The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1927-01-04
BY MuRTAeH MORGAN.

BY MURTAGH MORGAN.
Is trade unionism in Ireland an
integral and virile part of the working
class movement? Is it effective for
welding together and consolidating the
forces of labor? Does it fulfill its func-
ton as an instrument for resisting at
tacks upon wages and conditions? Is
, it an organic whole, capable Of ex
pressing a clear and convincing lead
upon all the questions affecting the
workers thru the class struggle?
Is It Failure?
Only an imbecile would say that
trade unionism in Ireland does, or is
capable of, any of these things. 1t is
not BY any means an integral or virlie
element of the labor army; it is,
rather, a disjointed and remote part
contented in it's unconscious impo-
tency. AS means OF unification it is
homogeneous; it is difficult to conceive
of a more disconnected body It's in
ability to defend wages and condi-
| tons is daily becoming more appar-
ent, and instead of leading it is in
clined to lag. On its existing basis
trade unionism in this country is about
as useful a weapon to the Irish work
ers in their struggle with capitalism
as the bow and arrow would be to
| Iraq villagers attacked by bombing
aeroplanes. Craft unionism, sectional
ism, disunity, "poaching," jealousy,
| recrimination-these are all common
features of that feeble and inert thing
we are stupid enough to call trade
unionism. Yet leaders mount plat
forms and naively pirate to working.
class audiences about "our trade union
movement" while, as a matter of fact,
movement, in the real sense of the
term, does not exist.
Its Day Is Past.
When a wage slave is no longer
able to perform the duties demanded
of him by the capitalist system he is
instantly fired" SO it is with our
trade unionism; for a considerable
time now it has been unable to de
| liver the goods. No verve is manifest
anywhere, and initiative or desire to
march with the times is entirely alb
sent. The old-fashioned conception of
trade unionism has become a veritable
old man of the sea to us, and unless
we make supreme effort and chuck
| him off he will, assuredly, strangle
the new departure" necessitated by
the changing situation. The "crino-
line" has passed.; this is the age of
Elton crop" and wireless" Rip Van
Wrinkle unionism is only compatible
with a aourishing capitalism. 1t
worked fairly we'll when England
could boast of being the workshop of
the world; it is useless today, when
European capitalism is being beaten
to its knees by the trustificated and
concentrated power of American big
business. The more intense the COM
petition for world markets and fresh
fields of exploitation. the more severe
will become the attacks upon the or
ganized workers.
Our problems are multitudinous, and
the sooner we get down to solving
them the better for the Irish work
ing class. Multiplicity of unions is a
deterrent to progress; it's more than
| folly-it's fatal. The whole situation
is complex Each tin-pot organiza.
ton joys along in its own stupid, de-
sultory way sublimely oblivious of
any other interest but its own-and
often absolutely too ignorant to see
its own futility to protect even its
own interest.
! The Recent General Strike.
There is no point of contact visible
anywhere except, perhaps, during a
crisis-when the improvised unity"
achieved becomes nothing more than
sham. Take, for example, the in
cidents in ireland during the general
strike, and we find that while lip
service in abundance was given to the
cause of solidarity. things happened
that would make even a fascist trade
unionist blush. Intrigue and deceit
marked the whole course OF events.
When ii was no longer felt safe to
| further prevent the strike reaching
Ireland desperate efforts were made to
"confne" its ramifcations 10 certain
specified areas. Now what did that
mean? In the case of general strike
II means this: that at some particular
point in the line Of battle you are pre-
pared to cooperate with "scab" or
"black-leg" labor. Why should a state
Of affairs such as this be allowed to
exist, and what is the cause OF all
these troubles? have mentioned one
multiplicity of unions-and there are
many minor causes, yet there is, per-
haps, greater.
The English System.
There are two distinct, and in many
ways opposed, forms Of organizational
structure In Ireland-both Irish and
English unions operate in this country.
Here is a difficulty that must be sur
mounted. It has proved source Of
discord and bone OF contention for
a long time. Now is English trade