The Daily Worker Newspaper, May 30, 1925, Page 9

ee 2 wv . eet mes we et aa ase The Struggle for Lab By GEORGE MARDY LOXDON—On Friday, May 15th, the “* National Transport Workers’ ¥'e- Geration met in annual conference at London: There had been a good deal of speculation as to its fuiure, Some &ffiliated bodies could not decide as to its justification for existing while discussing instructions to delegates who were to atiend the conference. Tt will be decided when they report back. However, it wili continue, and #, J. Maynard has been elected secret- ary in the place of Robert Williams. One proposal decided upon gave power to the executive committee to discuss the need for a united front with miners, engineers and railway- men. And this decision we can wel- come. If the federation has any just- ification at all this is about the only one. To bring the few isolated unions into contact with other powerful unions to achieve unity. + failure on that vital day in the - history. of British trade unionism— _ Black Friday—teads us to believe that this limited resolution, sincere as the delegates may be, can be only a gest- ure if not an act to resuscitate the federation. Some of the elements are still there that composed it in 1921. The Nation- al Union of Railwaymen have a small body affiliated. The N. U. R. made up part of the triple alliance, Its secret- ary, J. H. Thomas, said in court, while suing the Communist Party for libel, that he participated only to prevent action. It will be interesting to know who voted for joint discussion, which we hope will help unity: tae totem te made uy’by wer everal small unions. The only real important unions are the National Sailores’ and Firemens’ Union and the Associated Society of Locomotive En- ginemen and Firemen: Others are groups of transport workers or small unions whose conditions and wages etc, are mostly governed by the na- tional agreement entered into by the Transport and General Workers’ Un- ion, In some case the conditions are worse, and in only one isolated in- stance has it been brought to our at- tention that wages are higher than the T, & G. W. U. rates for similar work, The Transport Workers’ Minority Movement asks is it not time that the Cardiff Coal Trimmers, Liverpool Carters, Amalgamated Marine Work- ers, National Union of Distributive and Allied Workers, Transport groups of the Workers’ Union and the Na+ tional Union of General and Munict pal Workers, the N. U. R. dockers, and other isolated groups realized that their place is in the only natural center—in the union that can and will continue to regulate wages na- tionally. ¥ course there are many factory and other workers in the Trans- port and General Workers’ Union, which should be handed over to their proper union. We know it is hard for_a conserva- tive official of a small union, even in- A Historic Step - The following article in the current issue of Trade Union Unity, by A. B. Swales, chairman of the Trades Union Congress shows that there are power full influences at work in England to defeat the unity .movemenht initiated “by the Russian and British trade union ‘movements. The most implacable foes of international labor unity are the social democrats. Of course nothing different could be expected from the capitalists. American trade unionists will kb particularly interested in reading Swales’s article, not only because he occupies such a commanding -position in the British movement but also owing to the fact that he was 4 : fratrenal delegate last year to the Ei Paso convention of the American Fe deration of Labor. Swales is strong for a united trade union internation al, His article follows: >. *+ & readers of Trade Union Unity can hardly have failed to notice the importance of the Ecclestom. Square conference ef Russian and Brt- tish trade unionists and of the deck sions reached thereafter. But amongst sections of our trade union member ship its significance has not perhaps been fully grasped. On the other hand we have had no lack of articles and editorials in the capitalist press, par ticulalriy in such organs of our gov erning class as the Times and the Manchester Guardian, abusing and at- tacking our trade union leaders for participating in this conference. At a Europe, when wages, hours and con- ditions are being forced down in every country, the capitalists understand very clearly the significance of a con- ference which in its promise of a United Trade Union International com tains a challenge to their domination. Since the capitalist press. is. se. husy fabricating its visions of the dreadfi things that will happen as a result of these meetings held last month, #& may be useful to state what appears to me the important fentures of this meeting. Perhaps the most important thing is the fact of the conference itself, th» fact that two great trade union move ments, the British and the Russian, totalling together some twelve millioe workers, could meet thru their re presentatives and could reach an agreement. Despite the difficulty af the difference of tongues, the diftiw- ence of tradition ang nistory, thaw two movements could find a common language in the needs and hopes of the working class. This fact alone fs full of promise for the future: a pro- mise that we try to express in plain, simple, working class terms, In our Joint Declaration that ws drawn. up there are many points which are of interest and importance, bat the most important of all are the clauses dealing with the danger of war. We say: “So long as the capitalist system continues there is danger of war. The merciless struggle for supremacy be tween the confilicting vested interests FLINTFACE AND GRABBITT cerned, to give up his position of ap parent power in a union in which, probably, he has played the chief part in organizing. But these days of powerful combinations of employers make their continuance a menace to the whole organized workers. And the continuation of the National Transport Workers’ Federation gives added excuses for their existense. It furnishes a national center for them, without any added power to the work- ers. The federation is helpless and like all loosely connected federations, it will fail in a crisis. Even should the officials agree on united action, and we have not guarantees yet, all will depend upon the big union. But we are not aware of that. J. H. Tho mas has changed his mind. As for Havelock Wilson well, “nuff sed.” OM Robert Williams’ report to the International Trade Union on the failures of federation during the triple alliance Crisis in 1921 we quote the following: “Dealing with a federation of somewhat loosely joined unions, as I do myself, has compelled me to realize the inherent weaknesses at- tached to federations and alliances which do not compare with more closely knit organizations like cen- tral national unions with one res- ponsible and central executive coun- cil. In consequence of the lack of any will or determination to strike in support of the miners’ claims, we have, each party to the alliance, of competing groups of exploiters will, as in the past, eventually evoke a new crisis, plunging the workers of the world into another disastrous war.” “There is but one powcr that can save mankind from being plunged into another universal catastrophe. There is but one power which can defend the rs ofall ‘countries: against poli- tical and economic oppression and tyranny. There is but one power which can bring freedom, welfare, happiness and pease to the working class and to humanity. That power is the working class tf well organized, properly dis- wtplimed, self<devoted and determina’ te fight all who would oppose and pre vent its complete emancipation.” The fact that two such trade union movements a@ the Russian and the British havo so plainly taken up thefr stand against this danger really meana something that gives us a real hepe for the masses of mankind. The declaration and the resolutions passed are of such a character that they mnst needs appeal to workers in every country of the world. The ap- peal they make is bound to be beard and will be responded to notwith- standing the prejudices of smafli groups or of individuals who oppose unity either thru jack of understand ing of its necessity or because they have not sufliclent devotion to the cause of labor. Pimally, let me say these concrete proposals can mean either nothing er wormsthing of tremendous importanca. They will mean nothing if they re or Unity in England significant so far as power is con- {been attempting to pass the re sponsibility for non-success on to the other two, and this applias all round.” OW we cannot question the ex- secretary of the National Work- ers’ Federation who went thru the triple alliance negotiations. But are we asked to believe these obstacles are removed? Of course they are not! Havelock Wilson is no more under control or even influenced by the fed- eration. Browley’s executive and the N. U. R. officials are living in the harmonious atmosphere of a pair of Kilkenny cats. The other officials just kid themselves they belong to a national organization. The rank and file of these unions must speak out. Demand that all sit down and draw up a basis for unity or amalgamation in the way men should who are not seeking to per petuate divisions, and who are not trying to be Napoleons over each other, but who are willing in the spirit of no victors or vanquished to sit down and thrash out a policy. There should be no thought of one union absorbing another: Unity, amalgama- tion and industrial unionism should animate the membership and officials of the federation. The rank and file should prepare a united front with the miners, railway- men and engineers, but at the same time keep your mind on uniting the transport workers. By A. B. SWALES decisions of a few leaders. They will become something of tremendous im- portance on the other hand if those leaders and the proposals they have made are backed up by the workers in Britain and in Russia and in every land thruout the world, "napbrot satitevarry r Workers ‘Lead ‘in’ Pafesting Writing to the Federated Press from Palestine, Harry Jaffe says, “I thought you might be interested in the elections held .in Tel-A-Viv, the only town on this earth that is 100 per cent Jewish. The result was a sweep- ing victory for the Workers Party that received 2,727 votes, more than three times the number of votes the capi- talist party or any other party re- ceived. “There were over a dozen parties. For every 200 votes a party receives, one candidate on its slate is declared elected. Men and women over 20 who have been here 6 months are entitled to vote. The Jewish worker here is class conscious. He acts, talks and dresses like a worker.” Jaffe enclosed a leaflet giving the election returns printed in Hebrew characters. The 2727 votes for the workers party were a walkaway. The next highest party got 882 votes. The party of the shopkeepers and mer- chants drew 748 votes, Get a sub for the DAILY WORKER from your sbopmate and you will make another mem. main simply the conversations amdjber for your branch. Begin to “See” Things