The Lessons of the German Events/Chapter 8
VIII
THE WORK OF THE PARTY IN THE TRADE UNION
MOVEMENT
Unity in the Trade Union Movement
The Communist Party of Germany, which has assumed the immediate task of freeing the proletarian masses from the influence of reformism, fights with the same determination as heretofore against the slogan "Leave the Trade Unions."
The Communists, who remain and work whereever there are proletarian masses with increased energy, and in view of the disintegration of the ranks of the social-democrats—probably with increased success, form their Communist fractions, which serve as the centres of the revolitionary trade union movement.
At the present moment, when the Party has been declared illegal and is forced to make use of every possibility of legal action, this is of particular importance.
The Communists, as heretofore, are opposed to splits and combat this policy of the Social-Democrats even when the latter exclude them from the trade unions. The preservation of unity in the trade union movement is particularly important during the period of the capitalist offensive and the growth of re-action.
The Organisation of Expelled Members and Others
Those who have been expelled from the trade unions, as well as those sections of the working class which have not yet been organised into trade unions, must be organised by the Communists in accordance with the conerete situation prevailing in each individual trade union. Therefore it is imperative that the Communists understand how to apply various and manifold methods (factory councils, control committees, dual trade unions of expelled members, general worker's committees, committees of unemployed, &c.), without being tied down to any one of the methods and forms of opposition. The General Committee of the Expelled Members Leagues and the union will work in close co-operation with the National Committee of the Factory Councils. Under these conditions, the party must carry on its work with special care, energy, and system among the unorganised and non-party masses, in order to prevent the break-up of the working class which is the aim of the trade union bureaucrats.
The United Front from Below
In refusing to negotiate with the leaders of the reformist trade union movement as well as with the leaders of the Social Democrats, who are actually allies of the bourgeoisie and of Fascism, the Communists must understand how to carry out the United Front from below in the trade unions by allying the masses of the proletariat organised in the trade unions with those yet unorganised, on the basis of their every-day struggles, and by winning over to this struggle those sections of the working class which have not yet broken away from the Social Democrats. In this connection, the negotiations and agreements between the Communists and the local trade union organisations (local groups, cartels, &c.) in the interest of the struggle, not only do not contradict the tactics of the United Front from below, but on the contrary, provide an important weapon against the trade union bureaucracy and the reformists.
In those cases where the Communists work in co-operation with the Social Democratic workers in the factories and in the organisations, it is the duty of the Communists, in addition to co-ordinating their practical activities, to advance their fundamental standpoint, and ruthlessly criticise the mistakes, the indecision, and the inconsistency of the demands of the Social Democrats.
The Communist Party must openly and clearly explain to the workers:
(1) That the crisis through which the trade unions are passing is the logical result of the whole history of reformist trade unionism, and of the tactic and policy of civil peace.
(2) That the working class can emerge from the present economic situation not by means of the ordinary trade union struggle, but only by the overthrow of the capitalists and by means of the dictatorship of the proletariat.
(3) The Communist Party must make use of every labour organisation, especially anti-reformist organisations, in the fight against the reformists. In this connection, the Weimar Conference was important from the fact that anti-reformist elements were brought into alliance against the trade union bureaucracy on the basis of a definite programme of action. This was also the case in the leagues of expelled members, in the Union, and others.
The Slogan "Save the Trade Unions."
The slogan, "Save the Trade Unions," as it has often been applied heretofore, is erroneous. The trade unions cannot be saved on the old lines. In order to realise this goal, it will be necessary to effect a fundamental transformation in the trade unions by means of the factory councils, with the object of industrial organisation and the liquidation of reformism by means of revolutionary activity.
The Rôle of the Factory Councils
In view of these facts, the principal task of the Communists is to concentrate all their energy on the work in the factories and the factory councils with the object of establishing the factory councils as starting points and supports for the whole work of the Party among the masses, especially against the reformist trade union leaders.
The factory councils are also confronted with the important task of uniting the organised trade unions masses with the unorganised masses in their ever-increasing elementary struggles.
In this connection the factory councils must be organisationally allied with one another according to industrial groups on a local, district, and general scale, so as to form potential basis of the future organisation of production.
Hence it is necessary at the present time to combat the danger of placing the factory councils in one form or another under the jurisdiction of the reformist trade unions.
The Economic Struggle
The decentralisation which is naturally and necessarily developing from the present situation (the unfavourable state of the market, the slump in production, the bankruptcy of the reformist trade unions, &c.), and the spontaneous outbreak of unofficial strikes (against the will of the trade union executives and without the financial support of the latter), places upon the Communists the duty of leading these strikes.
The Communists must combine every concrete Problem of the economic struggle and trade union tactics with the general historical tasks of the working class, and with the necessity of the fight for the dictatorship of the proletariat.
The Communists must actively participate in the organisation of the strike leadership and the committees of action, and ally them with the factory councils.
But in view of the fact that the factory councils must act as the basis for the general re-grouping of the forces of the working class in its struggle, the entire weight of this economic struggle must not be placed exclusively on the shoulders of the factory councils.
The factory councils must accuse the trade unions of being responsible for the increasing misery of the working class.
The General Tactic in the Trades Unions
The Communists will decide upon the tactic and slogans in the trades unions solely on the basis of the general and concrete estimate of the tasks confronting the working class and the party, and of the strength of the various elements participating in the struggle.