Syndicalism

Encyclopedia : S : SY : SYN : Syndicalism

Syndicalism refers to a set of ideas, movements, and tendencies which share the avowed aim of transforming capitalist society through action by the working class on the industrial front. This idea was founded by Georges Sorel. This emphasis on industrial organisation was a distinguishing feature of syndicalism when it began to be identified as a distinct current at the beginning of the twentieth century. Most socialist organisations of that period emphasised the importance of political action through party organisations as a means of bringing about socialism. Although all syndicalists emphasize industrial organisation, not all reject political action altogether. For example, De Leonists and other Industrial Unionists advocate parallel organisation both politically and industrially. For syndicalists, labor unions are the potential means both of overcoming capitalism and of running society in the interests of the majority. Industry and government in a syndicalist society would be run by labor union federations.

Syndicalisme is a French word meaning "trade unionism". This milder version of syndicalism was overshadowed by revolutionary anarcho-syndicalism in the early 20th century, which was most powerful in Spain, but also appeared in other parts of the world. There are also some revolutionary syndicalists who don't completely dismiss the role for a revolutionary party (like a considerable part of the Socialist Party USA membership).

Starting shortly before World War I, especially in latin countries of Europe and the Americas, several former theorists and militants of syndicalism moved to nationalism and authoritarianism giving birth to a nationalist-syndicalist tendency who strongly influenced fascism and corporatism. Georges Sorel and Robert Michels are the most prominent among them.

In a model syndicalist community, the local syndicate communicates with other syndicates through the bourse de travail (labour exchange), which manages and transfers commodities.

Syndicalism is one of the three most common ideologies of egalitarian, pre-managed economic and labor structure, together with socialism and communism. It states, on an ethical basis, that all participants in an organized trade internally share equal ownership of its production and therefore deserve equal earnings and benefits within that trade, regardless of position or duty. By contrast, socialism emphasises distributing output among trades as required by each trade, not necessarily considering how trades organize internally. Both syndicalism and socialism are compatible with privatism, unlike communism. Communism rejects government-sanctioned private ownership and private earnings in favor of making all property legally public, and therefore directly and solely managed by the people themselves.

Syndicalists often form alliances with other workers' movements, including socialism, communism, and anarchism.

Contents

1 French syndicalists
2 Italian syndicalists
3 Spanish syndicalists
4 See also
5 External links
6 Bibliography

French syndicalists

Georges Sorel philosopher
Hubert Lagardelle writer

Italian syndicalists

Alceste de Ambris
Michele Bianchi
Arturo Labrado
Arturo Labriola
Agostino Lanzillo
Robert Michels- Although he was German, he moved to Italy and became a revolutionary syndicalist.
Sergio Pananzio

Spanish syndicalists

External links

[AnarchoSyndicalism.net]
[Rudolf Rocker], a major proponent of anarcho-syndicalism
[Libertarian Communist Library Archive]
[General Strikes], maps with locations where strikes have occurred; includes resource links
[Labor Commission of the Socialist Party USA]

Bibliography

Anarcho-Syndicalism, Rudolf Rocker, London, l989.
Liberalism and The Challenge of Fascism, Social Forces in England and France (1815-1870), J. Salwyn Schapiro, McGraw-Hill Book Co., NY, l949.
The Anarchists, James Joll, Harvard University Press, Cambridge, 1980.
The Syndicalist Tradition and Italian Fascism, David D. Robert, University of North Carolina Press, Chapel Hill NC, 1979.