The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1930-05-17
THE MINORITY MOVEMENT
IN GREAT BRITAIN

it must be admitted that with the exception of
very few cases (Rego, Polikoff, etc., 1t Jagged
behind the workers. In many cases the Minor
ity Movement came into the field only when
strikes broke out spontaneously, in other
words, it failed to feel the pulse of the masses;
it underestimate the readiness of the workers
to fight capitalist naturalization; and as
result, the Minority Movement made no pre-
paration for these strikes by setting up real
functioning committees of action, elected by
all workers, organized and unorganized. In
the field of strike tactics and independent lead
ershp many other serious errors were COM
mitted, which show persistence of various
forms of the tactic, make the reformist lead
rs fight" This found its expression in the
9olikoff strike (needle trade, May, 1929 when
ur comrades appealed to the General Council
o investigate into the strike-breaking activ-
ties of the reformist union. In the Austin dis
pute (March-April, 1929 the Minority Move
ment not only failed to lead the struggle in
Jependently, but even agreed not to issue
strike bulletins, because some individuals on
the strike committee raised their objection to
them.
Why They Failed.
But what is more important is the fact that
even when the Minority Movement did sue
coed in leading strikes independently (Dawdon,
failed to lead them successfully to the very
end. In many cases, the existing social fascist
trade unions managed to either break the
strike or to conclude some patched-up settle
ment and thus wrest the leadership from the
Minority Movement This is the best proof
that our comrades in Britain while seriously
endeavoring to carry out the new line, have
not yet learned how to correctly apply it.
This wrong application by the Minority
Movement of revolutionary strike tactics as
laid down by the decisions of the Strassburg
Conference and the RILU., is also connected
with the underestimation of the role of the
unorganized. Very little has been done by the
Minority Movement to draw the unorganized
into membership. There is still a tendency
among our comrades to limit the fight to the
confines of the trade union machinery, scep-
ticism with regard to the unorganized workers,
a desire to limit membership in the Minority
Movement to only those WHO possess a trade
union card, there is still real disinclinaton
to overcome the barriers of trade union legal
ism. These tendencies really prevent the
CARNATIONS of the Minority Movement from
drawing in the unorgapized into all organs
of struggle as well as retard in general the
drive of the Minority Movement towards the
factories.
Serious Mistakes.
Finally it must be pointed out that during
the period following the Fourth Congress of
the RLL.U. very serious mistakes were COM
mitted by the Minority Movement, which were
due to the mechanical continuation of old right
wing policies condemned more than once by
the Executive of the RLL.U. To prove this
point it is sufficient to mention some impor-
tant cases.
% In the formation of the U. NJ. S. our
comrades failed to carry out the correct line as
laid down by the RIL.U., and for long time
persisted in their policy of indecision tradi-
tionalism, legalism and constitutionalism this
had its effect upon the organization of the
u NJ. S. which could, considering the objective
situation then existing in Scotland, have
much better start and a broader base;
(2) In relation to Cook and other so-called
lefts, an incorrect policy was carried out by
the leadership of the Minority Movement. As
late as November December, 1928, when it was
already clear that Cook had become traitor
round table negotiations were still carried on
with him; this is the most glaring example of
the wrong understanding of the united front
tactic which was understood by many of our
comrades as reducing itself to agreements with
trade union leaders; the failure to understand
that "the united front can only then have a
strong basis if it is the result of intensive
work among the masses, ETC." (Second R.IL.U.
Congress decision);
(3) In regard to the building of a seamen's
union, the leadership of the Minority Move
ment, in spite of the decisions of the RLL.U.,
failed to carry out the necessary preparatory
campaigns in this direction. Instead, it con-
tinued for long time the policy of appealing
to Bevin "to act" "to organize the seamen,'
etc.
These are some of the fundamental errors
of the Minority Movement which undoubtedly
had some influence in preventing the develop
ment and growth of the Minority Movement
in accordance with the tremendous tasks and
responsibilities which the movement in Britain
places upon it. At present our comrades in
Britain not only recognize these mistakes, but
take serious steps in order to overcome them.
The last plenum of the Minority Movement,
held in January, passed number of important
resolutions which lay the basis for transform
ing the Minority Movement into a real revou-
tionary trade union organization with mass
base, and able to ensure solidarity and the
greatest striking power.