The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-12-15
The Fight for World Trade Union
Spreads Rapidly in All Countries

when the leaders of his trade union
pass decisions to the effect that
the revolutionary trade unions
should be liquidated, every worker
not only has the right but must
ask: What for? For what pur-
pose? Of what use will this be
to the workers."
The Amsterdam International in
Weymouth proposed to the RIL.U.
that it liquidate itself. WhyP If
the biggest section of the Amster-
dam international = the German
trade unions-went bankrupt, does
this mean that the r. I. L. U. be
liquidated? 1t seems that the r. I.
L. U. should be liquidated to en-
able the Amsterdam International
to carry on its old policy, i.e.. to
lead the working masses along the
Austrian-German path, with more
freedom than heretofore. 1t is
losing ones head, indeed, to make
such kind of proposals. Anyone
who expects that single person
could be found in the R. I. L. u.
who would follow the advice of the
leaders of the Amsterdam Interna-
tional has no head at all on his
shoulders. 1t would be best of all
If the leaders of the reformist
unions stopped talking about dis
solving the revolutionary trade
unions and liquidating the R. 1. L.
o., for nothing will come of such
talk except chagrin for the re-
formist leaders.
The revolutionary trade unions
and the R. I. L. U. for many years
have been proposing seriously and
without any secret purpose to build
a unified trade union movement In
every country and to create later on
international trade union unity on
this basis. Herein lies the essence
of the entire policy of the Red In
ternational of Labor Unions. But,
the leaders of the reformist trade
Unions are saying that the R.I.L.U.
and its sections do not stop their
criticism while proposing unity,
that they do not discontinue their
struggle against reformism and the
reformtst policy and tactic. First
OF all, the R. I. L. U. and its sec
lions have openly declared many
times that they are ready to stop
their attacks on the leaders of those
reformist organizations which come
out together with us in a united
front Of struggle against the bour-
geoisie. The r. I. L.U. and its sec
lions have never conducted a strug-
gle against the workers organized
in the reformist trade unions. They
have always been struggling against
the reformist policy and tactics car
ried through by the leaders of the
reformist unions, which is far from
being one and the same thing.
The workers of all tendencies have
sufficient reasons now for march
ing side by side and shoulder to
shoulder in the struggle against
their class enemies. The offensive
on the living standards of the
working class is going on. Fascism
is bringing unheard of misery to
the broadcast working masses, re-
action raised its head in all coun-
tries, The R. I. L. U. and its sec
tons have been proposing to all
the reformist trade unions to fight
together to raise the living stand
ards of the working class, against
fascism, for freedom of the workers
organizations, etc. Every joint &C
ton in this field is an enormous
gain for the working class.
Why are the leaders of the Am
sterdam International, the leaders
the trade unions of Great Britain,
of France, Sweden, Denmark and
Czechoslovakia, opposed to the
united front? All this can be ex-
planned quite simply. If they build
a united front with the revolution
airy workers, it will make it diff
cult for them to carry through a
policy of collaboration with the
bourgeoisie A united front between
the revolutionary and reformist
trade unions aims at joint action
against the bourgeoisie and re-
lection of the united front means
unwillingness to come out against
the bourgeoisie. Thousands of facts
can be given as an illustration of
this statement. This is what every
worker should seriously think over.
After the smashing of the Ger
man and Austrian trade unions the
Amsterdam International lost over