The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1924-08-22

AOA ASduCl5' OuCA AuSu as IlubCulH5OH
of the Engineering Union, Hicks Of
the Building Workers Union, Purcell
of the Furnishing Trades Union,
Bramley of the Locomotive Engineers
and Firemen's Union, Cook of the
Miners, have been ventilating their
views in the columns of the Labor
Monthly" and the Workers Weekly"
on the need for a left wing program
and a new direction for the Trades
Union movement.
Bramley thought things over,
searched in a business-like way thru
the records of the Trades Union Con-
crosses and sorted out the resolutions
of national Importance that had been
passed by succeeding congresses
stretching over a period Of years.
Then, combining his research work
with the more recent decisions, he
crystalized them into program
which he proposes to place before the
Trades Union Congress as its Char
ter" Some Of the demands appear
most revolutionary, but the Charter
must not be regarded as having any,
thing to do with the means of getting
the demands into operation. But
first read:
"The Workers Charter
1. Naturalization of the land.
2. Naturalization of the railways
3. Naturalization Of mines and
minerals.
4. Hours of labor - legal maxi
mum working week of Al hours.
s. Legal minimum wage for each
industry or occupation.
6. Pensions for all at the age Of
60.
Z. Pensions for mothers with de-
pendent children.
8. Adequate provisions for unem-
ployment, with proper maintenance
for the unemployed.
8. Establishment of training CEN
ters for unemployed boys and girls,
with the extension of training facili-
ties for adults during periods Of de-
preston.
10. Provisions of proper housing &C
commodation.
IL. Improved facilities to be pro
vided by the state from elementary
schools to universities.
IL. The extension of state and mu
nicipal employment for the purpose o.
prompting social necessities and serv
ice.
There have been resolutions passed
affirming each of these demands al
one time or another in the Trades
Union Congress.
The Charter will no doubt be passed
at the next Trades Union Congress
All the propaganda thunder will have
thus been stolen from the left and
their complaints dismissed by refer.
ence to the Charter. 1t will drive
them to the issue of constitutional
versus unconstitutional action. The
Trades Union Congress led by the
General Council will say Here is our
program of demands. 1t is impossible
to secure them without the people
vote for them thru parliament. 1t is
the duty of those who now complain
to awaken the unions to sense OF
its parliamentary responsibility. Prac-
tically all the unions in the Trades
Union Congress are affiliated to the
Labor Party and we should strengthen
its hands by powerful campaign in
the unions. The alternative is un.
constitutional action against which
the Trades Unions have set their face
Unconstitutional action means acting
dSnontrary to the rules and regulations
of the unions and we are the custod
ians of these rules and regulations
Do you suggest that we should break
our own trade union laws established
thru many years of struggle?"
The Charter" therefore represents
a clever move to place the whole OF
the left wing in the trades union
movement into an awkward position
with most of their immediate de-
mands agreed upon insofar as they
have put them forward as program de-
mands for the unions. When placed
in relation to the Unemployed Char
ter and the Trades Council proposals
it represents the elimination of twelve
months strategy against the awaken
ing left wing of the unions. Parallel
with it there has been consistent
campaign against strikes and for in
dustrial peace, goodwill between the
workers and the employers. At the
same time the General Council has
been tolerant towards the unofficial
strikers while dissapproving of theil
actions. For example when the CAPT
talist press came out with a vicious
campaign against the Communist
Party and the strikers during the re
cent unofficial strike on the railways
Bramley issued statement to the ef
feet that this was a useless and mis-
leading campaign and that It was
usually found that workers did not &c
on strike for fun. Invariably there
was a good foundation for every strike