The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1931-11-02
On the Carrying OutofDecisionS ofthe
National TUUL Exec. Board Meeting
BASIS FOR STRUGGLE GROWS-REQUIRES BETTER OR.
GANIZATION
GANIZATION

The National Committee of the Trade Union
Unity League met at a time when important
events had taken place in thsi country as well as
all over the world In the sphere of foreign
events we witnessed the growth OF financial
crisis in Germany, Great Britain and number
OF other countries bringing with it initiation and
the consequent reduction of the living standards
OF the masses of employed and unemployed
workers. This had its repurcussion in the United
States immediately. 1t only day or two
after the announcement that Great Britain had
gone off the gold standard that the u. S.
Steel Corporation made its announcement Of
the sweeping wage cut in the steel industry that
was followed by wage-cuts in most of the other
industries, and gave impetus to the drive on the
wages OF the railroad workers,
The announcements of the wage -Cut by the
u. S Steel Corporation was the beginning of an
intensive drive on the living standards of the
masses of workers OF this country. 1t was the
complete and official abandonment of the high
wage theory as a means to bring back prosper
ity" 1t was the going over from the scattered
wage cutting drive to a sweeping drive affecting
all workers, The wage cut was not meant to be
the last one. 1t was but meant to be the be-
ginning. This fact We already see with the hint
given by the Steel Institute that the wages of the
steel workers Will be cut again,
WIN regard 10 Tie Unemployed VIC NllliSSoCN
at the time of the meeting of the National Com
mittee the most concerted drive against unem-
ployment insurance. 1t is no secret that the
Hoover government made one of its conditions
of financial support to the German and British
capitalists the cutting down of the unemploy-
ment benefits. These cuts in turn were utilized
by the capitalists here to make their drive against
unemployment insurance.
These new features of the situation brought to
the National Committee OF the TUUL the fact
that the basis for the development OF the
struggle has widened and depend That While
heretofore the struggles Of the workers were
limited mainly to the mining and textile indus
tries that had themselves been in a crisis long
before the beginning of the present economic
c.isis and where the standards of living OF the
masses had been pressed down to the lowest
levels. the situation among the steel workers, the
auto workers. etc. had now become more equal
to thai of the miners and textile workers thus
laying the basis Of the development of the strike
movement in these industries.
At the same time the growth OF part time work
created an ever wider basis for the development
of Joint action of the employed and unemployed.
The employed" steel workers, for example, work
from one to three days Their interest in the
fight for unemployment relief and insurance is
obvious. At the same time these workers taced
with reduction of Their wage rates on top OF tine
unemployment become ready to take up the
fight against wage cuts because more and more
they are reduced to the level OF starvation But
unlike the completely unemployed they possess
the weapon of strike.
These more favorable conditions for the de-
velopment OF the struggle the National Commit
tee EMPHASIZED do not require the change OF the
line of the Trade Union Unity League. The line
laid down by RILU and which already brought
results in the mining and textile industries IN
the struggles OF the needle workers remains the
same But the conditions for the carrying
through of the line become more favorable Does
this mean that we have nothing to learn ana
nothing to do as consequence Iof these new
events OF course not. These new conditions
demand that we quicken the tempo OF all OF our
work. They require that we act with greater
speed in the organization OF the masses Tor