The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1926-07-21
The Communist international
on the British Strike


on the British Strike
LIVERY conscious Bolshevik must not
Aonly carefully read but also thoroly
study the theses on the lessons of
the British strike adopted unanimous
ly by the executive committee Of the
Communist International.
In the theses of the executive of the
Comintern is given, in concise and
compact form, an analysis of the Brit
ish events in May. The theses contain
an exposition Of the social and eco
nomic basis and the fundamental NOV
ing forces of this class conflict. They
lay bare the strategy of the capital
lists, the Baldwin government, the
right and ''left" leaders," and of the
Communist Party. They define the
position of the British strike in the
international situation, derive the
chief lessons therefrom, outline the
future perspectives and developments
and accordingly point out the result
ing tasks of the Comintern and its
sections.
Dialectics the Guide.
The approach by which the Comm
tern was guided was the tried and
proven point-of-view of feminist dia-
lectics. To understand the meaning of
certain phenomena or social event
in a feminist way, means to search for
and to find its particular characteris-
tic features, to understand their main
symptoms, to show the connection be-
tween these basic elements and the
emerging features of subsequent
links, and to point out concretely the
possible and most probable transitory
stage to further developments. The
British general strike has its own
peculiar nature, from it flows peculiar
lessons, and it confronts the British
Communist Party and the whole
Comintern with peculiar specific tasks.
Role of the Unions.
The British class conflict in May
has underscored with numerous lines
the completely singular role of the
British trade unions. This peculiar
role of the trade unions in England,
which is forcing itself to the fore
front, is founded on deep social and
historic conditions. Comrade Lenin
had many times emphasized the fact
that the trade unions are the funda-
mental organization base of the labor
movement in England. 1t is charac-
teristic that the remarkable historical
process to the left of the British
workers proceeded before all and first
Of all thru the trade unions. Hence,
1t was not an accident but a fully le-
ultimate and politically correct step OF
the British Communist Party to issue
the slogan: "All power to the general
council of the trade unions" The To-
cal committees and the committees of
action, which were organized by and
around the trade unions, had begun
spontaneously to develop into organ
izations analogous to our sovlets.
With the further growth and rise of
the struggle, and in the case of its
political expansion, the slogan, "All
Power to the General Council!" would
inevitably have become the chief DO
litlcal slogan of the British working
class.
Win the Unions.
This characteristic shock role Of the
trade union movement in England puts
before the British revolutionists the
task Of strengthening their influence
in the trade unions and among the
masses organized by them. The Brit
ish Communists must orientate them.
selves, not on leaving the trade un-
ions, but on winning majority with
In them. Not in any country is II pos
sible to win the masses disregarding
the trade unions. And this is par
ticularly true with regard to England.
Not by disregarding the trade unions
but thru the trade unions, increasing
the trade union emphasis in It's
everyday work, by all means strength.
ening its authority in the trade UNI
ions; thus will the British Communist
Party lead the working class TO vic.
tory. In connection with this, the i'm.
portance OF the so-called Minority
Movement" increases tremendously.