POWER IN CUBA In the Spring of 1971, the government proclaimed a law against «Ioafing,, compelling all able-bodied men between the age of 17 and 60 to work. Worker absenteeism was 20 % in late 1970. Penalties for the «crime of loafing, fluctuates between house arrest to one or two years at forced labor (23). « Union Democracy» IN SEPTEMBER1970, Castro announced that we « ... are golng to trust the workers to hold tracte union elections in every local. .. the elections will be absolutely free ... , Castro then brazenly contradicted himself, making it clear that « ... only workers who would unconditionally follow government, management and party orders would be elected ... '> (24). The election procedure prohibited candidates from electioneering or advertising their candidacy. Only the election committee had the exclusive right to advertise the «merits, of the candidates. More than half the workers refused to participate in the rigged electoral farce because they did not expect any real changes or because there was only one candidate on the ballot. When the CTC was discussing election proceedings, some union members strongly critlcised the methods of conducting the elections and the choosing of the candidates. The Mlnlster of Labor interrupted the discussion, calling the critics «counter-revolution1sts, and «demagogues, and warning them that thelr «negatlve attitude, had to be «radlcally changed, (25). · The 13th Congress of the CTC (November 1973) was the first in seven years (1966). The Congress was attended by 2,230 delegates allegedly representing 1,200,000 workers. The main business was automatically ratifying or modifying details of the «thes1s, submitted by the organizlng commission (over 99 % in favor). The number of national syndicates was tncreased from 14 to 22 (26). (23) Granma, January 17, 1971. (24) Resumen Granma Semanal, Octuber 10, 1970. (25) (26) Mesa-Lago, lbld., p. 77-76. 57
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