The Daily Worker Newspaper, February 19, 1927, Page 8

b Railwaymen’s Union In Japan — 1s urd’; of the railway lines in Japan are owned by the state. It was partly on account of this fact, and owing to the police regime in general, that until quite recently it was difficult to or- ganise trade unions on the railways. For a great many years the Japanese govern- ment, through its agents, had been impressing the minds of the railway officials, as well as of the rank and file, that they were state employees and should faithfully serve their country and govern- ment, loyally carrying out all the commands of their superior officers, so as to make faithful servants of the government. In this manner the proletarian spirit was stul- tified, and the workers were practically forced to give up any idea of organizing themselves into railwaymen’s unions. In a word, the regime on the Japanese railways strongly reminds us of the pre-revolutionary re- gime cn the Russian railways. There were attempts to form a union on the part of the more class-conscious elements among the railwaymen, but they were defeated by the strenuous opposition on the part of the agents of the government. Thus, the first strike of engine drivers broke out in 1899 on a private railway line owned by the Japanese Railway Company, and the first union of railway enginemen in Japan was formed on the northeastern line, under the name of “Nitetsukio- Seiukai,” but this union was soon forced out of existence, It was only in 1920 that another attempt was made to form a union of railwaymen under the name of “Dainiton Kikansia Dzomuinkai” (Japan- ese Enginemen’s Association). With headquarters in Tokyo, and with a membership of 2,100, the union embraced cnly the enginemen on the fol- lowing railway lines: Tonoku. One year later, however, the new union was subjected to repressive measures by the Minis- try of Ways and Communications, and compelled to dissolve. ‘ The formation of the Enginemen’s Union in 1920 coincided with a strong outburst of the labor move- ment. There was a spontaneous wave of a move- ment of organization among the masses of the workers to securé better conditions of labor; but it ended in defeat, because neither the leaders nor the workers had a sufficient understanding of the class struggle. In 1923 the railwaymen tock up once again the question of forming a trade union. <A series of conferences of railwaymen was called for this pur- pose in June. More than one-half of the delegates attending those conferences consisted of former members of tthe Enginemen’s Union. The result was the formation of the Japanese Railwaymen’s League (Dainihon Tezudogengioin Domel). Some time afterwards a section of the railway- men, dissatisfied with the league’s position,. formed a union composed exclusively. of the lower grades of workers. These two organizations represented something like a right and a left wing. The first ot these organizations soon began to decline, having utterly failed to gain the support of the masses. On the other hand, the second union was successful in this respect., In 1925, in connection with the general revival — of the labor movement in Japan, the question was raised by the more progressive elements of the workers on the state railways concerning the need for organizing an all-Japanese Railwaymen’s Union, and a campaign in -this sense was con- ducted» among the members of the two railway- men’s unions, Mading to negotiations between these unions, which were held from November 25, 1925, until February 11, 1926, and resulted in the forma- tion of the All-Japanese Railwaymen’s Union. The organizational movement among the rail- waymen has been carried out with great success, Since the formation of the Railwaymen’s Union in February, 1926, the organizing activity on the state railways has been carried on with the united sup- port of the right and the left organizations. From the very outset the union has» concentrated its entire attention upon organizational and educa- tional work. At the time when it was formed, the union had a membership of 1,500; now it has over 5,000 mem- bers. Organizational activities are in full swing throughout the country; on the Kiu-Siu, in the central provinces of the island of Konsiu, in Kanto, and in the North East. Three branches are soon to be opened on the eastern railways; at Iskosuka, Sinsuku, and at Sinbasi (Tokyo). Nevertheless the workers are considerably hin- dered by the specific spirit of chauvinism and title- worship which has been inculeated among the Jap- anese railway, workers in the course of many years. It is hard for them to get rid of the idea that they are state servants working in the interests of the state, and therefore obliged to put up with any misery for the sake of the Japanese people, where- as in reality they are suffering in the interests of a handful of big capitalists, and of the aristocratic governmental clique, This constitutes the chief hindrance to the or- Tokaido, Tiuo, Sinetsu, and | ganization of the railwaymen, sowing confusion in the: minds of the workers, whose class instinct prompts them to form class organizations and to engage in the class struggle, while the lingering traditions call them back to bureaucratic official- ism and chauvinism. As an instance, we quote below the following declaration by the founders of the All-Japanese Railwaymen’s Union: The All-Japanese Railwaymen’s Union does not differ from the other unions, and like all other unions, it has for its object the amelioration of working conditions. Nevertheless in its leading principles and in its activity, it is firmly resolved to take into consideration the specife character of the state railway enterprises which are of ‘such col- ossal importance to all the public industries in Japan. We, the railwaymen, while endeavoring to improve our social status by means of our own legal organization and activity, are at the same time prepared to make all sacrifices for the sake of the further. prosperity of the public enterprises that are needful. to the whole population. Thus, the All-Japanese Railwaymen’s Union, formed.upon the principle of trade unionism, will endeavor to make progress while following the practical tactics of honest fulfillment of duties assumed.” In adopting this platform, the All-Japanese Rail- waymen’s Union declares that; “(1) for the purpose of mutual support of the railwaymen in the struggle for existence, it will exert all efforts to stimulaté the growth of co-operation among the members, (2) In order to raise the cultural level of the work- ers and employees, the union proposes to take up the necessary cultural and educational activity ona large seale. (3) Standing for the system of work- Ny CAPITALISTS oye TL . rat ane Pacimc OCEAN Vos TO THE BRITISH EMPIRE England, the “mob” that dares your right By Shanghai’s gate, a torch has lit Of flaming hate, and all your might Shall yet go down, consumed by it. Too long your three-crossed flag has reared Its folds above the tolling slave: Pause and behold how hate prepared There waits for you a yawning grave. With bloody feet and bleeding hands, In India and Egypt far, Where rolls the Niger thru its sands, Where beat the angry drums of war. "Neath blazing sun and burning stars, On freezing peak and sultry plain, See how they stand the avatars To fall upon the slayer slain! Of what avail the pomp of power, The boast of strength, the iron show, When deep within your sea-girt tower The ones who made you work your wee. Nor lies nor force avail you now In this the hour your slaves arise. Upon your cold, imperial brow The mark of dissolution lies. —HENRY GEORGE WEISS. ‘THE DYNAMITER ~ I perforate the stone with biting drill, Then place the dynamite where ‘it will do Most good in making ready for the crew — To wreck some ancient building, rocky hill; Or in some excavation deep and chill I send my mighty shots to pierce through The city’s bed, ard still I never rue My role of dynamiter and its thrill. The thunder of the blast that shakes the town Is but a quiet music in my head, The rain of rocks is but a fall of dew; Yet as I move my drill now up, now down, I think of all the souls who are quite dead Because they fear to wreck—and build anew! —HENRY RFICH, JR. oe ea ers’ committees, the union intends to encourage the formation of such committees in all the districts where it has branches, and to render;these com- mittees really useful to the masses of the workers in their everyday interests. (4) Our union favors the existence of international workers’ organiza- tions. Although we do not believe them capable of bringing emancipation to the working class, nevertheless we intend taking an active part in them in so far as they serve our interests. (5) Our union intends to make the most advantageous use— from the working class standpoint—of the political rights extended to the union, and to take part in political life.” Furthermore, the All-Japanese Rail- waymen’s Union, believing in the principle of in- dustrial unionism, solemnly declares that it will at xert all its-efforts to organize the mass of 19,000 laborers on the state railways that are still unorganized. Worthy of attention is the part of the declaration dealing with the organization of the unorganized, and with raising the cultural level of the railway- men; but there is complete absence of any aspira- tion towards raising the class consciousness of the railwaymen. Nevertheless, in spite of all these de- fects, the formation of the All-Japanese Railway- men’s Union should be considered a great achieve- ment for the Japanese railwaymen. The healthy principle of industrial unionism forms the founda- - tion of this organization. Thus, the supreme organ of the union is the con- gress which is to be convened twice annually. The delegates to the congress are elected by the branches at.the rate of 1 delegate per 50 members. 3 But the Central Committee, elected at the con- gress, has a fairly complex structure, and is com- posed of the following sections: Publishing, cultural and educational, organizational, political, interna- tional, juridical, co-operative, research on the work- ers’ committees, and records and bookkeeping. There are also professional sections: Railway tele- graphists, water workers, watchmen and road main- tenance men, electricians, train crews, yard work- ers, chauffeurs; tramway workers, train fitters, railway station workers, controllers, and railway yard employes, ¢ This form of organization reminds us of the unions with guild sections, which constituted the ' first organizations on the Russian railways in 1917- 18. This seems to be characteristic of all beginning trade unons while building up their forms of or- ganization. The railway authorities have officially declared their non-interference in the work of the newly formed All-Japanese Railwaymen’s Union; but hardly have a few months passed since its forma- tion, and the railway authorities have begun an agitatiun against the union among the railway workers, and began openly to interfere with the activities of the union. In June, 1926, the first plenary meeting of its central committee was held, with the assistance of delegates from all the branches. The plenary meet- ing discussed all the questions which had arisen during the time of the union’s existence, and the fundamental course of policy was outlined until the next congress. Of great importance to the Japanese Railwaymen’s Union are two questions which were discussed by the central committee, The first one related to the union’s tactics on the railways and generally in public life, which reaffirmed the pre- viously stated standpoint of the union. The second one dealt with the methodical plans for the further organizational work of the union. A draft was sub- mitted for a resolution by the C. C. of the union on the question of regulating the apparatus of the organizational section, and of unification of the work. Another draft was submitted of a resolu- tion dealing with the organization of district branches. _ The plenary meeting reaffirmed its previous declaration, laying particular stress upon the moder- ation of the All-Japanese Union, appealing to public sentiments, and asking for the support of the Jap- anese bourgeoisie. Not a word about the class struggle and the class interests was contained in this declaration, just as in the preceding one. It should be noted that the All-Japanese Railway- men’s Union, by its strategy and tacties, does not differ from the other trade unions of Japan, which partly emulate the British, and partly the American trade unionism, and are aspiring towards class co- operation with the bourgeoisie. But among the Japanese railwaymen there is already a left wing in evidence, even if consisting of a small growp, that is striving towards the proletarian class struggle ‘in the trade union movement of Japan, By G. ATCHKANOW |