The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1926-02-16
LABOR UNIONS
UNIT OF POWER
Under SOvIETS
Central Labor Bodies
Decide Issues
BY ESTHER LOWELL
Federated Press)


central labor union. is the unit of
power in Soviet Russia like the bank
is in the United States" says Scott
Nearing, member teachers union and
Federated Press correspondent who
has returned from an extended trip
thru Europe to lecture in this country.
"If you want anything done, you 90 to
the central labor union about it,"
7,25o000 Workers Organized.
Seven and a. quarter million work
ers in Russia belong to trade unions,
gain of nearly million last year.
Nearing states that about $50 of all
Russian industrial workers are union
members and are second only to the
coopreatives in being the largest or
ganized group The unions have more
power because they are aggressive
organizations. The unions have
large culture fund to carry on educa-
tional and social work among their
members. Theis feature particularly
impressed the German trade union
delegation whose report on Russia
Nearing brought over.
"The basic law of the land is the
labor CODE" asserts Nearing, Gust as
the property code is in the United
States and other capitalist countries.
It's as bad to work a man over eight
hours in Soviet Russia as it is to
steal or otherwise violate the property
code here. You have to understand,
as the British trade union delegation
stresses in its report, that the work
ing class is the ruling class in Russia
before you can interpret what is going
on there. Outside of Moscow and
Leningrad in the smaller communities
where the N. f, P. has little influence,
the workers are almost 1000 in con-
troll.
Protect Workers Health.
Complete free health service is
provided in Russia like fire protection
here. You notify the proper authori-
ties turn in the alarm-when you
are. i'll and need attention. Nurseries
are provided as matter of course for
working mothers children. There is
cooperative restaurant in every
factory where wholesome nourishing
food is supplied the workers" Co
operatives haSdled about 45Go of all
sales in RusS,& last year.
The contrast between Russian work
ers and Polish, German, Latvian, in
fact almost all other European work
ers as to material well-being is OBJ
vious, Nearing notes. Russian work
ers are wearing whole warm we'll
made boots and other clothes where
workers in other countries are clad
in well-worn, shabby or ragged gar
ments and shoes. Russian workers
get enough good food to eat while
other European workers are on slim
and poor ratiohs. The apparent apathy
Of the mass of German workers is due
to their Acknowledgment, their
hunger, Nearing says.
Europe's Workers Starving.
In the spirit of the workers, the
contrast between Russia and other
countries is even more marked. Eve
ryone l talked to in Russia believes
that they're going ahead-and you can
see constructive activities on all
sides. They're hopeful. Coming out
Of Russia into Germany Is like COM
ing from bright spring day into a
dark cellar" In Spain and Italy and
Balkan countries the labor movement
has been forced underground. Thou
sands of workers are in prisons in
these countries for trade union ac-
tivities, besides those in for political
opposition. Primo de Rivera is near
ly as bad as Mussolini. The military
dictatorship is everywhere evident in
Spain. Each train has its military
guards, armed"
For World Trade Union Unity.
Among militant European workers
the demand for world trade union UNI
ity is growing insistent. Nearing
found. Unity papers are being start
ed In Belgium and Germany and
soon in Holland, France and Scandi-
navian countries. The pioneer Eng.
lish paper Trade Union Unity has
many British trade union officials
constantly contributing articles in
support of its aim-world trade union
unity.
AirnIanae VIII C,o.ax II