Vanguard October 1915
Source: Unattributed, Vanguard, October 1915, p 1, (damaged page, some words missing);
Transcribed: by Ted Crawford.
Since the war began the Trade Union leaders have been tripping over each other in their anxiety to comply with the demands of the capitalists with regard to Trade Union agreements. Now, the miners have decided to work 11 days in the fortnight, and that without having a proper vote of the men affected on the subject. In South Lanarkshire many of the pits are idle one or two days now and again for the want of waggons, and it often happens that they have to work on Saturday to make up a 5-day week. Before deciding on such an important step a proper vote of each district affected should have been taken so if the men decided to work, they could only blame themselves if things if afterwards things did not turn out exactly as they wished. If it is absolutely necessary to increase the output the best way would be to bring back the miners who have enlisted and let them resume work Possibly the miners’ leaders have good reasons for the step they have taken, reasons not apparent to the outsider. If so then all the more reason to place their arguments before the men. We are inclined to think, however that the arguments, for the step taken are not over-weighty, and would be better if the leaders showed as much zeal in fighting the men’s battles, as they do in speaking at recruiting meetings, etc. We know of a man who was dismissed at the holiday time because he took a weeks holiday instead of the stipulated three days. When the matter was brought before the Union officials they refused to do anything, one of the agents making the statement that they could not very well fight such cases after speaking at recruiting meetings and practically pledging themselves to do everything in their power to increase the output. Just so! that agent has allowed himself to be used to do the dirty work of the capitalists and, so is afraid to do the work he should do for fear they (the capitalists) accuse him of being inconsistent. When will the men learn to kick that type of individual out of position in the Trade Union movement? You can’t be on both sides of the fence at once, and the men who have been stumping the
(words in the whole line illegible)
sent the miners. What they want are men who understand how the workers of all countries are robbed; that as workers their interests are directly opposed to those of their employers, and that the fight between capital and labour is, ever becoming keener and keener; in fact men who believe that are the only fight worth fighting. Our Trade Union officials are mostly good Liberals who have advanced far enough to call themselves Labour men but who do not understand, the economics of present day society with its inherent wage-slavery for the workers. As a result they are only too easily gulled into serving the ends of the capitalists and are quite pleased when they get a few pats on the back by being told they at least are “reasonable and sane Trade Unionists.” We advise the miners and all other workers to beware of the men who are in favour with the employing class. To be maligned by the capitalist is the hallmark of the genuine Trade Union Official. It is about time the miners set about clearing out the men who have betrayed them at this time by speaking at recruiting meetings. They should replace them with men who are class (page torn, words missing)
Socialists, men who will stick to the working class (page torn, words missing)
through thick and thin.
The cranemen employed by the Clyde Trust came out on strike on Monday, September 20 against non-unionists. Rumours are freely circulating that engineers from Maryhill Barracks are to be used as blacklegs on the jobs left vacant by the strikers.