INDUSTRIAL UNIONISM AS TRUSTIFIED WORKINGCLASS WEAPON.

Industrial Unionist, Volume 1, Issue 9, 1 October 1913, Page 1

INDUSTRIAL UNIONISM AS TRUSTIFIED WORKINGCLASS WEAPON.

Better than, greater than Conciliation and Arbitration, Prohibition, New Protection, Land Values Taxation, Military Training, Trades Unionism, Labor Legislation and accompaniments is Industrial Unionism.

Better, greater, owing to its plan and its purpose, its basis and its goal. Better also in its practicalities and potentialities. Alike as fighting weapon here and now and as bearer of ultimate emancipation, Industrial Unionism defies attack.

Distinctively modern in advent, Industrial Unionism is the summit of. the age-long struggle of the working class for sound and healing Way—way out of exploitation, way into liberation. Because modern and up-thrown of economic evolution, Industrial Unionism is scientific in its obedience to law, and quite naturally the grandest revolutionary sign and medium of our times. For evolution, to be true to itself, must spit forth revolution as the volcano its lava. Devolution is ripened evolution. Complete Change is its simplest expression. Seeking a complete change in the economic structure of society—impelled thuswards by evolution’s decree —Industrial Unionism is unassailably sign and medium of revolution, Social Devolution. So, in the working-class movement Industrial Unionism is the supreme volutionary force. Therefore helpful and true; therefore as certain to conquer as the sun in the solar race. All this is wise prelude to a plain interpretation of the Way we call Industrial Unionism. Denes ' tions usually fall short of conveying meanings: behind them, in them, are ideas and implications expanding to farthest boundary. Briefly and plainly, then, Industrial Unionism is organisation by industry rather than trade, in acceptance of the Class Struggle' and bent upon the abolition of the wages system. In its aim it is Socialism, as it is in its philosophy; in its method it is industrial, affirming the industrial field to be paramount in importance as it is in actuality. Primarily, it represents Direct Action. It does not necessarily under-rate Political Action: it say this is secondary.

All social institutions and relationships, it says.' grow out of the economic foundation. Economics (the manner of our wealth-making’ ) is fundamental. All else follows.

Now let it be grasped that with the coming oi Capitalism there came the proletariat, which is the working-class made by Capitalism, and thus slightly! differing from the workers of before Capitalism. The proletariat is the working-class exploited by Production for Profit or the command of capital. The workers before Capitalism were serfs tied to the

The Case for Change and Combination.

(By R. S. ROSS.)

baron’s land and not hunters for work to make profits for bosses. As Capitalism matured and the proletariat swelled, there resulted immense aggregation and concentration of wealth, terrifically-spread industrial development, wondrous economic consolidation and trustification. All on Capitalism’s side. Trades Unionism, able for decades to cope to some extent with the changing order —splendid organisation for the day of single and small tool production —great factor when craft held sway —came to be well-nigh impotent as opponent of its knitted oppressor. Its oppressor was marshalled and organised in harmony with events and evolution: IT remained foe of What Once Was, did not harmonise with development, stayed sectional and is routed. Industrial Unionism stood for, stands for, the Trustification of Unionism !

Capitalism is trustified (its apparent sectionalism in instances is superficial only: back of the small concern is ever the financier, the bank, the powerful gold-controller, who could smash but yet permit existence to their creatures). The point is well-made that however useful Trades Unionism was, its logical extension is Industrial Unionism. The line of conflict has ceased to be Trade: it is Industry. We are in the era of Industrial Capitalism. Craft lines, too, are sundered. Trades Unionism is still for the dead thing, the Craft. Industrial Unionism is for the live thing, the Class. In class organisation alone are there hope and strength and unity. For Trades Unionists we have nothing but admiration. But our mission is to make them Industrial Unionists. To make them such inasmuch as our salvation as theirs depends upon it. The workers rise or fall as a class. Class Unionism, trustified unionism, “ an injury to one the concern of all ” unionism is imperatively the need. Industrial Unionism!

Let us link up our unions industry by industry, each industry joined with its neighbour, and Australia will be ours.

Here is the road to Solidarity. And Solidarity is something substantial, something with business in it and freedom. With Trade Unionism must go the indirect means it has been decoyed into supporting. Conciliation and arbitration, with all its beating-down dicta, and its isolating and non-uniform agreements, must go. How can the workers successfully operate and fight in this piecemeal fashion ? Swing all the unionists of the continent into One Big Urpon—into a Trust, if you like —and behold a

Unionism as defiant and miglity as the rock of Gibraltar. What could not such a Unionism do P

. Beware of the leadership which would whittle down industrial militancy in order to make workers’ votes stepping-stones to barren Parliamentary honors. Into the One Big Union, 0 men bowed down with’ toil, hungry for the bread of life which is of your making, but not of your owning.

We have said that Industrial Unionism is greater than Arbitration, Prohibition, Protection, Land Values Taxation, Military Training, Labor Legislation and accompaniments. Why P These measures are anywhere or everywhere—and have availed nothing to the worker, since with them remain social sores terrifying and economic evils devastating. Wealth and want, prostitution and celibacy, out-of-workness and riotous luxury, these are separate pairs whose Antipodes is cause and effect ys much as fruit of blossom.

Put that time and talent into Industrial Unionism which the workers put into “ red-lierrings,” and Australia of a certainty will be a land flowing with milk and honey, a working-man’s paradise! But if you doubt the aim—the potentialities—you may not doubt the gain—the practicalities—of Closer Organisation. Unity must mean superior fighting machinery. Industrial Unionism, per Industrial Unionists, in France, in Italy, in England, and in America is teaching the world “ the way to win.”

Unionism, like the world, advances as it uses its legs. Pitiable folly that would stand still! Unionism, too, must march onward or go backward. Industrial Unionism is the outstanding gift to and possession of twentieth century Democracy. If in the twentieth century it isn’t time the workers got the Square Deal, humanity is surely undone! Industrial Unionism bears in its keeping that Square Deal. —“ The Socialist,” Melbourne.