The toiler. [volume] (Cleveland, Ohio) 1919-1922, 1921-08-27
By WILLIAM z. FOSTER Federated Press Staff Writer
Copyright 1921, by The Federated Press)

| SdHlZdllOnS tney soon showed Una
they were unfit to manage industr!
successfully. Much confusion resulte,
from these local bodies trying tt
operate the big factories which, con
sidering their markets and raw
material supply sources, are essential
ly national in character. Consequent!
the militant shop committees, having
fulfilled their war-like mission, haC
to give way.
Eventually the newly organized ma
tional unions came to the front, ex
panding themselves into industrial or
ganizations and taking in all classe.
of workers. They amalgamated tht
shop committees into their officia
machinery and restricted their acti
vities principally to the local contro
of labor in industry. To large extent
the national unions took over the
supervision formerly nested in the
shop committees. But now the natio-
nal unions, in turn, are also gradually
yielding their direct control over in
dustry, which has largely passed into
the hands of the various boards and
committees of the supreme economic
council. To begin with, the national
unions insisted upon proporticifas rep
resentation in and practical control
over these economic bodies carrying
on production. This was a natural re-
suit of their fighting instinct, their
4, intense suspicion of all outside bodies
and their determination to protect
the revolution at all costs.
With the passage of time, however,
the national unions are diverging
from this militant policy. They are
becoming convinced that their capital
ist enemies are finally defeated and
that the new order of society can be
trusted with the operation of industry.
Moreover, they are learning that to
carry on industry special ability is
necessary and that this ability must
not be hedged about with red tape or
ignorant meddlers. Hence, the ten
dency now for them is not to insist
upon mechanical representation" in
the producing organizations, but to
aid in the selection of able executives,
and when these are selected, to give
them power to go ahead in purely
technical matters.
How far this evolution will go, to
Just what extent the trade unions will
lay aside their militancy and take
upon themselves the ways of peaceful
industry, will of course depend upon
the general course of the revolution.
One thing, however, everyone here is
certain of is that the unions, contain
ing and controlling the multitude of
the workers as they do, have before
them future of constantly expand
ing service and influence.
The fundamental change in status
of Russian trade unions from indus
trial war to industrial peace has
naturally greatly altered their view
point in many matters. One of these
that may be profitably mentioned re-
lates to the question of strikes in in
dustry.
In all capltalistic countries th'
right to strike is jealousy guarded
and fought for by the best and mos
militant elements in the working
class. Moreover, this vanguard exer
else it freely themselves and seek t,
get the great masses to do likewise
They consider it one Of the best mean
to advance the interests of the work
i ers.
I But not so in Russia. Here the situa
tion is just the reverse. Although tn
workers have the legal right to strike
the labor movement is decidedl
against using it. 1t is exactly tn
militant workers who condemn tn
: strike weapon and try to prevent tn
less advanced masses from maxim
use of it. The explanation of this
perfectly simple and logical: the Rus
sian unions realize that the suprem
! task before them is to reconstruct ir
dustry. They know that strikes
this country do not better the cond
: ton Of those taking part in then
but only to make it worse, and rende
still more difficult the problem Of r,
facilitating industry. Moreover, the
know from bitter experience that I'll
counter revolutionists, who are full
aware Of Russia's great industri
needs, systematically incite the bacl
ward masses to sabotage and labc
walkouts. The fact is that strik,
under the workers government ma,
been practically all the result
counter revolutionary activity, or Il
D work Of ignorant toilers rebellir
( against absolutely unavoidable Gu
in rations, etc.
: Strikes in Soviet Russia are nothir
less than SO much scabbing on the r
volution. Hence the militants a