In a nutshell, these were some of the main ideas Trotsky laid out for the labor movement and its revolutionary leadership. First, the defense of the workers against the twin scourges of unemployment and inflation, which are endemic to capitalism. The capitalists, not workers, are responsible for unemployment and inflation, Trotsky pointed out. So they, not the workers, should pay the price. Workers should be guaranteed full protection of their living standards and job security.
Workers have to strengthen their unions.
The illusion exists that the unions are strong, he explained, but they're not strong so long as their strength goes unused. Socialists have to chart a course to turn them into revolutionary unions, Trotsky said. That's what we're after in projecting our program for a class-struggle left wing in the labor movement. The unions must not be tied to the capitalist class, its government, or its parties, Trotsky said. The class independence of the unions must be fought for and preserved.