While this revolutionary situation was developing, the Government stood by inactive; the bourgeoisie felt itself powerless, and it was left to others to betray the workers and deprive them of the fruits of their victory.
By 6th September the vital significance of the occupation of the factories was widely underwood. A conference between the political and the economic organisations of Labour was called to discuss the situation: the question before the conference was whether the movement was political and should be controlled by the Socialist Party, or was economic and should be directed by the C.G.L. By a vote of 591,245 to 409,569 control was vested in the C.G.L., which set up a Committee of Action, dominated, of course, by the extreme right-wing leaders.
The first step of the Committee of Action was to open negotiations with the employers and the Government. These were very ready to come to terms and a settlement was reached on 19th September. The settlement contained three essential clauses: (1) giving a share in the control of the industry to the workers, legislation for this purpose to be drafted by a Commission of six workers and six employers; (2) granting a wage increase of 20 per cent, (as against the 60 per cent, originally demanded); and (3) providing for the return of the factories to the owners. The enormous strategic advantage held by the workers was given away by the leaders in return for an insignificant wage-increase and for a promise of partial workers' control which, as it was bound to do, turned out to be completely useless.
The rank-and-file did not submit easily to these defeatist terms, but in the end they were induced to agree to the evacuation by the end of September.
The history of the Italian working class since the evacuation of the factories had been a continuous one of defeat. There followed all the familiar incidents of reduced wages, increased hours, partial strikes easily overcome, falling trade union membership, the loss of courage and unity among the workers—just as we saw it in this country. But the economic weapon was not enough for the triumphant bourgeoisie. They must use physical violence also to punish the workers for their temerity in taking possession of their masters' factories and attempting to secure decent terms of existence for themselves.
The Fascist movement was already well developed by this time, but the acts of violence which had been hitherto committed were slight compared with what was to follow. The evacuation of the factories was the signal for an outburst of physical attacks on the workers.
The record of the Fascist attack on the workers will not be repeated
