International Union Wanted.

Industrial Unionist, Volume 1, Issue 2, 1 March 1913, Page 2

International Union Wanted.

An American industrialist paper, Solidarity, suggests an International Steel Workers’ Trust, to combat the Steel Trust, which now lias its tentacles all round the globe. Quoting from an Australian paper they recount how the Australian Government, after advertising for tenders for the supply of 146,000 tons of steel rails, and sending agents to all countries where steel is produced, failed to get more than very few offers, and those at very high prices, and, finally realising that it was in the grip of the Octopus, the Australian Government hoped to develop the Australian steel industry so as to shake off this grip. Says Solidarity: “ Our readers will remember that when the International Steel Trust was launched in Belgium about two years ago, one of the steel kings present remarked that they had an organisation more powerful than any government in the world, and which could defy all governments to break it up or interfere with its operations. So it seems; what a lesson in the relative power of political and economic*, organisation ! The Australian Government is unable to pass a law against the International Steel Trust. ....

“ More than that, any intelligent worker will readily perceive the tremendous power the Steel Trust now holds over its slaves in their present state of disorganisation throughout the world. The steel producers are at the mercy of the Trust. ‘ Secret agreements’ between different national trusts are also possible, regarding wages, hours of labour, or the transfer of workers in times of trouble, in order to break up a promising labour organisation in some country. . . . There is only one

power that can hope to match that of the l.S.T.—that is the Industrial Workers of the WOULD—organising simultaneous!v in every steel mill on the globe the INTERNA - T lON A L ST EE L WO RKERS ’ TRUST ... an INTERNATIONAL shorter workday, an INTERNATIONAL minimum wage, and other international moves by the Working Class will be possible through such an organisation an attempt, for example, to thwart the direct action moves of the organised sleel workers in America would be met by similar direr! action on the part of steel workers throughout the world. Moreover, this One Big Union, which organises transport and other workers in a similar manner, would have the aid of these workers in a conflict with the 1.5. T.”

The need for at least preliminary understanding, with a view to organisation on the above lines, becomes more and more pressing.

Distant from the larger centres of production as Australia is. we cannot push on too quickly with industrial organisation on international as well as national lines. So delicate is the international economic balance that we cannot afford to slight the International aspect of Industrial Organisation. Does this concern you, Australian workers ?