Trade Unions

The total affiliated membership of the I.F.T.U. is given in the appended table (p. 389).

Communist Movement.

It is now necessary to turn to the Communist trade union movement which owes its origin to the Communist International. The germ of this International is to be found in the Zimmerwald Conference of 1915 called by the Italian Socialist Party, and attended by Scandinavian, Dutch, Russian and other Socialists from Eastern Europe, and also by representatives of the pacifist sections of the French and German Socialist movements. This Conference was inevitably an anti war gathering, but when it re-assembled in the following year at Kienthal it was less pacifist than revolutionary. It was in a sense the forerunner of the Third (Communist) International, and in deed at a Conference in 1917 definitely declared the need for a new International. From this time onwards the Bolshevik Revo lution provided an inspiration for revolutionary elements in most countries. The first Congress of the Communist International was held in March 191'9, and was convened by the Russian Com munists, the Hungarian Communists, the Norwegian Labour Party and smaller Communist groups. In the following year a second

Congress met at Moscow and adopted a constitution. The aim of the Moscow International is "to organise an armed struggle for the overthrow of the International Bourgeoisie and the estab lishment of an International Soviet Republic." The Red International of Labour Unions (the R.I.L.U.) was established at this second Congress, at which minority trade union representatives from various countries were present, when it was declared that "it is the duty of the working class to gather together all trade union organised forces with a powerful revolu tionary class association, which, working shoulder to shoulder with the political organisation of the Communist International of the proletariat and in closest contact with this organisation, would be able to develop all its forces for the general victory of the social revolution, and the establishment of a world Soviet Republic." It was also laid down that the International Federation of Trade Unions "because of its programme and tactics" could not "secure the victory of the proletarian masses in all countries." The first