Marxism and trade unionism

By Ed Maltby

Discussion is growing in the British labour movement about shifting the public sector pensions battle from a string of “demonstration strikes”, with long gaps in between, to a more active and self-controlling battle. Elsewhere in Europe, working-class resistance is already developing beyond the stage of occasional set-piece one-day strikes.

This brief extract from Beatrice and Sidney Webb's 'The History of Trade Unionism' (1894) describes how trade unions became controlled by professionals. We would not share the Webbs' approval of this development, but their description is illuminating!

Union members and activists are usually very loyal to our unions, work hard in day-to-day union organisation and disputes, and support our union leaders so long as they are supporting us.