The daily worker., 1926-02-18
BY A. LozovsKY.

Continued from previous issue)
editors Note.-Following is an
other instalment of the series of
articles on the trade union con-
crosses of the French, German and
British trade union movements by
A. Lozovsky, secretary of the Red
international of Labor Unions.)
THE Breslau congress, which was at
1 tended by the majority of the most
reactionary trade unionists, could not
but take up hostile attitude towards
unity. The General Federation of
German Trade Unions constituted last
year the extreme right of the Amster-
dam trade unions. The congress en-
dorsed this policy and the reactionary
bureaucracy issued from this congress
stronger than before. It is we'll
known fact that the German General
Federation of Trade Unions is the
theological leader of the entire right
wing of the Amsterdam International.
Supported by millions of members.
the German trade union bureaucrats
were continually bringing pressure to
bear on Amsterdam so that the latter
should not swerve from its anti-Com-
munist policy. The problem of unity
with all its complications was not
even raised in Breslau. A few COM
monplace declarations by Liepart to
the effect that Amsterdam has always
been and is now for unity. that the
X. /. l.. u. and the Russian trade
unions do not want unity and that the
Communists are responsible for the
split, etc, and that was all. This is
an old story which we already heard
at the French congress and it is not
of any particular interest. It is sig
nificant that these self-satisfied and
narrow bureaucrats never troubled
about the question how to unite the
trade union movement of all parts of
the world and how a truly united ir
ternational is to be created. This is
beyond their ken and beyond the linn
its Of their narrow trade union Ger.
man interests. d.
Yellows' Destroy Unions
To show how low was the level or
the congress one need only say that
no one attempted to explain why the
trade unions have lost their former in
fuence. And yet it is obvious that the
trade unions are playing a much less
important role than before. ONLY a
few years ago the bourgeoisie courted
the General Federation of Trade
Unions and took into consideration its
declarations and demands, whilst now
in 1925 the ruling classes do not even
think 1t necessary to observe the most
ordinary decorum towards II. The
stupid leaders Of the General Fedora
tion Of German Trade Unions have
not yet grasped that the bourgeoisie
appreciated them only while they
were the big stick against Bolshevism
and enabled the bourgeoisie to occupy
again its former positions. Now that
the Moor has done his duty, the bour.
geoisie hopes to be able to fight sue.
cessfully against Communism without
the help OF the trade union bureau
crats-the Moor can go. Hence the
decline of the influence Of the trade
unions. No one thot of analyzlng this
phenomenon, just as not one OF the
bureaucrats attempted to explain why
the German proletariat has lost every
thing which 1t achieved in the first
years Of the revolution and why It
has become the European coolie.
Nothing was said about this because
this would have implied stating the
truth about the actual situation, which
naturally is not in the interests Of Lei
part and company.
But the management, or rather mis-.
Of these gentlemen did
not only lower the levefsof existence
Of the German proletariat, but robhf