Thursday, April 9, 2020

50 Years Ago: Miners and leaders (1994)

The 50 Years Ago column from the April 1994 issue of the Socialist Standard

The Socialist Party of Great Britain wishes to express its deepest sympathy with our miner fellow-workers. By the time this article appears, the struggle in South Wales will no doubt have been "settled." Even in the extremely improbable granting of the strikers' full demands, the miner will remain one of the worst victims of capitalism. We speak as worker to worker. All of us in varying degrees have tasted the bitter pill of poverty and been under the harrow of callous employers.

We rejoice that the miner has not been driven so low as to be indifferent to the taste of the dirt of life offered by his masters, and explained away by his pastors.

The Daily Herald has offered you advice. It bids you "Go back to work: Trust your leaders."

The S.P.G.B. begs its comrades of the pit to review their history, especially in the light of this advice . . .

When the rank and file of the Unions cease to be gulled by the "leader" who too frequently is seeking to round his own life into a success, when a secretary becomes a servant and not a boss, the Trade Unions will be a big factor in assisting at the birth of SOCIALISM.

Fellow-workers of the pit: In Socialism alone can your degradation be liquidated. Don't be misled as to what constitutes "Socialism." Study the eight points of our "Declaration of Principles." and be assured that our "Object" is no pious expression of impossible attainment. In the politically instructed worker lies the future hope of all mankind.

(From an article by "Reginald" in the Socialist Standard, April 1944).

1 comment:

Imposs1904 said...

"Reginald" was the pen name of Augustus Snellgrove.