CPSU Central Committee, 'On an Answer to Questions from the International Labor Organization on Questions of Conversion of the Defense Industry and Related Areas'

CPSU Central Committee

On an answer to questions from the International Organization of labor on questions of conversion of the defense industry and related areas

In the course of a number of years the Soviet Union and other Socialist countries and trade unions of various orientations have received the conclusions of the International Organization of Labor (IOL) on activity to underscore the idea of peace and disarmament, thanks to which the topic of disarmament is reflected in research conducted by the IOL and its publications.

In order to fully illuminate the possible impact of conversion of the military industry on the workforce, the International Office of Labor (the working agency of the IOL) prepared questions that were sent to member countries of the IOL in October of 1984 (attached). In doing so it was taken into account that the answers obtained could be used for a deeper analysis of problems related to the socio-economic consequences of disarmament.

At the present time answers have been received from 45 countries. The most important in a military sense from countries of the West – USA, Great Britain, FRG, France – presented rather detailed answers to a significant portion of the questions. Some countries held back partially, with selective information said they would send an answer later. Luxembourg, Norway and Switzerland declared that the information in their responses is of a confidential nature or does not enter into the purview of the IOL. The information obtained allowed the IOL to hold forth and distribute a whole number of documents on questions of conversion. Socialist countries, with the exception of Yugoslavia, have not as of yet reacted.

The lack of any response from our side hampers progress on initiatives and proposals on including research on questions of the socio-economic consequences of disarmament in the IOL Program, which is useful to the forces that would like to draw the organization away from consideration of this extremely important problem. Questions of the socio-economic consequences of disarmament are poorly studied in our country. At the same time the USSR’s answer to the IOL’s questions, insofar as is possible (not all of the IOL’s questions require an answer in full form) would enable reinforcement of our position in the organization, and would give a new impulse to its activity in this area.

Judging from the approaches to the problem of conversion and disarmament laid out by M.S. Gorbachev in an address to the United Nations, it is suggested to assign Gosplan, the State Commission of the USSR Council of Ministers on Military-Industrial Questions, and the USSR Ministry of Internal Affairs together with the USSR Commission on IOL Affairs (Comrade I.I. Gladkii) to review the question and to submit proposals to the CPSU Central Committee on a possible answer to the IOL on questions of conversion in the defense industry and related areas.

[Crossed out: “A draft CPSU Central Committee resolution is attached.”]

Deputy Director of the International Department of the CPSU Central Committee

(K. Brutents)

Director of the Defense Department of the CPSU Central Committee

[Handwritten: “U. Betenov”]

Director of the Socio-Economic Department of the CPSU Central Committee

(V. Shimko)

December 26, 1988

[Signatures]