One Big Union.

Press, Volume LV, Issue 16421, 15 January 1919, Page 6

One Big Union.

Tho "one big union" project which has been looming before tho industrial world of Australia for some months has been launched, go far as the adoption of the preamble of the schome by the inter-State Conference sitting in Melbourne. This is certainly one step towards the realisation of the ideals of those behind the movement, and, it may be added, probably the easiest. The delegatee Ho the conference may have experienced some difficulty in framing a common platform, but their task must have been facilitated very considerably hy the fact that they were all in favour of the scheme —all possible opponents or critics having been carefully excluded. They have now to induce the majority of the labour unions in the Commonwealth to accept the new organisation. Labour is not at all unanimous on the question. It is admitted that tho modern trend of unionism is towards group organisation of kindred industries, and that this, by. a natural process, may lead to the various groups being amalgamated into one great organisation, but between the first and second of these steps much ground has to be covered, and even those who are inclined to favour the "one.big union" are not all prepared to cover that ground ag fast as the promoters of the scheme dasire. We have spoken of the 1 movement as modem, but in reality it is the revival of an idea put forward more than eighty years ago by Robert Owen, who foundod the "Grand National Consolidated Union" as the executive body of all workers. Owen's scheme gained a hundred thousand supporters and members in three years, but orthodox trades unionism displaced it gradually, just as what remains of orthodox trades unionism is being threatened now by Socialists, I.W.W.'s, and other bnmds of extremists. It is this taint of 1.W.W.-ism that makes so many Australian workers view with suspicion the "one big union" movement, the aim of which, according to a writer in an ofißcial Labour organ, " is to abolish trade unionism, and set •' up in its place an entirely new " structure, having for its object the " realisation- of the Socialists' ideal. Its "advocates are fluent in language that " is full of the well-worn shibboleths of " the agitator. " Should we neglect "our present opportunities," they stated in a recent manifesto, "the " shackles of industrial servitude will " be riveted upon us, and the forces of "reaction will triumph." "Capitalism "must bo abolished," stated a pronouncement by the Sydney Trades Council. "and it can be abolished only by " the workers uniting in one class"conscious (blessed phrase!) economic " organisation to take and hold the "means (of production) by revo- ' lutionary industrial and politi"cal action." This sort of stuff may appeal to the ignorant, but the skilled and intelligent trade unionist estimates it at it 3 proper value. Therefore, one is not surprised to find that the Amalgamated Society of Engineers, one of the most powerful I labour organisations in the world, will

have nothing to do with the "one big "union" idea. The Federated Municipal and Shire Council Employees' Union of Australia is also against it. Indeed, the writer we have quoted above asserted only a week or two ago that in New South Wales three unions had endorsed the scheme, three had re- J jected it. forty-six had promised to take a hallot on it, and the remaining 148 had evidently not deemed it worthy of consideration. A persistent attempt lias been made to secure the support of returned soldiers for the scheme, but it has been somewhat vitiated by the enthusiastic congratulations sent hy a Sydney conference of "one big union" supporters to their fellow-workers in Russia and Germany on recent developments in those countries. The men who have only ju>st finished fighting the Germans, and know a great deal more about them than before they left Australia. arc not in the mood for fraternisation. There is, too, considerable opposition to the proposal that all benefit funds held by unions coming into tho '"'one big union" shall be taken over and administered by the latter. Taking it all round the immediate prospects of the scheme do not look very bright. If, however, the movement succeeds, it must lead to similar action on the part of all employers. The extremists will then have achieved their object, of arraying Labour and Capital in two definite opposing crimps. How little this would tend to industrial pence r.nd general prosperity can bo imagined.