National Minority Movement
Encyclopedia
The National Minority Movement was a British
organisation, established in 1924 by the Communist Party of Great Britain
, which attempted to organise a radical presence within the existing trade unions. The organization was headed by longtime unionist Tom Mann
and future General Secretary
of the CPGB Harry Pollitt
.
had abandoned strategies based on the prospect of an imminent world revolution
in favour of slow, gradual working within established institutions, including "pure and simple" reformist trade unions. The aim of the National Minority Movement was to convert the revolutionary minority of the working class into a majority. The NMM would organise workers who were dissatisfied with the existing unions but not willing to join the Communist Party, as well as those who were already CP members. In this way the Communists would increase their influence in amongst workers without splitting the existing organisations.
The NMM was affiliated to the Red International of Labour Unions
(RILU). Its President, from 1924 to 1929, was the veteran trade union activist Tom Mann and its General Secretary, over the same period, was Harry Pollitt. Other prominent figures included Wal Hannington
, in charge of organization of the metal workers until transferred by the party to work organising the unemployed, the engineer J.T. "Jack" Murphy
and coal miners A. J. Cook
, Arthur Horner
and Nat Watkins.
Organising Secretary of the NMM was George Hardy
, while George Fletcher served as Treasurer.
The organization appears to have been modeled after the American Trade Union Educational League
established by Communist trade union leader William Z. Foster
in 1921. As with TUEL, he NMM was divided into trade-related sections, the most important of which were the Mining MM (headed full time by Watkins), the Metal Workers' MM (headed by Hannington), and the Transport MM (headed by Hardy).
An early success of the movement was the election of Minority Movement supporter A. J. Cook as General Secretary of the Miners Federation of Great Britain.
(IFTU) were in no mood to parlay with the Communist unionists from around the world, demanding that their affiliation with RILU be terminated before they could be accepted. Even though Soviet
trade union chief Mikhail Tomsky
went so far as to say that Soviet unions should consider affiliation with the Amsterdam International in a speech delivered in December 1925, no such union was forthcoming.
The 2nd Annual Conference of the National Minority Movement was held on 29 and 30 August 1925. The gathering was attended by 683 delegates, claiming to represent 750,000 workers. The Communist Party was pleased with the tremendous growth which the organization seemed to be showing and NMM leader Harry Pollitt expressed optimism that his organisation could "capture" the Trade Unions Congress in fairly short order if it continued to develop along its current path.
In January 1926, a special meeting of the CPGB's Central Committee called for a renewed offensive of the working class against the capitalist state and the established organized labour movement. A special "National Conference of Action" was called for March of that same year, a gathering which was attended by 883 delegates from organizations claiming to represent 957,000 workers. The Miners' Minority Movement was particularly militant, propagandizing all branches of the Miners' Federation for the complete rejection of the Report of the Samuels Commission on the coal industry — a document which proposed wage reductions and reorganization of the industry without nationalisation. The stage was set for a chain of events which would culminate in the 1926 British General Strike.
strategies led the Communist Party to alter its approach towards unions entirely. Instead of the "boring from within" strategy employed by the NMM and similar organizations in other countries, a move was made towards the support of unofficial strikes and alternative "dual" unions. The NMM attempted to set itself up as a federation of such groups outside the existing unions rather than its previous purpose as a pressure group within those unions.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
organisation, established in 1924 by the Communist Party of Great Britain
Communist Party of Great Britain
The Communist Party of Great Britain was the largest communist party in Great Britain, although it never became a mass party like those in France and Italy. It existed from 1920 to 1991.-Formation:...
, which attempted to organise a radical presence within the existing trade unions. The organization was headed by longtime unionist Tom Mann
Tom Mann
Tom Mann was a noted British trade unionist. Largely self-educated, Mann became a successful organiser and a popular public speaker in the labour movement.-Early years:...
and future General Secretary
General Secretary
The office of general secretary is staffed by the chief officer of:*The General Secretariat for Macedonia and Thrace, a government agency for the Greek regions of Macedonia and Thrace...
of the CPGB Harry Pollitt
Harry Pollitt
Harry Pollitt was the head of the trade union department of the Communist Party of Great Britain and the General Secretary of the party for more than 20 years.- Early life :...
.
Establishment
The National Minority Movement (NMM) was established at a convention held August 23-24, 1924, attended by 271 delegates, claiming to represent 200,000 workers. By the time of the NMM's formation in 1924, the CominternComintern
The Communist International, abbreviated as Comintern, also known as the Third International, was an international communist organization initiated in Moscow during March 1919...
had abandoned strategies based on the prospect of an imminent world revolution
World revolution
World revolution is the Marxist concept of overthrowing capitalism in all countries through the conscious revolutionary action of the organized working class...
in favour of slow, gradual working within established institutions, including "pure and simple" reformist trade unions. The aim of the National Minority Movement was to convert the revolutionary minority of the working class into a majority. The NMM would organise workers who were dissatisfied with the existing unions but not willing to join the Communist Party, as well as those who were already CP members. In this way the Communists would increase their influence in amongst workers without splitting the existing organisations.
The NMM was affiliated to the Red International of Labour Unions
Profintern
The Red International of Labor Unions , commonly known as the Profintern, was an international body established by the Communist International with the aim of coordinating Communist activities within trade unions...
(RILU). Its President, from 1924 to 1929, was the veteran trade union activist Tom Mann and its General Secretary, over the same period, was Harry Pollitt. Other prominent figures included Wal Hannington
Wal Hannington
Walter "Wal" Hannington was a founding member of the Communist Party of Great Britain and National Organiser of the National Unemployed Workers' Movement, from its formation in 1921 to its end in 1939, when he became National Organiser of the Amalgamated Engineering Union.-Political career:In...
, in charge of organization of the metal workers until transferred by the party to work organising the unemployed, the engineer J.T. "Jack" Murphy
J. T. Murphy
J.T. "Jack" Murphy was an English trade union organiser and Communist.-Early years:J.T. Murphy, best known by his nickname of "Jack," was born in 1888 and grew up near Sheffield and became a metal-worker...
and coal miners A. J. Cook
A. J. Cook (trade unionist)
Arthur James Cook , known as A. J. Cook, was a British coal miner and trade union leader. He is remembered as one of the United Kingdom's best known miners’ leaders and a key component of the National Minority Movement around the General Strike of 1926.-Early years:A.J...
, Arthur Horner
Arthur Horner
Arthur Horner may refer to:*Arthur Horner *Arthur Horner...
and Nat Watkins.
Organising Secretary of the NMM was George Hardy
George Hardy
George Hardy was an English genre painter, a member of the Cranbrook Colony and eldest brother to Frederick Daniel Hardy.Hardy was born in Brighton in Sussex the first son of George Hardy , a musician to George IV, Queen Adelaide, and Queen Victoria in the Royal household at Windsor. His mother...
, while George Fletcher served as Treasurer.
The organization appears to have been modeled after the American Trade Union Educational League
Trade Union Educational League
The Trade Union Educational League was established by William Z. Foster in 1920 as a means of uniting radicals within various trade unions for a common plan of action. The group was subsidized by the Communist International via the Communist Party of America from 1922...
established by Communist trade union leader William Z. Foster
William Z. Foster
William Foster was a radical American labor organizer and Marxist politician, whose career included a lengthy stint as General Secretary of the Communist Party USA...
in 1921. As with TUEL, he NMM was divided into trade-related sections, the most important of which were the Mining MM (headed full time by Watkins), the Metal Workers' MM (headed by Hannington), and the Transport MM (headed by Hardy).
An early success of the movement was the election of Minority Movement supporter A. J. Cook as General Secretary of the Miners Federation of Great Britain.
Development
In January 1925, the NMM organized a conference on international trade union unity which was attended by 617 delegates, representing 600,000 workers. Even though the RILU had softened its militant rhetoric calling for the destruction of the social-democratic Amsterdam International of trade unions, the majority of the Amsterdam International Federation of Trade UnionsInternational Federation of Trade Unions
The International Federation of Trade Unions was an international organization of trade unions, existing between 1919 and 1945. IFTU had its roots in the pre-war IFTU....
(IFTU) were in no mood to parlay with the Communist unionists from around the world, demanding that their affiliation with RILU be terminated before they could be accepted. Even though Soviet
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
trade union chief Mikhail Tomsky
Mikhail Tomsky
Mikhail Pavlovich Tomsky was a factory worker, trade unionist and Bolshevik leader. He was the Soviet leader of the All-Russian Central Council of Trade Unions.Tomsky attempted to form a trade union at his factory in St...
went so far as to say that Soviet unions should consider affiliation with the Amsterdam International in a speech delivered in December 1925, no such union was forthcoming.
The 2nd Annual Conference of the National Minority Movement was held on 29 and 30 August 1925. The gathering was attended by 683 delegates, claiming to represent 750,000 workers. The Communist Party was pleased with the tremendous growth which the organization seemed to be showing and NMM leader Harry Pollitt expressed optimism that his organisation could "capture" the Trade Unions Congress in fairly short order if it continued to develop along its current path.
In January 1926, a special meeting of the CPGB's Central Committee called for a renewed offensive of the working class against the capitalist state and the established organized labour movement. A special "National Conference of Action" was called for March of that same year, a gathering which was attended by 883 delegates from organizations claiming to represent 957,000 workers. The Miners' Minority Movement was particularly militant, propagandizing all branches of the Miners' Federation for the complete rejection of the Report of the Samuels Commission on the coal industry — a document which proposed wage reductions and reorganization of the industry without nationalisation. The stage was set for a chain of events which would culminate in the 1926 British General Strike.
End of the organization
Around 1929 the adoption of more radical Third PeriodThird Period
The Third Period is a ideological concept adopted by the Communist International at its 6th World Congress, held in Moscow in the summer of 1928....
strategies led the Communist Party to alter its approach towards unions entirely. Instead of the "boring from within" strategy employed by the NMM and similar organizations in other countries, a move was made towards the support of unofficial strikes and alternative "dual" unions. The NMM attempted to set itself up as a federation of such groups outside the existing unions rather than its previous purpose as a pressure group within those unions.
External links
- Brief article on NMM in Glasgow, including contemporary NMM leaflet
- http://www.socialistworker.co.uk/article.php?article_id=6524Article on Tom Mann and the NMM from the Socialist WorkerSocialist WorkerSocialist Worker is the name of several socialist/communist newspapers associated with the International Socialist Tendency...
] - Marxists Internet Archive: National Minority Movement Archive