WHO’S A SCAB?

Industrial Unionist, Volume 1, Issue 4, 1 May 1913, Page 2

WHO’S A SCAB?

A scab is a. most despicable creature at all times. There are three distinct kinds of scab—-the Amateur, the Professional, and the Union scab.

The amateur is usually a waster to whom Industrial History is an unknown quantity, or a mental weakling whose vision is blurred by the “ Union Jack” and “ rights of Capital” twaddle of the yellow press; his millennium is a halo and a harp; he is the least blameable type.

The professional scab is not actually in the ranks of the wageworkers. He is sometimes a “ union” secretary self-elected; and in this role is most active in dividing the workers during time of trouble. Sometimes he is an expug. who has disgraced himself in the ring, or a brothel-bludger who has drifted in from some district that has become too hot for him. His reward is hard cash. He is bankrupt in conscience.

But the UNION SCAB—when he is not an absolute ignoramus— IS THE WORST TYPE OF SCAB. He is the one who, during industrial conflict, will vote donations to the strike fund and then deliberately scab on his fighting fellows by handling freight, shipping or carrying policemen to the affected .area, supplying coal, etc., to the scabs on the job, and by handling commodities mined or manufactured by the scabs.

He will go to his union meeting and voice a ringing resolution on behalf of the strikers; will proudly point to his paid-up Union card; and then go out and continue to scab, thus helping to break the strike.

Often have fights been lost through such union scabbery, and yet there are organisations, led by men claiming to be Industrial Unionists, and claiming to support the principle “ An injury to one, an injury to all,” which foster this kind of scabbery, in the name of

good order and discipline. Militant sections of the Working Class are repeatedly sacrificed and good fighters discouraged—sometimes turned into “union scabs;” and when more intelligent members begin to be restless, and to demand more drastic action, they are quietened by a promise of some mastermove by the “ leaders.” But when time has proved the promise to be another piece of bluff, we find these platform skiters desperately looking around for someone to serve as a scapegoat; to shoulder the blame for their treachery and moral flabbiness.

Doing Maori hakas on the platform, rattling collection tins, selling concert tickets and denouncing political scabs” will never count for much. The only way the Boss can be beaten is by Industrial solidarity ; by direct action; by a withdrawal of labour. It is useless to talk a lot of penalising, we must paralyse —by swift and solid action.

Let us remember, then, that the more closely a man’s job is related to that of striking workers, in a dependent industry, the greater UNION SCAB he becomes by remaining at work —even though he may drop a coin in the hat.—W.M.