World Labor Unity/Chapter 6
VI. Moscow Negotiates with Amsterdam
Shortly after its organization the Red International of Labor Unions, through its executive officials, began negotiations with the Amsterdam International for the organization of a united labor front. The Council of the Amsterdam International took the position that since the Moscow International had assumed a critical and hostile attitude toward Amsterdam "any organization which announces its affiliation with the politico-trade union Moscow International places itself outside the I.F.T.U."[1]
Edo Fimmen, Secretary of the International Federation of Transport Workers, and joint secretary of the I.F.T.U. from 1919 until his resignation in 1923, waged an active campaign for labor unity. He won out in his own International, but lost the fight in the I.F.T.U.
Fimmen thus states his case:
"Today, capital is no longer national. Even before the war, a tendency toward the internationalisation of capital was manifest; today the internationalisation is obvious."[2]
"Already before the war capitalism was internationally united, And it remained so during the great slaughter.
"Where, however, is our unity? We have not even built the bridge which unites us, but we must do so. It seems as if our hate is greater against those workers who are not of the same political opinion as us than it is against our common exploiters. This situation will become even worse if we do not find the way to greater unity on a national and international scale. …
"In my opinion, in the struggle between Amsterdam and Moscow there must be neither victors nor vanquished. There must no longer be any talk of Amsterdam or Moscow, but only of a united international which shall embrace all peoples and all countries, of a great trade union movement which must stand on the basis of irreconcilable class war."[3]
Initiative looking in the direction of labor unity was finally taken by the representatives of the General Council of the British Trades Union Congress. At the Vienna Congress of the I.F.T.U. in 1924 they were responsible for a resolution instructing the Executive Committee of the I.F.T.U. to continue consultations with the All-Russian Trade Union Council.
Such negotiations were held. On December 5, 1924, the I.F.T.U., in a letter to the All-Russian Council, "intimated that that organization did not appear willing to affiliate with the I.F.T.U. on the basis of its rules and resolutions.” In the Russian reply, dated January 29, "a joint conference of representatives of the International Federation of Trade Unions, and the Union of Soviet Republics' Central Council of Trade Unions was pressed for." That was the situation when the I.F.T.U. General Council met in Amsterdam on February 5, 1925. Meanwhile the British Trades Union Congress Delegation had been to Russia and had made its report.
Upon the return of the British Delegation from Russia a special meeting of the General Council of the British Trades Union Congress was called. A letter from Tomsky, dated November 17, was discussed, and the Council decided to send a letter to the Amsterdam International asking for a conference, That conference took place in Amsterdam on February 5, 1925.
At this February conference Fred Bramley, in the name of the British Delegation, moved that: "The British section propose the convening of an unconditional conference for informal discussion purposes, at which both sides would be free to express their representative opinion without being tied to any formulae or constitution, it being understood, of course, that the findings of such a conference should be considered preliminary to a mandatory conference to follow after reports of the preliminary discussions had been given to the bodies responsible for the final conclusions."
The vote on this resolution was six for, 13 against, and one not voting.
An opposition resolution, proposed by Steinhuis and Smit, was carried on a vote of 14 for and five against. This resolution declared that "the I.F.T.U. is prepared to admit the All-Russian Federation of Trade Unions, when they express their desire to this effect." The resolution also pledged the I.F.T.U. "to convene a conference in Amsterdam with the All-Russian Council of Trade Unions with a view to an exchange of opinions as soon as possible after the All-Russian Council of Trade Unions intimates its desire to be admitted to the International Federation of Trade Unions."