The toiler. [volume] (Cleveland, Ohio) 1919-1922, 1921-08-27


position of power and influence in
Russia such as is enjoyed by no other
labor movement in the world. So great
is their weight that Lozovsky, presi-
dent of the All-Russian trade unions,
is able to state truthfully that there
have been no important measures of
any kind entered upon in soviet Rus
sia unless the consent Of the trade
unions has first been secured. As
things now stand the labor organiza-
tions take part in many activities.
They participate Immediately in the
government through direct representa-
tion in the soviets. They carry on all
sorts of welfare, health, educational
and disciplinary work in the mines,
mills and factories. They also have an
important share in the management
of industry, as we shall see in later
article about the supreme economic
council, the organization which super
intends production and distribution.
But the principal function of the
Russian unions is to regulate the
wages, hours and working conditions
of labor. In this sphere they are
supreme. Utterly unlike the labor or
ganizations of other countries the
Russian unions do not have to sub
NIT their demands" to their en-
ployers. They submit them to them
selves, as the responsible controllers
of this phase of Russian industry.
That is to say, they constantly sur
vey the industrial situation and see
to it that the workers enjoy the best
conditions possible under the economic
circumstances. When the unions decide
upon a certain policy within their
jurisdiction about all there is left for
the governmental powers to do is to
formally endorse it. This is indeed
different situation from that in other
countries, where the workers have to
fight for years against parasitic en-
ployers and repressive governments to
secure even the most trivial reforms.
The October revolution fnndamen-
tally altered the functions Of the Rus
sian trade unions. Before that great
event these organizations were, like
the unions of all other countries now
are. essentially fighting bodies whose
aim it was to wiring every possible
concession from the exploiters. But
the revolution wiped out these capital
istic enemies and set up in their stead
of the employer the proletarian state.
AS this body is composed Of workers
and inspired by labor ideals the
unions do not have to fight it for
concessions the contrary, they
are themselves fully entrusted by it
with the regulation of labor condi-
tions and made largely responsible
for the continuation of industry. Thus
the revolution has brought the unions
out of the era Of industrial warfare
and into that of industrial peace. II
has changed them from organs OF
combat to organs for carrying or
production.
A long evolution has been required
(and it is by no means finished yeti
to change the trade unions from mill
tant fighting bodies into peaceful
producing organizations. An indica
ton of some of the phases Of this evo
luton may be instructive:
In the fierce industrial struggle!
inst before and after the October re
volution the Russian workers develop
ed a militancy Of spirit practically un
known in western countries. One o.
their weapons for carrying the wal
to the capitalists was the "shop com
mittees." These shop committees, Il
begin with, were mostly indeSNnden
of the unions. This was because a
that time the latter, either through
their craft form or numerical weak
ness. or both combined, usually die
rot include all the workers, whereas
the very breath Of life Of the shol
committees was that they acted il
behalf Of all the workers in givei
plants and industries.
In the last months Of the Kerensk!
regime the shop committees conquer
ed great power. They wrested iron
the employers large share Of contro
over the labor and business sides O
production. This power they great.
Increased in the industrial turmoil
which followed the October po.itica
upheaval. In fact, they became tn
cutting edge Of the industrial revolu
ton. To great extent they were tn
means used by the workers to confis
.ate the factories. Often they simpl
drove of the capitalists twho wer
busily doing their best to sabotag
"a ruin the industries) fand too
1hnreo themselves.
1 n mnny eases the shop commit
=. frled 70 carry on production. Bu
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