- based on an ICPTU report,
Various resolutions dealing with the trade union noint of view on major political, economic and social problems were adonted at the Congress of the International Metalworkers! Federation held from 25 to 28 November 1964 in Vienna. Some 274 deleeates from metalworkers' trade union organisations in 35 countries, represehting 9.3 million workers, attended the Conrress which was chaired by Otto Brenner, president of the Gernan metalworkers' union, Anton Proksch, Austrian minister for social problems, Franz Jonas, Mayor of Vienna, and Anton Benya, president of the Austrian trade union federation OGB, addressed the opening ceremony.
The International Confederation of Free Trade Unions was represented at the Congress by Albert Heyer, director of the ICFTU Geneva office. Walter Schevenels, General Secretary of the ICFTU European Regional Organisation also attended the Congress.
In one of the resolutions, the IMF Congress urzed all governments to recognize the principles of trade union freedom, in other words, that workers skould have the right to form free, indenendent and democratic rade unions and that the rieht to strike be safeguarded. The Congress expressed its solidarity with the Spanish workers struggling for human and trade union rights and condemned the dictatorial regime of General Franco in Spain. The Coneress further appeded to all democratic forces in the wozld to hely the Spanish people in its fight for democratic rule in Snain, It also denounced the racial segregation and anatheid policies of the Government of South Africa. Other resolutions dealt with the impact of technical progress and automation on workers' livine and working conditions; the shortening of the workins week; industrial safety and health insurance; women workers and young workers in the metal industry; trade union education and vocational training. A resolution concernins assistance for trade union movements in developing countries was also adovted,