International Trade Union Movement on the basis of toleration, mutual understanding, and unity of purpose.
"We are told in some quarters that we are giving too much time to our Russian comrades, but does not every member who is desirous of establishing a world-wide international movement perceive the immense stride forward that would be made by bringing in six and a-half millions of organised workers? With these workers within the International the smaller nations would feel it imperative to link up.
"Already there are indications that the smaller countries are taking a new outlook.
"There are surely signs over the whole field of industry which indicate that vast and revolutionary changes must take place in industrial structure to meet the changed conditions. Men and women are not going to remain content with a condition of society which condemns millions of human beings to want the necessaries of life, while as a result of education and knowledge they know too well and see quite clearly that nature in its bounteousness can supply all their legitimate needs by the proper organisation of society upon a basis of collective ownership.
"Crowns have fallen and plutocratie Governments are being displaced by Workers' Republics and representatives of the people.
"It is imperative that we shall have a clear understanding with the Trade Unions throughout the world. A step in that direction is to strengthen and bring into the International Federation of Trade Unions all the countries of Europe, and the work of your General Council during the year will be looked back to in years to come as contributing to the building up of an effective international organisation.
12. The Workers' Wage Sacrifices
"From time to time the workers have been faced with demands for reductions in wages to encourage improvement in trade. As a result huge sums have been surrendered, amounting in the aggregate since 1923 to the enormous sum of £556,400,000 per year. I am inclined to believe that the extent to which the workers have conceded wages to help industry to revive is not fully realised.
"In the year 1921 there was a wage cut amounting to £6,000,000 in the weekly full-time wages of some seven and a-quarter million wage earners. In the following year, 1922, there was a further reduction amounting to £4,200,000 a week14
