The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1931-07-20
The Meaning Of the Girardot
Strike in Columbia

Center in Colombia) went on strike. 1t was
spontaneous strike. The workers unanimously
requested that the National Trade Union Com
mittee take the leadership.
In the morning of May g. armed forces of the
government were occupying the railroad stations
in an attempt to demoralize tina stxikers and
protect the strike breakers. Thus the strike
breaking forces of the government quelled the
strike, arrested the leaders Sabogal and Bernal.
What were the positive and negative sides of
this strike without which we cannot correctly
learn our lessons and prevent our failures and
shortcomings in the future struggles? The COM
bativeness of the workers was tremendous. At
the outset of the strike, the workers demanded
the leadership of the National Trade Union
COMMITTEES. being thus sure that they will not
be betra0ed. The Trade Union of Girardot
which Immediately stepped into the situation
had a membership Of 200 and within a few
days increased to 1900. The influence of the
comparatively high salaried railway shop work
ers who signed GAO of them their adhesion
against the strike, did not succeed to stfle the
fighting mood of the workers. The sympathetic
atmosphere in which the strike took place. ex-
tended throughout the country. The workers
of the other national railway lines began to
prepare for general strike.
From the revolutionary working class press of
Colombia, we gather that our comrades made a
serious analysis of their shortcomings Let us
enumerate the important ones. The lack of
preparation of the strike by the union itself
The capitalization of the demands put up by
the workers. a fundamental prerequisite for
the success of the strike was lacking. The
demands should have been made on the basis
of series of meetings with the workers, to hear
their grievances before their final formulation
Before the formulation of the demands the
broadcast possible number of workers, in the I'M
ion and outside of it, should have been ap-
preached and consulted.
The comrades are absolutely correct to make
special emphasis on the fact that the Strike
Committee did not function. We gather from
the reports that only ore Strike Committee was
organized This, of course, is ious mistake
The Strike Committees eles' ed by the workers
tt cmselves should have Included Me greatest
number of workers possible, among the organ
lied and unorganized in every locality and rail-
way station. The participation of the rank and
file worker in the S5.:ke Committees is q power
ful weapon agains. the possible denlo-al;7ation
and it increases their combativeness during the
strike.
On the eve of the strike, the leading COM
mittee made no effort to counterfeit the in
fluence of the Liberal party politicians who sent
their agents to speak to the workers in groups.
Our comrades estimate that If general meet
ing we're held on the eve of the strike, the
workers would have felt confident of a strong
and capable leadership being side by side with
them. This is correct.
On the day of the strike, Comrade Sabogal
was arrested The Secretary of the Union, Com
rade Bernal went to protest at the police station
for the detention of Sabogal Both were sent
to Bogota and released after the strike was over.
What was the error committed? 1t appears
that these two comrades were the outstanding
leaders of the strike and, naturally, they were
invested with great responsibilities. A leader
less strike is doomed. The correct thing for
Bernal to do was to remain at his post, with the
workers, mobilize them to demonstrate and de-
mand the release of Saboga1 We cannot en-
phasize enough the seriousness of such 'heroic"
acts so common In Latin America. They in
dictate the putchist methods of struggle petty
bourgeois methods of struggle so harmful to the
working class. In fact all the shortcomings
above mentioned are the outcome of the still
prevalent theology of revolutionary socialism"
SO typical Of Latin America, particularly Of
Colombia.
The spontaneity Of the strike took the COM
rades, especially the leadership by surprise. Yet