Syndicalism in FranceLorwin, Lewis L. (Lewis Levitzki)
History
Syndicalism in France
Lorwin, Lewis L. (Lewis Levitzki)
Labor unions -- France -- History; Syndicalism -- France
In the International organization the Confederation tries to enforce its
views on the general strike and advocates the organization of
International Labor Congresses. Its ideas meet here, however, with the
opposition of American, English, German and Austrian trades unions. The
latter are the more numerous. Germany pays dues to the International
Secretariat for 2,017,000 organized workingmen; the United States for
1,700,000; England for 725,000; Austria for 480,000; France for 340,000.
The total number of organized workingmen affiliated with the
International Secretariat is 6,033,500.[213]
[213] These figures are for 1911.
CHAPTER VIII
CHARACTER AND CONDITIONS OF REVOLUTIONARY SYNDICALISM
The history of the General Confederation of Labor as told in the
preceding chapters has brought out in a general way the character of
revolutionary syndicalism and the conditions which have influenced its
rise and development. It remains now in this last chapter to emphasize
the principal points and to strengthen them by a more complete analysis
of facts and conditions.
It has been maintained throughout this work that revolutionary
syndicalism was created by a _bloc_ of revolutionary elements in the
Confederation. This character of a _bloc_ has been denied by many. Those
hostile to the Confederation are anxious to create the impression that
the latter is exclusively the creation and the tool of the anarchists.
Others more or less impartial fail to acknowledge the part played in the
movement by the non-anarchist elements. Some anarchists themselves are
only too glad to be considered the creators of the movement and to
maintain a view which is a tribute to their organizing ability and to
their influence.
Many revolutionary syndicalists, however, protest against being
considered anarchists. Some of them are active members of the Unified
Socialist Party. Others do not belong to the Socialist party, but have
never been connected with the Anarchists. They are revolutionary
syndicalists, "pure and simple." And these two other elements are by no
means less influential in the Confederation than the Anarchists.
The three elements enumerated have somewhat different ways of regarding
revolutionary syndicalism. To the anarchists revolutionary syndicalism
is but a partial application of anarchist ideas. M. Yvetot, secretary of
the section of Bourses, said at the recent Congress of Toulouse (1910):
"I am reproached with confusing syndicalism and anarchism. It is not my
fault if anarchism and syndicalism have the same ends in view. The
former pursues the integral emancipation of the individual; the latter
the integral emancipation of the workingman. I find the whole of
syndicalism in anarchism."[214]
[214] _La Vie Ouvrière_, 20 Oct., 1910, p. 483; _XVII Congrès National
Corporatif_ (Toulouse, 1910), p. 226.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account