The daily worker., 1927-05-31
TACTICS OF THE MINORITY MOVEMENT
IN GREAT BRITAIN

On the 25th of March the General
Council sent to all trades councils
instructions No 28," laying down,
among other things: "That those
trades councils which are affiliated
to the minority movement, or receive
affiliations from branches of that or
ganiZation, or are associated with
that body, shall not be accorded
recognition by the general council
nor allowed TO participate in any
work carried on under the auspices
Of the general council"
The meaning of these instructions
is clear: the general council is be-
ginning open warfare against the
minority movement, the vanguard of
the trade union movement. This
shameless policy of the general coun-
ell is unexpected neither by the sup
porters Of the minority movement
nor by the wide masses Of the work
ers. Is not this that same general
council which betrayed the general
strike and the miners strike? That
same general council which Is agita-
ting for industrial peace and still at
tacking the general strike as
weapon Of the class struggle against
the owners? That same general
council which by it's whole policy so
weakening to the trade union move
ment has cleared the ground for anti
trade union Government legislation?
What is the explanation Of the fact
that in the very moment when gov
ernment trade union legislation is
threatening to throw back the labor
movement a hundred years, the gen.
eral council is carrying out its dis
ruptive policy? There can only be
one answer to this question: the gen
eral council and trade union bureau
cracy in some unions have embarked
upon their struggle against the Com
munists and the minority movement
in the hope that the Government will
reward them by changing some Of the
clauses of the anti-trade union bill so
as to make it acceptable to the labor
bureaucrats.
The minority movement has already
begun its campaign for the exposure
Of the reformist leaders disruptive
policy. 1t points out that the. general
council had not recognized the trade
councils "until the agitation of the
minority movement had developed to
the point where resolutions appeared
on the agenda Of the trades union con-
gress demanding the affiliation of the
trades councils to the TUG, with
representation on the general coun-
ell"
The agitation OF the minority
movement is responsible for trans
forming the most important trades
councils into real councils Of actions
in the various localities. This is one
of the greatest contributions Of the
minority movement, which is being
recognized by the trades councils and
the rank and file. At the last an.
nual conference there were ninety
delegates in attendance representing
fifty-one trades. councils. The general
councils cannot point out a single in
stance where the policy of the min
ority movement has injured or re-
tarded the working class movement.
The general councils offensive
against the minority movement can
be explained by one reason: they
know that the force in the trade
union movement is the new and real
force in the trade union movement of
Britain that alone can save the move
ment from the traitorous policy of
the Thomases and Pughs. This Of
fensive Of the general council will be
defeated by the rank and file mem
bers of the unions.