LABOR FRONT

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80-01065A000600010028-1
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 5
• Document Creation Date: November 11, 2016
• Document Release Date: June 14, 1999
• Sequence Number: 28
• Publication Date: October 11, 1951
• Content Type: MEMO

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MEMORANDUM
October 11, 1951
25X1A
To; - CIA
Bldg.
Room 1509, "KII p dg
iWOM
25X10 Attached is a brief statement of the problem
on the labor front. I have
written it rather hurriedly, but I think I have covered
the essential points.
TOP SECRET
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Subject: Labor Front
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TOP SECRET
In the Communist arsenal of weapons, there is none so important
as the use they make of the trade union and labor movements to further
their ends in non-Communist countries. Penetration, infiltration and
the seizure of control of trade unions, especially those in the
strategic industries, such as coal, communications, transport, mari-
time, steel and engineering trades, and government service, represent
the most fundamental precept of Marxist, Leninist and Stalinist revolu-
tionary strategy. Since Lenin's time, the trade union represents the
major medium through which the Communists work.
The technique of establishing Communist control has been reduced
to a science. The effort and energy expended on the trade union front,
the training of specialists for this work, and the central direction
of Communist activities in the trade unions from Moscow represent
not just another front on which they operate but a major and decisive
front. There are four reasons for this concentration on the trade
union movement.
a. It gives them an economic stranglehold on a country, which
they use in two ways: strikes to hurt production; wage
demands to encourage inflation.
b. It gives them direct control over masses and enables them
to paralyze a country in times of insurrection and rebellion.
c. It enables them to foster class hatred and national disunity.
d. It gives them the means of sabotage and espionage.
The Communists are now the dominant group in the trade union
movements of France, Italy and Indonesia. They have powerful groups
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established in the trade union movements of Japan and India. They
have a substantial, if less dangerous measure of control,in Finland,
and in most of the primitive unions in Central and South America,
Africa and the Middle East. Their most serious threat, however, is
in the first five countries named, i.e., Italy, France, Indonesia,
Japan and India.
To dislodge and destroy Communist control of the trade unions
must be a major objective of American policy. To achieve this, the
main responsibility falls, in the first instance, on the governments
of the respective countries. The social and economic policies which
they follow have an important bearing on the strength of Communist
influence, for by eliminating unemployment, improving wage and social
legislation, equalizing the distribution of wealth, etc., etc., these
governments can deprive the Communists of the basis of their mass
appeal. But beyond this, only these governments have the power to
take steps to strengthen the bona fide trade union elements, and to
weaken the Communists where they exercise control.
Another powerful force ranged against Communist control of the
trade unions is the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions
created by the bona fide trade unions of the world, including the
AFL, CIO, the British TUC, etc. This body, with the regional organi-
zations which it is now developing, is the main counter-weight to the
Communist-controlled World Federation of Trade Unions. Associated
with the ICFTU are the International Transportworkers Federation, the
International Metal Trades Federation, the International Clothing
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Workers Federation, and a half dozen other international organiza-
tions created by bona fide trade unions in particular industries.
In the United States, the AFL and its associated Free Trade
Union Committee have since 1945 supported bona fide trade union
elements in various countries in their efforts to rid the trade
union movement of Communist control. They maintain representatives
in Germany, Europe, Indonesia, India and Japan for this work. But
they are hard pressed for funds and have great difficulty expanding
their activities. The CIO, since its break with the VVFTU, has also
been fighting Communism in the international field and has one repre-
sentative 4br Europe and one in Italy.
The encouragement of free trade unions throughout the world
represents a basic policy of the U.S. government, The Mutual
Security Law, just passed, specifically lays this down as legislative
policy as well. The State Department maintains labor advisors in
Washington and has a eorps of about 30 labor attaches in the field.
ECA has a Labor Division in Washington and labor advisors in nearly
all their missions. The Labor Information Service of the EGA and the
one now developing under the USIE have as their objective the trade
union field.
A measure of cooperation and participation exists between the
free labor unions and the Government in order to further the twin
objectives of fighting communism in the international trade union
field and developing,strong bona fide trade unions. There is, however,
a great deal more that can be done in this field both by the Government
and by the unions working separately and in concert. Similarly the
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'MP CRFT
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influence of this Government can be brought to bear on certain
other Governments to induce them to follow policies designed to
strengthen bona fide labor movements.
25X1 C
TOP SECRET
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