Arab and Jewish Labor Relations in Palestine before 1948 (Nakba), British Mandate: A Survey of Palestine: Volume II - Page 766. Chapter XVII: Labour And Wages: Section 6: Labor Organizations:

CHAPTER XVII.

Al Ittihad became initially the organ of the Congress, although it is planned to restore the independence of the paper, which is primarily a political one, and substitute in its place a Congress bulletin, The Federation of Arab Trade Unions and Labour Societies ceased to be active as an independent organization and voluntarily relinquished its authority to the Congress,

67. The Jaffa conference also appointed two representatives to attend the Paris World Trade Union Conference. One of them had already been the representative of the Federation of Arab Trade Unions and Labour Societies at the London Conference. In point of fact, the two representatives elected appeared in Paris in the name of the Federation, as the invitations to attend had been addressed to that body, The representative of the majority Arab trade union movement sitting on the General Council of the World Trade Union Federation appointed at Paris in September, 1945, was actually there in the name of the Federation of Arab Trade Unions and Labour Societies.

68. It will be noted that the respective roles of the Palestine Arab Workers Society and Federation representatives who attended the London Conference were reversed at the Paris Conference. The delegate at the Paris Conference was a Federation man; the Palestine Arab Workers Society representatives were observers only. The Federation (Arab Workers Congress) representatives succeeded in convincing the Credentials Committee of the Conference that they were able to speak for the majority of organized Arab labour. The Federation delegate is one of the three Palestine trade union representatives appointed to the General Council of the World Trade Union Federation. The two others represent the Histadruth and the Palestine Labour League,

69, The aim of the leaders of the movement directed by the Executive Committee of the Arab Trade Union Congress is to achieve unity in the Arab trade union movement, They aspire to reach an understanding with the Palestine Arab Workers Society, but the latter so far is not reacting favourably to the proposal. It is early yet to foresee the future trend of events.

70. The present total of all organized Arab workers may be taken to be between 15 ,000 and 20 ,000 members.

Arab Jewish Labour relations,

71. Political considerations dominate the problem of Arab-Jewish labour relations. On the surface, deference is paid on both sides to the ideal of cooperation and a few conceive of an even-

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