The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1924-07-28
CONTINUE DEBATE
ON TRADE UNIONS
AT 9Th CONGRESS
Heckert Warns Against
Amsterdam Left-Wing
IspeeIaI 70 The DAILY WoRKER)

MOSCOW, July L. (By MaiD.-
Fritz Heckert of Germany, continued
the report on the trade union ques-
tion, begun by, Losovsky, before the
Fifth Congress-.
Just before Heckert spoke. a dele
cation Of the Tenth Rifle Corps Of
the Red Army, presented red ban
ner for the workers of Hamburg, in
honor of the October struggle in that
city. Enthusiastic demonstrations Of
applause ensued. A representative
Of the Hamburg workers received the
banner with a speech Of solidarity
with the Red Army and the Workers
Government. After him Thalmann
greeted the delegation in the name Of
the Presidium. A demonstration was
given by the congress to Clara zet-
kin, in honor of her birthday, and
Manabendra Nath Roy congratulated
her on behalf of the Presidium of the
Congress.
German UnIonlst Reports.
Comrade Heckert then delivered
his report:
The general retreat of the work
ing class has not yet come to halt.
The capitalist offensive is still on,
and the Preparations Committee re-
port makes for a continuation of this
offensive. 1t is doubtful whether the
German workers can resist the re-
duction in wages and lengthening Of
hours, which will then have an in
ternational effect. The German work
ing class may thus become the
worlds strike breakers. A pacifst
wave has swept over a part Of the
working class, which makes it more
difficult to combat the Preparations
Plan.
The speaker described in detail
how the German trade unions col
lapsed during the reorganization per-
Tod, and under the general unemploy-
ment, and how the betrayal by the
trade union bureaucracy, the expul-
sions and prosecutions of the Com
munists by the officials OF the Gen
eral Federation of Trade Unions, had
caused secession tendencies to ap-
pear The withdrawal movement from
the unions was strengthened by the
lack Of unity in our own camp and
by the betrayal Of the officials.
The prosecutions on the part of the
employers made the tasks of the Fac
tory Councils more difficult, inasmuch
as the revolutionary delegates to
these councils were Immediately dis
charged by the employers. This. and
the expulsion Of the Communists, was
responsible for the decrease of Com
munist influence in the trade unions,
and made increasingly hard the or
ganization Of the unorganized.
Describing in detail the recent
struggles of the. German workers,
Hecbert stressed the necessity of
joint action on the part Of German,
French and English miners.
The development of small craft or
CARNATIONS has become increasingly
favored by the aristocracy Of labor,
small groups Of skilled craftsmen, and
must be strenuously opposed. Work
ers' battles that are we'll led, as, for
example, those Of LudwigshaYen, can
strengthen the organizations in spite
Of the recent defeat. The problem
consists of establishing strike strate-
gy on the basis of international ex-
perience.
The speaker pointed out the i'm
mense significance Of the information
al workers aid movement. He also
emphasized the necessity of keeping
the militant workers in close touch
with the agricultural workers and
small peasants. He agreed with Los
ovsky as to the correctness Of the
tactics, established by the Second
Congress, in the matter of the shop
nuclei system, and hoped that the lost
positions would speedily be regained.
In respect to the Amsterdam left
wing at the Vienna Congress, the
speaker warned against harboring
any illusions. Experience has shown
that when It comes to a showdown
this left wing always acts with the
big-wigs of the right wing. The re-
evolutionary words of the Amsterdam
left-wing has Inisled the working
class. The policy Of the Red Inter
national cannot be built upon the va
citations and hesitations OF the Am
sterdam left.
A Minority View.
After Heckert's report, the debate
was continued by Schumacher, speak
ing as a minority Of one of the Ger.
man delegation. Declaring that he
spoke only for himself. and not for
the German party, the Speaker traced
the development Of trade union policy
in the X. p. d., and maintained that
the party had endorsed the formation
OF new industrial unions before the
Frankfort convention. Even the
Frankfort resolution permitted this
tactic. Inasmuch as the achievement
of leadership in the old unions is i'm.
possible, he said, and inasmuch as the
trade unions sabotage the workers
sstruggles and expel the Communists,
It would be well at present to organ
d. hA \