The Fallacies of Trade Unionism.

Maoriland Worker, Volume 1, Issue 4, 15 December 1910, Page 12

The Fallacies of Trade Unionism.

(By WYATT E. JONES.) It has been said, and well said, that trade unionism has outlived its usefulness. One has only to glance at the reports of the trade union meetings, or to be in touch in any way with the business that goes on, to realise, and in realising to wonder at, the tremendous ignorance of economics and of the relative position of Labour and Capital generally shown in the movements, and to marvel at what a small amount of real business is done for the material improvement of the condition of Labour. We see valuable time frittered away in the ceaseless struggle of the labourer against the capitalist, the never-ending war of the classes, strikes, lock-outs, dismissals, concessions and unemployment, with their attendant misery, hopeless drudgery, unfailing disappointments, degradation, want and misery. There are many earnest workers in the movement giving their time and energy to improve conditions, to harmonise the fundamentally antagonistic relations of the labourer and the capitalist. With what result? We find that conditions, instead of improving, are on the downward grade. That is the whole secret of the failure : A ceaseless effort to harmonise two essentially antagonistic forces. Can there be harmony between exploiter and exploited? Yes, if there is harmony between the wolf and the lamb —the same harmony as says: " My friend, in order to exist I must devour you ; it is essential that you must be sacrificed to my appetite!" Can there be harmony between one force that must live at the expense of the other, between the parasite and the producer, when the producer creates everything and the other nothing? We find to-day that the capitalist is in a better, position than ever to exploit labour, while labour is wasting its time and energy in the trade union movement. What must be recognised is that there is a class war, which must go on ; that there will be no peace until the parasite is wrested from the position of exploiter. And not only does labour fritter away its power in sectional unionism, but it also expends its energy in the direction of political action, expecting by sending capitalist representatives (its enemies) to represent it and redress its wrongs, to gain thus its economic rights. Political action has been, is, and will be one of the surest and most certain ways of throwing dust in the eyes of Labour, of side-tracking the movement by promises of the future. The astute politician knjQws well that it is the easiest thing to legislate in the interests of the capitalist while presumably acting in the interests of Labour. And so the merry game goes on, Labour only too eager and ready to fall into the snare and support its own enemies in power, cajoled by wily politicians, led by its political leaders, who are mostly influenced by the great god gold. When will Labour open its eyes and recognise that the fight is their own, and in their own hands, and that the only real weapon they possess is direct action: industrial organisation—the solidarity of the whole working class as a class, to take united action, and thus wield a formidable weapon that can paralyse capitalistic industry, declare for peace or war, take and hold the reins of government, and wield them in the interests of the whole human race, thus ensuring to all the full product of their labour, economic freedom, the overthrow of private ownership of the industries and the harmony of mankind? Remember, ye workers, organise together as a class, and then use your own weapon of direct action. Sectional strikes, that is, trade union strikes, must end in the downfall of Labour. While the capitalist is organising on every hand, Labour is at a standstill, and to gain its freedom must desist from, sectional action until the great organisation of Labour is on a better basis.

What would be thought of the general who sent out his army a battalion at a time, to be annihilated by the enemy? Yet that is the present position and action of Labour.