The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1928-09-05

now want 10 lake up Cel tdlh
separate problems, which in my
opinion are very important. Per-
nit me first of all to say a few
words about our trade union tactics
and our trade union work, which
was discussed here. The Executive
of the C. I. constantly emphasizes
In it's resolutions, circulars, letters,
and other documents, the necessity
for persistent trade union work in
connection with the united front tao
tics. Everybody knows this. The
world situation, which have an
alyzed and described here makes
this problem more acute than ever
and brings the task Of winning over
the masses more and more to the
forefront. In the present situation
winning over the masses is the con-
dition precedent for our struggle
against the dangers Of war, and
against war as such. The masses
cannot be won over unless we work
inside the trade unions. From the
point of view of our International
relations we must repeat what we
have already said, namely. that
strenuous work in the trade unions
Is absolutely essential.
We must not lose the initiative in
the struggle for trade union unity.
In the present situation we stand
particularly in need of strongholds
among the masses. That is why an
intensification of trade union work
in general, and an intensification of
Profintern work in particular, is now
one of the major tasks in the work
Of the Communist Parties. In the
course of the discussion of the trade
union question number of tenden-
cies were revealed. Some comrades
spoke of the necessity to organize
the unorganized, to create indie
pendent organizations in opposition
to the ieactionary unions, and, I'M
DER. certain definite conditions, to
link up with the Profintern unions
those trade union organizations
which have been captured from the
rsformists. This is the policy which
we advocated and which was gener-
ally adopted by the w. Congress of
the R. l. L. U. However, in the dis
cussion reference was made to ten
denotes to resist these decisions, to
the absence of an independent Com
munist line in trade union work, to
complete surrender to Reformism
out Of fear of expulsion from the
trade unions. But another tendency
was also revealed in the course of
the discussion, namely, tendency
TO deny the necessity for working
in the reactionary unions, and at
tcmpts were even made to develop
d theory for the purpose of justify
ing this attitude. Sometimes this
tendency is observed among the
rank and file and arises from the
difficulties which work in the reac-
tionary trade union encounters. 1t
IS true that we are being expelled
from the reactionary unions and for
that reason greater firmness and a
strong belief in our own policy is
necessary to be able to work under
such difficult conditions. The ten
dency to leave the reactionary
unions is fostered also by the fact
that large numbers of workers in
many countries are still morgan
lied. This is the case in the United
States and also in France. Com
rade Thorez pointed out in his
speech that only a negligible Sec
ton of the French workers are or
ganized. It is absolutely clear that
the task of organizing the morgan
lied is one of the main tasks at the
present time. But this is no reason
why we should abandon our work in
the reactionary trade unions, even
in countries where dual unions ex-
list. Some comrades try to prove
theoretically that it is impossible to
capture the machinery Of the re-
formist labor organizations. trade
Unions, etc. They draw an analogy
between the trade union and the gov
ernmental machinery. The slogan:
capture the bourgeois state machine,
they claim, must not be taken liter
ally. They point out that Marx and
Engels, and later Lenin in his Estate
and Revolution" explained that cap
turing the state means destruction
Of the state machine and it's dis
placement by another; that this was
the process of capturing the state.
The comrades apply this argument
to the trade union question. There,
too, there is firmly organized bu-
reaucratic machine similar to that
Of the bourgeois state machine.
They say that it is impossible to
capture that huge machine, it must
be destroyed; but it is possible to
destroy it only when the bourgeois
state apparatus is destroyed. From
this they conclude that it will be i'm
possible to capture the reactionary
trade unions before the capture of
POLITICAL power. On these assump-
tions it is easy to arrive at the con-
clusion that it is not necessary to
work in the trade unions now under
Reformist leadership. However
the argument that it is impossible
to capture the reactionary unions
cannot be proved. True, it is a