Page:Solomon Abramovich Lozovsky - The World's Trade Union Movement (1924).pdf/124

 120 Societies. Such societies may be very useful, but by no means represent any danger to the bourgeoisie.

From this characterization of the leading organization of the anarcho-syndicalists' international, it is possible to draw a conclusion as to the whole international. This international was created exclusively for the purpose of splitting away a certain part of the trade union elements of the Profintern, its aim is to fight against the Profintern and the Russian revolution.

But, to their regret, they embrace a very small number of workers. In the whole world they count only a couple of hundred thousand. Moreover, they play no role in the great battles which are being fought. This international itself, reflecting the weakness, the lack of political foresight, the backwardness of its members, represents more a society for the passing of resolutions, than an international organization for the struggle against the bourgeoisie.

To give a full picture of the world’s trade union movement it is necessary to dwell upon, also, those unions which are by no means, even verbally, connected with socialist ideology.

First of all, what is the origin of these unions? We have here attempts of the bourgeois classes, and mainly Catholicism, to exercise influence over the laboring masses and to strengthen themselves within the labor organizations. It is true these unions are nowhere strong, but of course they play a certain role. Let us take Germany, for instance. In Germany, alongside the reformist and other unions, there are about 2,000,000 workers organized into Catholic unions. There are, also, 650,000 workers organized into the democratic unions. In Italy there are also Catholic unions.

In some countries these unions play an important role, as for instance, in Holland there are six general trade union centers: Of the reformist unions with 200,000; Catholics, with 150,000; Evangelical, with 80,000; Democratic, with 50,000; and the syndicalist union which stands on the platform of the Profintern with between 15,000 and 20,000 members; and one more unit which recently split away from us and joined the anarcho-syndicalist international, with 5,000.

Thus, in one small country, there are six central trade union organizations, among which the Catholic, Democratic and Evangelical unions unite about 300,000 members.

It is understood why every bourgeois party is trying to find a foothold in the laboring masses, but why does the latter go into these unions? What are the reasons that the working class produces an element which gathers around such organizations?