The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1927-09-07
BY ]. BERLIOZ (Paris)

July. This Congress had bee n
awaited impatiently by the working
class of France and in particular by
the supporters of trade union unity,
that is, by the $4,000 members of the
C. G. T. U. Confederation General
du Travail Unitaire) and by the Left
wing of the C. G. T. In fact this
Left wing had made great progress
in the last three months, and it was
expected that at the Congress it would
measure its exact forces and its po-
litical powers.
The c. G.. Y. u, which has never
ceased to carry on energetic action
for unity, had, right up to the meet
Ing of its national Committee in
April, followed the tactics of joint
congress of the trade unions, which
would result in the formation of a
united C. G. 7. by amalgamating the
two declarations under the leadership
of both centrals. The c. G. 7. of
Jouhaux has stuck to the formula of
its two past congresses paris 1928
and Paris 1929: "The C. G. T. alone
represents the movement in France;
those who left it in the year 1921
have only to enter the trade unions of
the C. G. T. again, without submit
hing any condition regarding the
rights of certain tendencies"
The c. C. T. U. decided in April to
make a last concession. 1t met it's
rival half way and made the offer
that the unitarian trade unions should
return en- bloc into reformist trade
unions, with the essential guarantees:
each tendency to have equal rights
to express opinions; no explosions on
account of membership to a group or
tendency; trade union democracy;
majority rule. The reformist leaders
replied that the right of opinion in
its ranks had never been called in
question, and that the unitarian trade
unionists had only to apply to the or
CARNATIONS of the C. G. 7. This reply
meant that. instead of the re-entry en-
bloc, it offered individual re-entry,
with the possibility of sitting out the
active revolutionary fighters Il d
without any guarantee for the SOW
ereignty of trade union meetings.
Thus there was no change in the at
titude of C. G. T. leaders.
The movement for unity among the
members of trade unions, however,
continually increased. 1t was sup
ported by the agitation of the group
of Friends of Unity, a. group of the
Left minority, as well as by their
journal "L'Unite" which, since May
1926, has appeared twice a month. On
the LIST of May $4,000 copies of this
journal were sold at meetings of the
c. G. 7. On the 9Th of May Ma
tional Conference of representatives
of the "Group of friends" worked out
plan for a campaign. This confer
ence was followed by several district
Conferences. Finally on the 9Th of
May, Joint Committee of trade
unions of both tendencies of the Paris
State Railway drafted a resolution
which included with all the necessary
practical details, the proposals of the
c. G. T. U. for re-entry On the Both
of May this draft was agreed to by
Congress of ~ reforrnist railway
TRADE unions; three DAYS later the C.
G. T. U. adopted it in its entirety.
Dozens of organizations of all cate
gories in turn agreed to it. All the
tendencies desiring unity and which
up TO then bad been scattered crys
tallized round this resolution.
In face of this imposing attack the
G. G. T. was compelled at first to TO-
treat and then to manoeuvre. It
came forward as the champion of
complete unity" but upon far wider
bases than that of the resolution of
the railway workers. and empowered
the trade unions and the local bran
ches tn organize the re-entry of the
unitarians as they wished. At the
same time they prepared alteration.
in their statutes (articles 36b) aiming
at increasing the possibilities of ex-
pellinc disturbers of discipline.
At the 10th Congress of the c. G.
T. there took place hard struggle.
The policy of the G. G. T. had aimed
at getting represented in all govern
ment organs. in the national eco
nonic council. in the League Of Ma
tons etc. and to rely only on inter
vention in Parliament and on COLA
boration with the government and the
employers.
In the face Of the gathering of 800
to 900 trade union functionaries and
in spite Of brutal hostility which
caused it to vacillate on the first day
the opposition conducted brave
struggle. There was big discussion
on the annual report which occupied
two and half days of the Congress.
The results of the voting are as fol-
lows:
On The Annual Report. 1870
trade unions for, 81 against, 26 alb
~