TRADE UNIONS AND “DISRUPTIVE AGENCIES”

Grey River Argus, 18 December 1948, Page 5

TRADE UNIONS AND “DISRUPTIVE AGENCIES”

(From eHrbert Tracey, of Britain’s Trades Union Congress). LONDON, December 2. Wide repercussions are certain to follow the decision taken by the General Council of Britain’s Trades Union Congress to root out the disruptive agencies implanted in the unions and the Trades Councils by the Communist Party. The emphatic declaration of tiie United Kingdom T.U.C. leaders that active association with any Communist organisation is incompatible with the obligations of loyalty to trade union principles, is likely to be echoed in othei' countries where there are efforts to disrupt the Trade Union Movement. The T.U.C. decision, too, will make its impact felt upon the national trade union centres which have to make up their minds about continuing their support of the World Federation of Trade Unions. It is now certain that the proposals of Britain’s T.U.C. General Council that the World Federation of Trade Unions should suspend its activities will be opposed by the AlLUnion Central Council of the Trade Unions of the U.S.S.R. public statements by the spokesman of Sovieti Trade Unions have made it clear that they will oppose even a temporary cessation of the W.F.T.U. activities. No doubt the Soviet Unions will be able to mobilise considerable support for such opposition to the British T.U.C. proposal. It seems inevitable, in these circumstances, that the British T.U.C. will give effect to its decision to withdraw from the World Federation if the latter body refuses to suspend its activities. Detailed Information

Arrangements have been made for a meeting of the executive bureau of the World Federation in January, 1949. Final decisions which will decide the future of the World Federation will probably not be made at that meeting. There are other executive organs of the World Federation which will have to consider' the situation. In the meantime, however, the Trade Union Movement in Britain will be learning more and more about the subversive activities of the Communist organisation. The T.U.C. General Council has just informed the affiliated unions and the Trades Councils that machinery exists by which the Communist Party seeks to direct their policies and activities. The General Council is making arrangements to issue regularly to the unions and Trade Councils evidence which will give them further detailed information on the working of this machinery and convince them of the evil consequences of Communist interference in trade union affairs.

At the last meeting of the T.U.C. General Council it was decided that its international committee and its general purpose committee should operate as a joint body to keep under constant review all that is involved in this question of Communist infiltration of the unions. It will be the responsibility of these two committees meeting as a joint body to make recommendations to the General Council as to the information and guidance that can be given to the trade unions, Trades Councils, and individual trade unionists, “in order to combat infiltration and interference in trade union policy from a source out. side the movement and even outside these shores.” This “remit” from the T.U.C. to two of its most authoritative committees testifies to the serious nature of the problem upon which decisive action is now being organised. The basic point at issue from the T.U.C. standpoint is whether decisions arrived at by a majority—-let alone an overwhelming majority—in the policy making councils and conferences of the Trade Union Movement are to be the policy upon which a united movement can pursue its course, or whether the machinery of the movement is to be captured by an putside body for purposes of its own making. The T.U.C. General Council proclaimed the principle that the Trade Union Movement has never precluded a minority within the Movement from seeking to change its policy, “But it is contrary to the whole conception of oui’ movement, foreign to its tradition, fatal to its prestige, if it permits its democratically determined policy to be disrupted at the behest of an outside body.” Uraent Mattter for Consideration The Communist Party is indicted as an organisation which is structurally different from every other political party. It has been constructed on a functional basis. The T.U.C. General Council declares that the most active and craftily planned machinery of the Communist Party is in operation inside the Trade Union Movement. The successful working of this machinery, “is secured only by the co-operation of individual trade unionists, not a few of whom hold official positions in their unions.”

“Without this co-operation the aims for the Communist organisation cannot be effectively furthered,” says the T.U.C., “since the Party centre which directs the whole of these subversive activities exists outside the Trade Union Movement.” In the course of its declaration against the Communist Party the General Council emphasises the frequent Communist somersaults on vital questions of policy. But lts strongest criticism is that the Communist Parties everywhere are the “abject and slavish agents’ of forces which are working, “in the interests of a foreign Power whose policy is to keep the world divided, impoverished and in constant dread of a third world war.” The T.U.C. is now resolved to fight out this issue inside the Trade Union Movement. It nas told the affiliated unions that they should investigate the extent to which Communist interference has already gone in their particular trades, and industries, and they have made it an urgent matter for consideration by the unions, whether it is consistent with the obligations of trade union

loyalty and discipline for any trade unionist holding executive or delegate office in his union to remain identified with the Communist Party. Pollitt Says British Workers Would Not Fight Russia WARSAW. Dec. 16. “British miners, dockers, transport and engineering workers would never fight against Russia, said Mr Harry Pollitt. general secretary of the British Communist Party, speaking at the Warsaw United Congress. He added that the British Communist Party was small but, had great influence.