CLASS UNION.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 12408, 28 August 1918, Page 8

CLASS UNION.

THE AUSTRALIAN SCHEME. [From Our Correspondent.] SYDNEY, August 14. The Trades Union Congress summoned to deliberate over the scheme for consolidation of the more important unions drafted early in the year opened in Sydney on Monday. The movement is creating exceptional interest among unionists, for it represents an almost revolutionary change in Labour politics and union manage.'uent. Unfortunately, the delegates have decided against having the discussion reported in the newspapers. This is rather a pity, for the one big union idea is a distinct industrial challenge, and onein which, in its broader aspects at any rate, one would suppose it to bo to the interests of Labour to afford the public as much information as possible. The first two days were spent’ framing a. preamble, the tentative preamble drawn up being put forward for discussion. Finally, by 83 votes to 9, the following general statement of policy was adopted ns the preamble to further resolutions (1) We hold that there is a class struggle in society, and that the struggle is caused by the capitalist class owning the means of production, to which tho working class must have access in order to live- Tim working class produce all value. Tho greater the chare which the capitalist class appropriates, tho less remains for the working class, therefore tho interests of these two classes are in constant conflict. • (3) There can bo no peace as Jong as hunger and want are. found among millions of,working people, and the few wiio constitute, the employing class have all tho good things of life. (3) Between these two classes tho strugg.o must continue until capitalism is abolished- , Capitalism can only be abolished by the workers uniting in one class-conscious economic organisation to take, and hold tho means of production by revolutionary industrial and political action. ‘ “■Revolutionary action” means action to secure a complete change, namely, the abolition of capitalist classownership—ol the means of production —whether privately or through the State—and the establishment in its place of social ownership by the wbolb community. Long experience has proved tiro hopeless futility of existing political and indust tin i methods, which aim at mending and rendering tolerable, and thereby perpetuating, capitalism—instead of ending it. ... M) The rapid accumulation of wealth said concentration of the ownership of industries into fewer and fewer hands makes the trade unions unable to cope with the evergrowing power of tho employing class, because craft unionism fosters conditions which allow the employers to pit ono set of workers against another set of workers in the same industry, thereby defeating each in turn.

(5) These conditions can be changed) and the interests of the working class advanced, only by an organisation so constituted that ail its members in any one industry, or in all industries, shall take concerted action when deemed necessary, thereby making an injury to one the concern of alb (6) V, c hold that, as the working class creates and operates the socially operated machinery of production, it should direct production and determine working conditions. This is very instructive of the great changes that are at work in the Australian Labour Party. _ The writer of tins letter has several times pointed out that Labour’s realisation of its own groat failure in politics (apart' from winning elections and that* sort 0 f thing) would most certainly be followed by a movement towards revolutionary bocialism, for Labour had obviouslv during recent years fallen directly under control of the extremist wing and become impregnated with the doctrine of; ‘direct action.” If this one big union becomes an accomplished fact—and it most certainly will, either at once or in the not very distant future ; the almost cataclysmic change that lias long been threatening in Australian politics will quickly fViow. For one thing, the old political partv wc Knou now with its queer platform of doles and palliatives and its adhesior to principles that are the scoff of Labour everywhere else in the worldwould perish. Party, alignment in the constituencies would be disrupted as by air earthquake. ' Parliamentary government would be put to a test it has never had to undergo, in this countrv at any rate. '