From the September 1979 issue of the Socialist Standard
The very latest is a ‘Right to Work Committee’ upon which a number of middle-class persons and some who have discovered that labour ‘leadering’ is more easy and profitable than work have elected themselves. The ‘right’ they clamour for is not for themselves but for others. They ‘appeal’ to the working-class to ‘demand’ from the dominant class more work, when already too much is performed. They would perpetuate the capitalist system by shewing the wealthy shirkers how they may stave off the day of reckoning and save their skins for awhile if they will accept their proposals and make work. For our part we say To Hell with the ‘Right’ to Work; we claim our Right to Live and to live right well. Let us scorn these middle-class decoy ducks and organise to bring about the common ownership of the means of life, which alone will enable us to secure the only Right we are concerned about. Then and not till then shall we recognise our obligation to perform our share of the necessary work. In the meantime, our Right to work is the Right of the wealthy idlers to organise our labour as their wage slaves. The ‘demand’ for that Right we will leave to the agents of the capitalist, whether in the guise of middle-class sympathisers or well paid labour ‘leaders’.
The very latest is a ‘Right to Work Committee’ upon which a number of middle-class persons and some who have discovered that labour ‘leadering’ is more easy and profitable than work have elected themselves. The ‘right’ they clamour for is not for themselves but for others. They ‘appeal’ to the working-class to ‘demand’ from the dominant class more work, when already too much is performed. They would perpetuate the capitalist system by shewing the wealthy shirkers how they may stave off the day of reckoning and save their skins for awhile if they will accept their proposals and make work. For our part we say To Hell with the ‘Right’ to Work; we claim our Right to Live and to live right well. Let us scorn these middle-class decoy ducks and organise to bring about the common ownership of the means of life, which alone will enable us to secure the only Right we are concerned about. Then and not till then shall we recognise our obligation to perform our share of the necessary work. In the meantime, our Right to work is the Right of the wealthy idlers to organise our labour as their wage slaves. The ‘demand’ for that Right we will leave to the agents of the capitalist, whether in the guise of middle-class sympathisers or well paid labour ‘leaders’.
From the December 1905 Socialist Standard.
December 1905 was not technically 75 years in September in 1979 but I understand the Editorial Committee's reasoning for picking this wee piece for inclusion in the 75th anniversary issue in 1979. One of the SWP's major front campaigns in '79 was their very own 'Right To Work' campaign, and I'm sure the spiel they were coming out with in '79 was a tad reminiscent of the Right To Work flannel from 1905 . . .
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