Political Ideologies - Syndicalism

What is it?

Syndicalism is a proposed replacement system for capitalism with Marxist and (oddly enough) libertarian influence. In a society that uses Syndicalism basically industries, companies, organizations, and other various groups would be organized into confederations of workers or "syndicates", hence the name. The said confederations would be headed by powerful unions comprised of workers in that particular industry(I.E; The Confederation of Waste Services would be made up of street sweepers, sewer workers, garbage collectors, etc) and run via a direct democracy-like system. In addition, each union would have a welfare system for its members. Unions could be formed or disbanded at any time, provided enough workers voted for it.

Syndicalism itself was highly popular during the early 20th century as it first started in France (being the first syndicalist organization called the "General Confederation of Labor" (Confédération générale du travail in French, CGT) was formed there in 1903) and later spread to Britain and eventually across the Atlantic Ocean to find itself with huge popularity in the United States in the Rust Belt (which at the time was booming as Detroit, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, and Chicago were major economic hubs for American industry), during which American syndicalists were active in labor unions and rights for workers in the United States at the time, especially agreeing with the idea of a eight-hour work day, as well advocating a end to child labor.

Another thing to note is that Syndicalists were anti-nationalist and also opposed militarism. Patriotism, syndicalists argued, was a means of integrating workers into capitalist society by distracting them from their true class interest. In 1908, the CGT's congress invoked the slogan of the First International, proclaiming that the "workers have no fatherland". However when World War I came around many syndicalists ended up being drafted to fight in the war, and many syndicalists in Europe ended up supporting their nation's war effort in industry. So when World War I broke out in July 1914, socialist parties and trade unions – both in neutral and belligerent countries – supported their respective nations' war efforts or national defense, despite previous pledges to do the opposite. Syndicalists agreed to put aside class conflict and vote for war credits. German socialists argued that war was necessary to defend against Russia's barbaric "Tsarism", while their French counterparts pointed to the need to defend against Prussian militarism and the German "instinct of domination and of discipline".

After World War I, syndicalist movements in most countries began to wane. State repression played a significant role, but movements that were not suppressed also declined. Faced with this decline, syndicalist organizations had three choices: They could stay true to their revolutionary principles and be marginalized. They could give up those principles in order to adapt to new conditions. Finally, they could disband or merge into non-syndicalist organizations. The IWW is an example of the first case. The French CGT, which according to many was no longer "syndicalist" after 1914, went the second route. By the end of the 1930's, meaningful legal syndicalist organizations existed only in Bolivia, Chile, Sweden and Uruguay.

Syndicalism and it's legacy

Syndicalism left a legacy that was widely admired by labor and political activists in a number of countries. For example, the IWW song "Solidarity Forever" became part of the American labor movement's canon. The strike wave, including the recruitment of unskilled and foreign-born workers by the Congress of Industrial Organizations, that swept the United States in the 1930s followed in the IWW's footsteps. The tactic of the sit-down strike, made famous by the United Auto Workers in the Flint sit-down strike, was pioneered by Wobblies in 1906. Not to mention Syndicalism itself played a huge role in advocating the end of child labor and rights for workers in society.

As villains

The unions provides only for the elite. The workers are very much kept under a jackboot. Corruption and cronyism are rampant. Elections are nothing more than shams put on to delude the workers into thinking they have a say in things (they don't). In short, the worker is tread upon and oppressed, all for the good of the worker.

As neutrals

The unions provide for most members adequately. There is a fair amount of corruption, but it generally does not interfere with the governance of the country. Big unions dominate the political scene.

As good guys

The unions provide for each member according to their needs. In return the members work their hardest. When election time rolls around, each union selects a representative to represent them in the mega-union that runs the country. Every voice is heard, and every vote is counted.