Trade Unions in Soviet Russia/Third General Congress of Russian Trade Unions
Third
General Congress of Russian Trade Unions
SUMMARY OF PROCEEDINGS.
[This report is taken from the May 7th, 1920, number of the Bulletin, issued by the Petrograd Bureau of the Communist International. Lenin's speech to the Congress is given in the following pages. The resolutions are reproduced in the form given in the Bulletin].
The Third General Congress of the Russian Trade Unions was opened at Moscow on April 6, 1920, under the chairmanship of Tomsky, President of the Central Executive of the Russian Trade Unions. There were present 1,226 delegates with full voting rights and 362 special delegates for consultative purposes. The total number of Trade Unionists represented at the Congress was 4,300,000.
The following table shows the political adhesion of the delegates present at the Conference:—
| Delegates with Full Voting Rights. | Consultative Delegates. | |
| Communists and Sympathisers with the Communist Party | 940 | 240 |
| Mensheviks | 45 | 12 |
| Other political groups | 50 | 19 |
| No political adhesion | 191 | 91 |
| 1,226 | 362 |
The following fraternal delegates conveyed greetings to the Congress on behalf of their respective organisations:—Kalinin, on behalf of the Central Executive of the All-Russia Soviet; Bukharin, on behalf of the Central Executive of the Communist Party; Radek, on behalf of the Third International. A letter of greeting was also read from Zinoviev, President of the Third International.
ADOPTION OF CENTRAL BUREAU'S REPORT.
A report on the activity of the Central Bureau of the Russian Trade Unions was presented by Tomsky. He pointed out that after its appointment in February, 1919, the Central Bureau had to face the extraordinarily difficult problems of re-organising the Trade Union movement in the Ukraine which had been crushed by Denikin. He then traced the further work of the Bureau dealing particularly with the efforts made by the Bureau to rouse the Trade Unions of other countries to action in defence of the Russian revolution, and the attempts made to get in touch with the various sections of the European Trade Union movement.
After Tomsky's report the Congress voted the following resolution: "Having heard the report presented by Comrade Tomsky on the activities of the Central Bureau in the course of the year the Congress declares:—
| (1) | The Central Bureau has faithfully worked to carry out the desires of the Working Class for the consolidation of its dictatorship, which is absolutely necessary in the difficult conditions created by the internal and external political struggle. |
| (2) | The active part taken by the Central Bureau in the military defence of the Soviet Russia has naturally affected its fundamental tasks and having considerably complicated and extended its work has endangered the balance which previously existed between the Executive organs of the Central Bureau on the one hand and the Trade Union movement on the other. |
| (3) | The Central Bureau must now concentrate on re-establishing this balance which is absolutely necessary for the peaceful reorganisation of the country, that must be carried out by means of a determined struggle against economic disorganisation and famine. |
| (4) | In order to carry out this aim as rapidly as possible the Trade Unions and their Central organisations must help in every way the Central Bureau of the Russian Trade Unions, and in particular help it to develop regular contact with all their local organisations. |
| (5) | The Central Bureau must also work in close contact with all the economic organs of the Soviet system. |
| (6) | The Central Bureau must ensure that all its organisations as well as the regional trade organisations observe strict labour discipline. |
| (7) | In its future work the Central Bureau must develop in practice all the main principles of the Dictatorship of the workers, and must adapt the Trade Union movement for the carrying out of this Dictatorship by helping in its consolidation and by thus preparing the way for the full establishment of Communism." |
REPORTS on ECONOMIC ORGANISATION.
Reports were presented on the work done by the Economic Organs of Soviet Russia; by Rylcoff, on the general internal work, and by Trotsky, on the military position and the organisation of labour.
The following resolution was then passed by the Congress:—
"Having heard the reports of Comrades Rykoff and Trotsky the Third Congress of Russian Trade Unions approves the proposals in regard to economic policy, adopted by the 9th General Congress of the Russian Communist Party, and asks the Central Bureau of the Russian Trade Unions to apply these proposals throughout its work as being the only line of action along which Russia could be helped to recover from her present disastrous economic situation, and which could help her towards an intensive development of her productive forces, thus consolidating the final victory of the working class and the defeat of the Bourgeoisie."
RESOLUTIONS.
Compulsory Labour.
The resolution on this subject pledged the Trade Unions to fight systematically and with energy against the disorganisation of work, to recall from the villages the specialised workers who had gone from the towns, to prevent as far as possible workers from passing from one workshop to another without authority from their Trade Unions, etc.
Professional and Technical Education.
The resolution on this subject declares that technical education must be developed to, the greatest possible extent. All the schools in Russia should be brought into relation with the industrial life of the country and the centre of gravity in the education given by them should be transferred to professional and technical instruction. The schools of higher, technical studies should cease to be purely academic and should form one of the most powerful sources for the regeneration of Russian economic conditions. The Congress asks all Trade Unions to concentrate their attention on this question of professional and technical instruction and to mobilise all workers with specialised qualifications.
Appeal to the Workers of Russia.
An appeal was issued by the Congress to all Workers urging that now that the working class had assumed the government of the country it should proceed to take over the mass of technical knowledge which had formerly been the monopoly of the Bourgeoisie. Technical instruction should be democratised, and should become public property by being on the programme of every school. A merciless war must be waged on the lack of technical knowledge. Soviet Russia can only solve the colossal problems of her national economy, and be victorious on the peaceful front of labour, if she creates strong armies of workers with special technical knowledge.
Appeal to the Workers of All Countries.
The text of the Appeal issued by the Congress is as follows:—
"Comrades!—
Cables, wireless and press (the powerful weapons of Capitalist deceit) have told you over and over again that labour in Soviet Russia has been militarised. The servants of Imperialism are making use of this statement for two purposes—to discredit Socialist Russia, and also to justify the methods which they employ towards the workers in other countries. The 1,000 delegates of the Third Russian Congress of Trade Unions representing more than three million organised industrial workers ask you to be on your guard against both the praise and the abuse which Bourgeois opinion bestows on the methods employed by the Soviet for the organisation of labour. The imperialist war, the cruel and inhuman blockade, and the ceaseless attacks of the mercenary bands employed by Clemenceau and Churchill have ruined our economic organisation. It is only by superhuman efforts and the use of all our resources that we can save the country from the disasters and misery of the present situation. Every honest and class conscious worker must do all he can for the safety of the Socialist Republic. What is called the militarisation or labour is the discipline laid down for labour, and thorough organisation in carrying out our economic plans. We have no kings surrounded by Ministers, no landowners and capitalists with their agents. We workers have put on ourselves the heavy and difficult tasks which we feel it to be our duty to assume for the revolution and for the sake of future generations. Workers of all countries, in the midst of our struggle and the feverish efforts of our tremendous task, we send you our fraternal greetings! We await with firm assurance the time when the workers, throughout the whole of the Capitalist world will have driven out their oppressors and made all the world a public property belonging to the human race. Long live the world wide alliance of Labour!
Third International.
The Congress voted for adhesion to the Third International in the following resolution:—
"The International Working class movement is fighting, not for an improvement in the Capitalist system but for its complete destruction. In this revolutionary struggle all the conscious revolutionary elements are joining the Third International, which embodies the world movement of the Workers' revolution. The Russian Trade Unions which, by the side of the Communist Party, have fought the Capitalist system, cannot remain outside the Third International, and their Congress declares for adhesion to the Third International, and invites the revolutionary Trade Unions of the whole world to follow the example of the organised workers of Russia."
Resolutions on Organisation.
A series of proposals on organisation were put forward, and adopted by the Congress in the following resolution:—
"The Trade Unions which form the foundation of the Workers' State and are the only means of organising industrial labour and the economic life of the country, have been much weakened. This weakening has been due to the lack of contact between the superior organs of the Trade Unions and their local organisations, to insufficient co-ordination between the different parts of the Trade Union organisation, and finally to the lack of authority which the Trade Unions exercise over the rank and file of their members.
Now that the establishment of the workers' dictatorship has created new and important economic problems, the work of the Trade Unions has become more responsible and important. In these circumstances the most urgent task—that is to say the strengthening of the whole Trade Union apparatus—can only be achieved by completely modifying the character, methods and extent of Trade Union activities. The main function is to put in force definite principles relating to the organisation of production; the Unions must regenerate the productive resources of the country within the various; local organisations and industrial regions; they must work out, and afterwards carry out, special tasks which will improve the material well being and the intellectual outlook of the members towards the Trade Unions.
The most important questions for the Trade Union movement must be carefully examined by the basic units of the Trade Unions at the workshops and the factories. The whole work of the Trade Unions should be so organised that the workshop units of the Trade Unions will be able to obtain answers on all the points that they may raise, and to follow closely the work that is being done by their controlling organs. In order to attain this aim it is necessary for the Trade Unions to work along their own special lines and to tackle their own problems.
The Trade Unions must exercise an effective and constant control over all their delegates and representatives in the various public and governmental institutions. The executives of the Trade Unions must be furnished with all that they need to carry out their work. Each central committee should have a complete list of all its active workers who are engaged on any public trade union work. They must have reliable reports as to the activities of all delegates and representatives in the various branches of production. The central organs of the Trade Union movement must regard it as their main duty to secure a regular and carefully thought out distribution of labour. The higher organs must constantly supervise the activity of the lower organs, and must resolutely oppose any sign of negligence or carelessness on the part of its members. No conferences or assemblies should be held during the, regular hours of work.
As for the development of the Trade Union mechanism, the Trade Union movement generally should be based first, on a continuous democratisation of the central organs, with regard to eligibility, responsibility, and the whole running of their work; and secondly, on the prompt and loyal execution of the decisions and instructions of the central organs.
In order to bring the Trade Union elements in isolated districts into regular contact with the whole of the Trade Union organisation, small towns and districts in which there are only a few workers and in which there are no Trade Union Branches should nevertheless establish local secretariats whose object would be to bring together and organise the small groups of workers at present detached from the centre, and to bring them into contact with the nearest branch; and encourage their trade union activities. These secretariats will be organs of the District executives which in turn will depend on the provincial Trade Unions.
The Trade Union mechanism cannot work smoothly unless the economic organs abstain from taking over purely Trade Union functions, and from intervening in the special work of Trade Unions. In spite of this, however, there are certain technical administrative bodies and central committees which are setting up sections for the special purpose of carrying out Trade Union work.
From May 1, 1920, the regular contribution to be made by each worker to the Central Trade Union Fund is two per cent. of his wages. The Trade Unions must make every effort to bring into trade union work the workers who desert their work and enter into the employment of the small manufacturers and employers in the small towns and villages. In the case of craftsmen who are working at their own risk and do not employ others for wages they can 9nly be allowed within their Trade Unions if they are working in their own homes for the State or for the Public Offices which distribute their products at prices fixed by the Trade Unions and which are controlled by the economic and Trade Union organs.
Independent craftsmen who work only for the open market cannot in any case be admitted to 'membership of the Trade Unions. Similarly the Trade Union movement cannot admit within its organisation the workers' associations, communes, and industrial co-operatives. The members of these organisations can only come into their appropriate Trade Unions if their organisations do not employ workers for wages, and are working solely for the Committees of National Economy or for public departments; besides which they must enforce the regulations concerning the protection of labour, and any profits resulting from the enterprise must be for its development and not for distribution among the members.
With a view to re-establishing the effective production of the country and to making use of all scientific and technical knowledge and professional experience that may serve the socialist organisation of society, the Congress decides to admit specialists to the various Trade Unions.
The Congress notes that the women who were working at present formed the most backward class within the Trade Unions and decides that the Trade Unions should devote their attention to the organisation of all institutions which would help women to avoid unnecessary home tasks. Further, the Trade Unions without attempting to create special organisations tor women should encourage the participation of women in the fixing of wages, protection of labour, social insurance, public education, etc.
In order to hasten the further development of the Trade Union movement, and with a view to creating stable and powerful industrial organisations by the fusion of allied Trade Unions, the Congress decided that the Trade Unions of railwaymen and transport workers should thenceforward form one single union of transport workers; the trade unions of fire-brigade workers and hairdressers should merge into the Municipal Workers' Union; the domestic employees union should merge in the unions of the Municipal Workers and of public food supply; and the unions of brushmakers, wood cutters, pharmacists, glass workers and cement workers should merge respectively in the unions of tanners, agricultural workers, workers in public health services, chemists and building workers.