CONFIDENT TAL
Hong Kong
9.
Mr Murray said that the TUC had now received Professor Turner's interim report and had noted that this would be discussed at the April meeting of the Overseas Labour Consultative Committee.
Rhodesia
10.
Mr Jones wished to record the TUC's interest in the Rhodesian situation and their hope that eventually the British trade union movement would have a part to play in that country.
Cyprus
11.
Mr Jones hoped that the trade union movement might help in bringing together Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots. The ICFTU was currently exploring the possibilities in Cyprus of defining areas of possible co-operation between the two communities. Unfortunately the main trade union organisation, the PEO, was affiliated to the WFTU and not the ICPTU. Dr Owen thought the outlook in Cyprus was more hopeful even though past experience indicated that a step forward was sometimes followed by a move back. For instance there had been snags, mainly on the Turkish side, over the forthcoming Vienna meeting and it was still apparent that there was deep-seated resistance by the Turkish Government to a settlement. Cyprus was an area in which American influence might play a major part.
Chile
12. Mr Jones expressed continuing concern over the numerous trade unionists still in prison. He thought that the attitude of the Chilean Government had hardened recently and something should be done to strengthen opposition to the military regime. Dr Owen revealed that the new American Secretary of State, Mr Vance, was looking at the options open in Chile. The Americans wanted to work with us and the British Government might follow the Americans in a tougher policy towards General Pinochet and his Government. Mr Jones commented that the attitude of the American trade union movement was still ambivalent, probably because of their earlier involvement in opposition to President Allende. He hoped that the American and British Administra- tions would oppose financial and economic support to Chile. Dr Owen did not rule out international bodies such as the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund taking human rights issues into consid- eration. President Carter had already shown himself to be particularly tough on human rights and his firmness was a new factor among democratic politicians.
13.
In reply to Mr Jones' criticism of the forthcoming Chile versus Scotland international football match in a stadium which had been used for detaining Chilean trade unionists, Dr Owen referred to the recent firm letter sent by Mr Rowlands to the Scottish Football Association on this issue. International sporting links would also be reviewed at the Commonwealth Prime Ministers' Conference in June.
/Argentina
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