865A000600190002-5 Confidential Confidential Approved For Release 2002/01/10 : CIA-RDP79T00865A000600190002-5