SUCCLUSSuS AGAINST BILCTAN ABR IOCUIKS DILL BILL ©
BRUSSELS, April © -- The struggle against. ined eunrie legislation now pending in iarliament reached a new pitch at the Inmlarzged National | Committee meeting of the Lelgian Federation of Trade Unions yesterday | when 43% of the mandates were cast ar:ainst. adoption. With 3.5% abstaining, the right wing was able to nuster a majority of only 55- 52, This — is the snollest majority ever rec'istered at a gongeens or enlarged meeting of the FGTB: é 4
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The vote is even more significant in light of the fact that Oe of the mandates from the Walloon part of the country were cast against the legislation although on April 6 the Socialist party congress of the billy instructing the Members of TESTERS ee vote in favor re) e °
The minority opposing the projected law got 305 of the vote but 59 of the Walloon ballots.
Asa result ‘of this sensational progress of the left wing in both the Socialist party and the unions, 12 Socialist MP's refused to follow the instructions of the SIF congress when the antistrike legislation come up for a first vote today in the House of Representatives.
This ‘is ‘the first time in the history of the Belgian Social- Lesocratic party that such a large number of Members of Parliament bave broken reformist discipline. They were suspended from the Socialist group in Parlianent, but their future depends on the fate of the whole left wing in the "Socialist party and the trade unions.
Lecders of the left wing have repeatedly mode it clear that they will stick together. lUowever, this does not inply that the expulsion of sone of the. rebels yould automatically lead to a major split off.
The district organizotions controlled by the left wing, including the Lieve district, Delgium’s most important industrial, working-class and. socialist stronghold, would defy the decisions of the bureaucracy by reinstating the expelled comrades as members of their ciepricts ‘with full stonding.
The bureaucracy would then have to either expel the districts ' with their tens of thousands of members or accept the new situation and the de facto autonomy of the left wing of the perey: in Farliament.
j:eonwhile’ "harassing" strikes continue in several: parts. of the country as protests against the proposed laws and advanced workers are following with the greatest interest this tug-of-war between the left wingers, who have remained faithful to the working class, and the reformist bureaucrats, who have sacrificed every principle of socialisn to maintain a coalition government with the bourseoisie.
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