The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1926-05-09
british LEFT
Wing PLAYS A
DECISIVE ROLE
Rise of the Minority
Movement
BY WILLIAM r. DUNNE
FOURTH ARTICLE


basis for left wing movement whose
rapid rise to a position Of influence is
one Of the outstanding features of the
British situation.
At the head of the Minority Move
ment is Harry Pollitr, member OF the
Bollermakers Union and also mem
Der Of the Communist Party Of Great
Britain, now In Wandsworth prison
following his conviction on a charge
of "fomenting mutiny in the armed
forces Of the crown" brot under an
act passed in 1897.
Nat Watkins Of the South Wales
Miners Federation and George Hardy,
well-known member Of the I. w. W.
who served a sentence in eavenworth
for anti-war activities and was then
deported from the United States, are
now in charge of the work of the
national office OF the Minority Move
ment. The British capitalist class has
legitimate grievance against our
rulers for sending Hardy back home.
Active on the executive are such we'll
known fighters as Tom Quelch and
Tom Mann.
For Militant Program.
The aim of the Minority movement
was and is to give to the trade unions
a militant program, to build them real
weapons of the British masses. Prac.
ttcal work to this end is the chief
feature Of the movement.
Nat Watkins, for instance, went in
to the Forest of Dean mining district
with A.Purcell, since he was elected to
parliament from that constituency, and
conducted what the British movement
calls an "All In Campaign" l. 9. an
organization drive which brot the per-
centage Of union organization from 80
per cent up to 80 per cent.
In the recent strike of seamen the
Minority Movement actually had the
leadership in the person Of George
Hardy.
Hundreds Of minor trade union Of
hcials-branch secretaries, local or
ganizers, etc.-are members of the
Minority Movement and together with
the rank and file militants are doing
much of the routine work by which
trade union movement is built
The program of the Minority Move
ment for support of the the coal
miners was simple. 1t was:
I. Rejection of the coal commits
sIon's report-nationaIiza
2. All unions behind the miners.
3. A national council Of action
with corresponding local bodies In
every Industrial district.
$4,000 Workers.
At the first National Minority con-
ference held in Battersea last fall,
some 100000 workers were repres-
ented.
At the special conference held last
march $4,000 workers were repres-
ented. In other words about 20 per
cent of the British trade union mem
bership were actively supporting the
program of the National Minority
Movement.
Distinct from the Minority Move
ment is the still broader left wing
personified by such men as Wheatley,
Maxton, Hicks, Bromley, Williams and
other trade union officials and labor
members of parliament influenced by
strong left pressure. from their fol-
lowers and who follow policy much
more to the left than that of Mac
Donald, Henderson, Clynes and
Thomas.
The pressure Of these two powerful
groups upon the executive of the
miners in support of A. J. Cook hrot
the leading committee of the Miners
Federation into line.
The immediate policy as formulated
by the Miners National Minority
Movement in a conference held March
%, was as follows:
We call upon the miners to con-
centrate upon securing 100 per cent
organization and to prepare to fight
for the guaranteed weekly minimum
wage commemorate with the in
creased cost Of living whilst reeogn'
izing that the necessary reorganiza-
ton, so as to permit this, is only
possible by the naturalization of
the mining industry without COM
pensatlon and with workers. control.
Movement Aided General Strike.
We have seen how the miners
rallied behind Cook and came to the
Trade Union Congress prepared for
struggle.
In the other unions similar cam
paigns for support Of the miners
carried on with the slogan that, "the
attack on the miners is an attack on
the whole trade union movement"
How well the Minority Movement
did its work is shown by the general
strike in support of the miners which
has astounded and frightened the cap
italist world.
The capitalists press is loud in It's
protests against the challenge to par
lament and the use Of such drastic
measures in a wage struggle. The
British strike is a wage struggle true
enuf but its implications are far wider
than Tho fmmadfata cafgaa which nro.