The Strike Wave
--------------------------------------------------------------------

People :
----------------------------------

Author : Paul Mattick

Text :
----------------------------------



Published: in International Council Correspondence Vol. 1, no.1, October 1934, p 16.Source: Antonie Pannekoek ArchivesTranscribed: by Graham Dyer


The present strike wave is characterized by defeats and betrayals. The
workers suffer defeats because of their insufficient and treacherous
organizations on the one hand, and because the capitalist class and its state
cannot permit a victory to the workers on the other. Capitalism in the period of
general crisis, must combat to its fullest extent any attempt by the workers to
improve their conditions. Victory for the workers would mean endangering the
position of capitalism. Every strike is practically lost in advance.

But this does not exclude the necessity of workers fighting every onslaught
on their living standard. We must take part in every one of these struggles, and
encourage the worker to fight, because the present strike wave in spite of its
shortcomings is more important than the whole of the "official political
movement" at this time. The fact that these strikes are destined for defeat or
betrayal does not mitigate the revolutionary value of the struggle. We may point
out that on the basis of the present labor movement no victory is possible, but
we have to fight in all these labor struggles as they are, and not as
we might want them. We must strive to hinder the labor fakirs from using these
strikes to their own advantage, and this is best done by the most activity on
the actual strike front.

The fight for existence is the fight of today; and the struggle for a new
society can only grow out of these daily struggles. As these day to day
struggles increase, and as the worker gains experience from the defeats, the
fight changes its quality and becomes revolutionary leading to the overthrow of
the present system. A communist may criticize and condemn the character of the
strikes and the organizations involved, but he must take part in the strikes and
fight, for this is the shortest road to revolution in the declining period of
capitalism.


     From : Marxists.org

Events :
----------------------------------

     The Strike Wave -- Added : March 02, 2021

     The Strike Wave -- Updated : January 08, 2022

About This Textfile :
----------------------------------

     Text file generated from : 
http://revoltlib.com/