hal draper, trade unions and class

(83): critical--Marx's unique contribution (with Engels) was to develop a socialist theory centered on the proletariat. this was evidenced in the fact that he and Engels, uniquely, recognized the critical importance of trade unions (all others at this time (Proudhon, in particular) believed that it would be sects, or the middle-classes, or the highly educated, who would usher in socialism)

(89): French Revolution and anti trade union laws.

(92-99): the mature position on trade unions has five aspects:

1. elementary resistance--because it was a struggle for humanness, they are integral to the struggle for the social revolution.
   
2. defense of immediate economic interests--capital seeks to push the value of labor-power to its minimum limit; it is the actions of trade unions that enforce the 'law of wages'
3. development of class consciousness--it is through trade unions that the working-class learns class solidarity
4. the training school--trained in the management of affairs, skills which it will need after the revolution
5. existence of the movement has a meaning in relation to the state (particularly in authoritarian regimes)
   

(103): of course, they recognized the dangers of business unionism.

(105, 107, 109): Engels spoke often of the 'labor aristocracy' -- in the 1870s, in particular, where unions organized the 1/1oth of the working class that was most respectable and most well-paid. but this had everthing to do with the advance in industrial development, which had made many of these reforms possible.

(110-112): nonetheless, the answer was not to abandon the trade unions. it was the "New Unionism", which appeared in the late 1880's, led by Eleanor Marx (analogy drawn to the CIO in the US). this showed that there were irrepressible class forces at work.

(113): question of the East End workers and the 'lumpenproletariat' [look into this more]