Industrial Syndicalism.

Maoriland Worker, Volume I, Issue 8, 20 April 1911, Page 9

Industrial Syndicalism.

(By Tom Mann.) In my efforts to contribute to more perfect industrial organisation and my advocacy of industrial unionism, I find, not at all unnaturally, that some confusion is sometimes caused as to where I stand as regards the Socialist movement, which, whilst favouring industrial organisation, relies primarily upon political and Parliamentary action to bring about uhe change from capitalism to Socialism, whilst some advocates of industrial unionism have taken especial pleasure in a wholesals denunciation of Parlia mentary methods. I gladlj/ send, therefore, this explanation of my position and my attitude towards Parliamentary actionRemembering that rigid consistency in advocating precisely the same vicays decade after decade is neither desirable nor possible to a mind capable of expansion, 1 need not take up the position that I am in all details precisely as I was twenty-five years ago ; and yet it may be worth while to compare my present attitude and behaviour with that which characterised mc as a member of tne Social Democratic federation in the years 1885-7. At that time, Avlulst as active as others in advocating general principles and favouring political action, 1 was ever endeavouring to get the S.D.F. as a body, and the Jixecutive and conferences to identify . -v niseives more closely AA'ith the industrial phase r>f economic development. As a member at that time of the Battense-a Branch of the S.D.F., myself and a number of other members found it necessary (in addition to doing our share of ordinary propaganda) to associate together and circularise the unions in London, and oiler to visit each ci the branches and societies to advocate, the principles, etc., dealing particularly with reduced hours. This was done with admittedly good and lasting results. Still seeing the necessity for industrialism, national and international, I became active as member of the International Transport Workers; and never tiring of advocating Socialism, 1 always emphasised the need for more perfect industrial organisation. The longer I have lived the clearer I' have seen the need for more and bet ter industrial organisation, and dating from the International Socialist Congress, held in London in 1896, when a special Committee or Commission was appointed by the Congress to thrash out what should be the attitude of the International Socialist movement to economic or industrial organisation (and comrade H. M. Hyndman and myself were the two delegates for Britain on that Commission), I have continued to specialise upon the necessity of industrial or union activity, and.this has been to- an ever-increasing extent the attitude of the Socialists in the various countries throughout ohe world. The finding of that Commission, as given in their report to Con greos, and which was unanimously accepted by Congress, was an emphatic pronouncement in favour of Socialists identifying themselves with the economic organisations, and using them effectively to raise the standard of life and further Socialist ideals. At the present hour, as then, I favour using ALL effective agencies or weapons at our disposal, and I include in these industrial organisations, Parliamentary action and voluntary co-op-eration ; but, like an ever-increasing number of the Socialists of most countries, I now declare that economic or industrial organisation is the "rigut arm" of the workers' movement; and 1 contend that, owing to the sectional character of the trades unionist movement, the power of the workers industrially and politically is contemptible; and 1 further contend that there is no chance to materially strengthen the political forces save by strengtnening the industrial forces. I know some propagandists of industrial unionism have definitely declared against all existing unions, and. aim at building up something entirely new ; that is no concern of mine. In every speech I have delivered, in every pamphlet or article I have written, I have made it abundantly clear that what I am striving for is the welding together of the existing unions by industries ; and this in essence has been hoped for and worked for by most trade unionists and Socialists incidentally. I am not doing it incidentally, but systematically —that is the chief difference. Now is the time for Socialist organisations to show themselves capable of grappling with the most urgent need of the hour —the building up of the fighting forces of the proletariat in the workshops, factories, mills > anc! mines.