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Title: Revolutionary Trade Unionism Author: Workers’ Solidarity Federation Language: en Topics: anarcho-syndicalism Source: Retrieved on 28th October 2021 from http://struggle.ws/africa/wsfother/rev_tu.html Notes: Workers Solidarity Federation (Booklet No.1)
The trade unions are the combat organisations of the working class. They
were built to defend and advance workers interests against the bosses.
BUT the unions can MUCH more. The unions must not only fight the bosses
in the here and now. They must organise the workers for a revolutionary
general strike in which we the workers take the land and factories from
the bosses, and run them ourselves in the interests of the workers and
the poor.
Socialism and freedom will never come through parliament. They can only
come through workers struggle and workers organisations defeating the
bosses. They can only come though revolutionary industrial unionism
(anarcho-syndicalism).
---
This booklet was written by the Workers Solidarity Federation.
We are not a trade union. We are an organisation for militant workers
who believe in revolutionary industrial unionism. An organisation for
militant workers who want to win their own trade unions over to the path
of revolutionary industrial unionism.
If we want to spread these ideas, we must work together. That is why you
should join the Workers Solidarity Federation.
Trade unions are built because workers need to unite against the bosses.
The bosses exploit the workers. The workers are many, the bosses are
few. But the workers do all the work, and the bosses get all the money.
Workers built trade unions to fight back against the bosses.
The unions give workers power, because they unite many workers into one
strong organisation. The unions give workers power, because they can
organise workers to hit the boss where it hurts most-- in the pocket.
This is because the unions can disrupt production (the source of the
bosses wealth) through mass action
The unions unite workers — they promote strength and the confidence to
unite and fight-back against the bosses.
This is while all bosses really hate the unions.
Yes, there are some important problems. Workers need to take these
problems seriously.
The first problem is that the unions are increasingly run by full-time
officials. These officials get paid more than the workers, and many see
the union as “just another job”.
These leaders become conservative. They do not want too much union
militancy. These leaders are not on the shopfloor anymore. They forget
what it is like. Instead they prefer to spend their time negotiating.
Sometimes this means that they do not support the workers struggles.
Sometimes they make undemocratic decisions. Some even use union money to
get rich.
Many oppose socialism. They would prefer to make money by going into
business later.
The unions have to be made into real fighting organisations which are
run and controlled by workers on the shopfloor.
This cannot be done through appointing new full-time officials. It can
only be done by making sure the unions are controlled by the workers.
Decisions must be made through mass meetings and the election of
workplace-based shop-steward councils.
To make sure this happens, militant workers and shop-stewards should
form opposition groups inside the unions. These opposition groups would
try to make sure that the unions are democratic. These opposition groups
would encourage workers unity and resistance to the bosses. These
opposition groups would fight for equal rights for women. The role of
these groups is to defend the unions traditions.
We do not need a leadership of paid officials. Union work should be done
by ordinary workers and shop-stewards.
Yes, the unions can.
But only if three things happen:
must seize the land and factories and place them under workers’
self-management.
Many unions have abandoned a socialist struggle. Some say they are
socialist, but see socialism as something that will come about through
the government.
But socialism will never come about through government. Government
supports the bosses. No bosses are never arrested in a strike, we
workers are. The bosses are the real rulers of South Africa.
Parliament does not have real power. Real power lies in the company
boardrooms, the army and police, and the upper levels of State
officials. The politicians do not mind- they live the sweet life that
workers only dream about.
So MR FAT CAT has a stranglehold over the destiny of the workers. He
exploits us in the factory, and dominates the country as well.
Real socialism can ONLY come about if the workers themselves, through
their trade unions, act to seize and manage the land and factories. And
replace the government with a working-classes democracy based on the
unions.
This can only happen if the workers agree that this is the way forward.
In other words, we must convince all workers of this truth. Then we can
make our unions accept this policy.
We need to keep the unions independent of all political parties.
Political parties cannot deliver freedom-- only the workers can free the
workers.
Political parties are one of the main reasons that unions are divided.
It makes sense to unite all workers into ONE BIG UNION.
But today the unions are divided between those who support this party,
those who support that. This weakens the workers struggle.
We should unite all the unions- one industry, one union, one country,
one federation.
Lets merge all progressive unions together, and unite all workers
regardless of race or belief. Lets unite men and women workers, workers
of all colours, and South Africa and immigrant workers.
One Big Union means strength, the power to smash the bosses and take the
factories and land.
The road to workers power, socialism and working-class democracy is mass
action. Not through elections. Everyday, we must fight the bosses--
strikes, go-slows, occupations are the weapons of the workers.
And one day, when we are united enough, we must call a REVOLUTIONARY
GENERAL STRIKE. Instead of staying home, or marching in town, we must go
to the workplaces and take them over. Put them under workers control,
and kick the bosses out. We can run the factories and the farms-- we do
all the work anyway.
Working alongside working-class community structures and poor rural
people, the revolutionary trade unions will end this capitalist system.
No more fat cats.
Instead of taking orders from the bosses, we can run the workplaces
democratically, through our unions. We can link with other workers and
workers communities across the country and across the world.
We can plan production to meet workers NEED not bosses GREED. Instead of
capitalism, we will have socialism and working-class democracy. Instead
of a world of bosses, we will have a workers world, defended by a
workers army.
Only through this revolutionary general strike can we end capitalist
exploitation and the legacy of apartheid oppression. We can use the
wealth of the country and trot build the schools, clinics, houses and
everything we need. The wealth is there, we made it, lets take it back
This is what we mean by Revolutionary Industrial Unionism
(anarcho-syndicalism).
To sum up, we believe that we must
In the short-term, this is what we should fight for
internal union affairs.
long as they do not contradict trade union principles.
super-federation embracing all the trade unions.
decision-making” schemes including NEDLAC-- these are bosses’ tricks
The Workers Solidarity Federation is NOT a trade union. The Workers
Solidarity Federation is NOT a political party that runs in elections.
The Workers Solidarity Federation is a revolutionary industrial
unionist/ anarcho-syndicalist political organisation for militant
workers, youth and poor people. We stand for socialism through
revolutionary industrial unionism. We call this “Anarcho-syndicalism”.
The Workers Solidarity Federation has the following aims:
unionism/ anarcho-syndicalism
We are a small organisation, and encourage everyone who agrees with our
ideas to become involved in our activities. These include supporting
strikes, union activism, supporting progressive struggles, writing and
selling a workers newspaper called Workers Solidarity, and holding
public meetings.
ONLY THE WORKERS CAN FREE THE WORKERS!!!
FIGHT THE BOSSES! PHAMBILI BASABENZI!