Syndicalism in FranceLorwin, Lewis L. (Lewis Levitzki)
History
Syndicalism in France
Lorwin, Lewis L. (Lewis Levitzki)
Labor unions -- France -- History; Syndicalism -- France
The Congress of Marseilles carried out the task which the collectivists
assigned to it. A resolution was adopted declaring that the co-operative
societies could by no means be considered a sufficiently powerful means
for accomplishing the emancipation of the proletariat. Another declared
the aim of the Congress to be: "The collectivity of soil and of subsoil,
of instruments of labor, of raw materials--to be given to all and to be
rendered inalienable by society to whom they must be returned."[54]
This resolution was adopted by 73 votes against 23.
[54] Leon de Seilhac, _Les Congrès Ouvriers en France_ (Paris, 1899), p.
47.
The Congress also constituted itself a distinct party under the name of
the "Federation of Socialist Workingmen of France". The party was
organized on a federalist principle. France was divided into six
regions: (1) Center or Paris; (2) East or Lyons; (3) Marseilles or
South; (4) Bordeaux or West; (5) North or Lille; (6) Algeria. Each
region was to have its regional committee and regional congress and be
autonomous in its administration. A general committee was to be
appointed by the Congress of the Federation, to be held annually in each
of the principal regional towns in turn.
After the Congress of Marseilles (1879) the leadership of the syndical
movement passed to the Socialists. This led to a split at the next
Congress held in Havre in 1880. The "moderates" and "co-operators"
separated from the revolutionary collectivists. The former grouped
themselves about _L'Union des Chambres Syndicales Ouvrières de France_.
They held two separate congresses of their own in 1881 and 1882, which
attracted little attention and were of no importance. The _Union des
Chambres Syndicales_ confined itself to obtaining a reform of the law on
syndicats.
The Collectivists themselves, however, were not long united. The
movement was soon disrupted by internal divisions and factions. At the
Congress of Marseilles (1879) the triumph of collectivism was assured by
elements which had the principles of collectivism in common, but which
differed in other points. In Havre (1880) these elements were still
united against the "moderate" elements. But after the Congress of Havre
they separated more and more into distinct and warring groups.
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