The fighting organization of the Professional Unions of Albania has completed 45 years of activity. Throughout all these years it has stood alongside the Party and, under its leadership, has actively taken part and carried out important tasks for building socialism and defending the victories of the revolution. It has become an organization dear not only to the working class, but to all our socialist Albania. The Professional Unions of Albania are the work of the Party and Comrade Enver Hoxha. Their establishment, just two and a half months after the country’s Liberation, put into practice the Leninist teaching that they are not only historically necessary, but also a historically inevitable organization of the working class. Under the new conditions created after Liberation, when the Party’s revolutionary program for building socialism began to be implemented, the creation of the Professional Unions was an urgent demand of the time. They inherited the finest revolutionary traditions of the Albanian working class, which, imbued by the Party with the ideal of the struggle for freedom and confident that through struggle, sacrifice and blood Albania would be liberated and become master of its own destiny, entered the path of revolution and triumphed, established people’s power and, at the head of all working people, embarked on the work and constructive struggle to make Albania a free country of free people. The mission of the working class in the revolution and in the socialist transformation of the country has been and remains of paramount importance. A historic mission. To raise the working class to the height of this mission, the professional unions have made and continue to make an outstanding contribution—Comrade Ramiz Alia stressed in his speech at the meeting of the General Council of the BPSH—[their tasks] are determined by the position and contribution of the working class itself, which is the decisive force in socialist construction. Therefore, just as the objectives of building and defending socialist society, developing production and other social activities have taken on new social and qualitative dimensions, and just as the role and active force of the working class grow, so too does the weight and importance of the tasks of its professional-union organization.” The working class is now engaged in broad activity and vigorous work to implement the decisions of the 8th and 9th Plenums of the Party’s CC. Our country is experiencing a phase of progress in its economic base and the continuous democratization of social life. It is entering a new stage of development. The international situation, in which, following events in Eastern Europe, an all-out attack against socialism has been launched and continues, makes the task of successfully advancing the country’s socialist construction even more urgent. Against this backdrop of events and developments, the tasks of the professional unions become even clearer: to increase the role and activity of the masses, invigorate socialism’s driving forces and close every path that could lead to the distortion of its established values. The professional unions have major responsibilities and play an important role in strengthening the power of the working class, defending the socialist line, advancing the causes of the new society, strengthening the national economy and protecting the interests of socialism. Devoted and faithful to the Party line to the very end. With inexhaustible creative energy. Better setting all this force in motion would bring even greater benefits to socialism, make our life more prosperous and our socialist homeland stronger. The balance sheet of the great successes achieved in the 45 years of activity of the professional unions also gives us a deep conviction in the new possibilities that must be brought into play. These possibilities lie in socialism’s striving and in the enthusiasm of our people. The Party’s thinking and the people’s will, the will of the working class, are in complete unity. This is also the source of strength for the professional-union organization. The tasks set by the times are not easy. Experience is rich, but it must be raised to new levels. Bureaucratism stands in the way of the masses’ revolutionary drive, their initiative and the working class’s creative and innovative spirit. The professional unions must fight this corrosive and degenerative phenomenon even more resolutely, everywhere raising the powerful and irreplaceable weapon of mass control, especially workers’ control. The working class, together with its organization, cannot successfully wage the struggle to strengthen people’s power and uphold socialist victories without establishing strict control over everyone and everything. Wherever workers’ control is exercised, the healthy breeze of socialist democracy must blow. In the great school of workers’ control, the professional-union organization has great opportunities to educate and teach workers to supervise and lead, to defend independence and working class’s mission country has been, and remains, of paramount importance. It is a historic mission. The Professional Unions, through all their educational, ideological, political and social activity, have made and continue to make an outstanding contribution to raising the working class to the level of this mission. They have played a major role in the leadership and development of the country, acting powerfully as a political, educational and organizational force to mobilize the creative energies of workers and other sections of the intelligentsia in the service of material and social progress and the country’s prosperity. “The place and role of the unions a path that could lead to the distortion of its powerful values. The Professional Unions have major duties the working class, defending the socialist line, exposing the shortcomings of the new society, strengthening the national economies and, in particular, ensuring the economic and political independence of the homeland. The Party’s demand that the Professional Unions, too, immerse themselves in the revolutionary spirit of the times is more relevant than ever. Any standing still, any complacency, formalism or routine, would weaken the fighting spirit of this mass, militant organization. It has 840,000 members, 700,000 of whom are workers. A powerful workers’ army. ... through the great school of workers’ control, the Professional Unions organization has vast opportunities to educate and teach workers to exercise control and leadership, to defend the integrity of our order, and to protect socialist property and proletarian morality. Each of our celebrations is beautiful not only because of the optimistic balances we draw, but especially because of the outlook we cast toward the future. The decisions of the 9th Plenum are serving as a great source of inspiration for the working class and all working masses, so that they may speak out forcefully on all the problems of the country’s socialist construction.

Yesterday afternoon, the people of the city of Korçë warmly welcomed veterans and activists of the Professional Unions, who had come here from all the country’s districts to take part in celebrations marking the 45th anniversary of the founding of the BPSH. Also arriving here to take part in this celebration of the working class and all the country’s working people were members of the Political Bureau of the Party’s Central Committee, Comrades Besnik Bekteshi, Pali Miska and Rita Marko; Pilo Peristeri, member of the Party’s Central Committee; Sotir Koçollari, president of the General Council of the BPSH; as well as leading cadres of the central mass organizations, etc. They were welcomed by the first secretary of the Korçë District Party Committee, Comrade Vangjel Çërrava, the chairman of the district People’s Council Executive Committee, Gjergji Krastafillaku, and other comrades. On this occasion, the premiere of the professional revue “Humor and Songs - 1990” was staged in the square by the city’s “Andon Z. Çajupi” Theatre. The guests at this celebration spent the evening happily with families of the residents of the city of Korçë. According to ATSH

BPSH (Photo plates by Niko Xhufka)

REPORTAGE One of these days, on the eve of the celebration… One of these days, on the eve of the celebration, we were talking with the chairman of Ymer Peca: “The enameling furnace keeps breaking down, almost every wee-

The Chairman of the Presidium of the People’s Assembly of the People’s Socialist Republic of Albania, Comrade Ramiz Alia, sent the following congratulatory telegram to the president of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Akbar Hashem Rafsanjani: On the occasion of Iran’s national holiday, I have the pleasure, on behalf of the Albanian people, the Presidium of the People’s Assembly and myself, of sending you sincere greetings and conveying to the friendly Iranian people my best wishes for their happiness and for the progress and prosperity of their country. I express my conviction that friendly relations between Albania and Iran will develop in an unprecedented manner, in the interests of both our peoples. (ATSH)

70 years ago, by decision of the Congress of Lushnjë, Tirana was proclaimed the capital of Albania. Today, it is the country’s largest political, administrative, economic, cultural and scientific center. Tirana—the City Hero of the People—has a diversified industry, with nearly 200 enterprises and combines, where one sixth of the country’s working class is employed and which produces one sixth of the Republic’s total social output. It ranks first in production in the mechanical industry, the coal industry, light industry and the printing industry, etc. The “Enver Hoxha” University, with 8 faculties, is located in Tirana, and 118 eight-year schools and 59 secondary schools, etc., operate there. The Academy of Sciences, 48 research and scientific institutes, etc., carry out their work here. Music, the visual arts, theater, cinema, etc., have developed greatly. The workers of the capital in (To be continued on page 3)

Yesterday, the Albanian government economic delegation returned home from Turkey. It was headed by the Minister of Light Industry, Vito Kapo, and took part in the proceedings of the second session of the Albanian-Turkish Joint Commission for Economic, Trade, Industrial and Technical Cooperation. At Rinas Airport, the delegation was welcomed by the Chairman of the State Planning Commission, Niko Gjyzari, Andon Berxhohi, a director in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and other comrades. The Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Turkey to the PRS of Albania, Teoman Surenkok, was also present. (ATSH)

The Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the People’s Socialist Republic of Albania, Comrade Adil Çarçani, sent the following congratulatory telegram to the Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the People’s Republic of Bulgaria, Andrej Lukanov: “On the occasion of your election to the post of Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the People’s Republic of Bulgaria, I extend to you my very best wishes for success in your important duties. I take this opportunity to wish for the continued development of relations and friendly cooperation between Albania and Bulgaria, for the benefit of both our peoples and of peace in the region.” (ATSH)

The Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the People’s Socialist Republic of Albania, Comrade Adil Çarçani, sent the following telegram to the Prime Minister of the Republic of Turkey, Jildirım Akbulut: “We learned with deep sorrow of the serious accident that occurred at the Merzilo-n coal mine, where a large number of miners lost their lives. On behalf of the Albanian people and Government, and in my own name, we express our sincere condolences to the Turkish Government and brotherly people for this grievous loss.” (ATSH)

On the occasion of the 40th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the PRS of Albania and the PRS of Vietnam, the Ministers of Foreign Affairs, Reis Malile and Nguyen Ko Thac, exchanged congratulatory telegrams. The telegrams express satisfaction at the continued development of relations and friendly cooperation between the two countries, as well as the wish to strengthen them comprehensively in the future in areas of mutual interest. (ATSH)

(Photo plates by Niko Xhufka) (According to ATSH) celebration, we were talking with Agon Papuli, chairman of the Council of Professional Unions of Region No. 3 in Tirana, about the size of the working class in this region, its growth, its high level, abilities and talent. Some of the figures Agroni gave us cannot fail to prompt reflection: Tirana’s Region No. 3 alone has around 50 enterprises with about 35,000 workers and nearly 800 basic organizations of the professional unions. — And how many professions are there? — we ask him next. Agroni falls silent for a moment. The statistics in front of him contain no information on this number. Nevertheless, he answers quickly: — Professions? Well, there are as many professions as there are problems. In any case, this is a wise answer. Countless professions have been brought forth by life, by needs and by the problems of development. They have been brought forth especially by the construction from the ground up of a complex, modern industry, without which our socialist system cannot be imagined. This is why our working class has as many professions as the problems it has solved and the needs it has met. Is that not a happy conclusion? The encyclopedias say that the number of professions in Albania exceeds 5,000. Naturally, that is no small figure for a country like ours. It encompasses approximately almost all the principal professions found among the workers of the world at the end of this century. This leap can only be called epoch-making. Albania, once described as a country with a primitive cottage industry, able to boast only a few rare trades such as coppersmith, qeleshe-maker, mason, embroiderer, goldsmith, etc., now possesses almost all the professions required by a modern industry. In a short period, its people, its intelligent working class, learned everything the country needed in order to move forward on its own feet, secure and with its head held high. Today, it is no surprise to hear that a worker is skilled in several professions. At the “Partizani” factory, Avni Cemurati works expertly on all metal-cutting machines, although his diploma makes him a mechanic. Yet sometimes he is also called upon to do electrical work, woodworking, etc. Naturally, you want to meet him. He is a tall, middle-aged man, in good health, with the appearance and bearing of an intellectual. From the way he greets people and communicates, he seems cultured. Our conversation with him confirms this impression. Avniu is the author of a number of valuable innovations. At the factory, the work he did two years ago on building farrowing pens for Paskuqan is widely known. — The Party Conference three years ago, — Avniu explains, — raised this concern: at the pig-farming complex in Paskuqan, the lack of suitable farrowing pens was causing many newborn piglets to die. An appeal was made for the pens to be produced locally. Another comrade from the factory and I took on the task. After several months, we succeeded. Our greatest satisfaction was that we solved a problem that had worried many agricultural cooperatives. During this innovation Avniu had to learn to weld, while recently he has had to become an electrician. He tells of unusual professions. week. Equipment falls onto the heating elements, causing a short circuit and burning them out. But cooling the furnace and then heating it again takes 48 hours. As a result, the workers are left without work for several days every month. And production does not proceed normally. Avniu took on the task and is working on a solution so that the equipment will no longer fall onto the heating elements and work will not be interrupted. This innovation has made him an electrician too.” (There you have it: one problem adds another profession.) In a relaxed conversation with Avniu, he speaks confidently about literature, film and the arts. He knows many authors well. He offers a rational assessment of international events. He also gives valuable opinions on newspaper articles… Whenever we meet people like this from the ranks of the working class, we are reminded of the story of a comrade who was appointed an instructor in the professional unions. When he told his family that he would be speaking with workers, he said to him, among other things, with wisdom: “Young man! Think carefully when you speak with workers. They are knowledgeable and clever, and they will weigh up what you’re made of.” • • • Through work, through hundreds of professions, the material goods of society are produced. But our workers are not merely producers and consumers of material goods. They are their masters. That is why they want to know how this wealth is used, how socialist property is protected and administered, and how people in administrative offices do their work. The best way to know the situation at any given time is through control. — A short while ago we carried out an inspection into the problems of safeguarding ... (To be continued on page 3)