R.I.L.U. congress was held in July, 1921, in Moscow, and has since continued its work in close association with the Communist International. Relations between the I.F.T.U. and the R.I.L.U. have been hostile. The British Trades Union Congress, however, endeavoured to bring about an understanding, though without success.
It is not easy to ascertain the real strength of the affiliated membership of the R.I.L.U., but Losovsky, the secretary of the Red International, has analysed its membership as follows (see "The World's Trade Union Movement," 1925, pp. 244-5) "The Red International of Labour Unions has eight types of affiliated organisations National trade union centres embracing the whole trade union movement of their respective countries, such as Russia, with 6,400,000 trade union members; Bulgaria, 40,000; Greece, Egypt, 50,00o; Persia, 20,000; Estonia, 25,000 and so on.
2. National trade union or regional revolutionary centres exist ing parallel with reformist centres and carrying on a struggle against them, our organisations being stronger than the reformist ones. Such are, France, with 480,000 members; Czechoslovakia, 300,000; Yugoslavia, i oo,000 ; Java, 35,000 and so on.
3. National trade union centres playing a small role in com parison with the reformist trade union movement of their re spective countries as in Holland with 20,000 members; Belgium, 12,00o; Germany, 150,000; the United States, 25,00o; and so on.
4. National trade union centres identifying themselves with the principles of the R.I.L.U., but not affiliated thereto, as a result of the 'White Terror,' as is the case in Finland, 5o,000; Rumania, 6o,000; and so on.
5. Independent unions and unions which have been from time to time formed of expelled members not belonging to the national trade union centres of their respective countries.
6. Minorities inside the reformist trade unions organised under the direct leadership of the Communist faction; Germany, Japan, Italy, Sweden, Denmark, etc.
7. Opposition blocs or minority movements co-ordinating the action of all left-wing elements both inside and outside the reformist and the Anarcho-Syndicalist unions of such countries as : the United States, Great Britain, Spain, Austria, the Argen tine, Mexico and elsewhere.
8. Finally, there are the left-wing elements belonging to the unemployed committees (Great Britain), shops stewards com mittees, etc., generally supporting the R.I.L.U. policy." The Fourth Conference of the R.I.L.U. held in 1928 was attended by 421 delegates, representing 49 national groups, and according to the leaders of the R.I.L.U., the affiliated membership is approximately 19 millions, comprised as follows: