Principles, Aims & Statues of the I.W.A

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REBEL WORKER PAMPHLET #2

PRINCIPLES & AIMS of the I. W.A .

as adopted at 1s t Congress , Rerlin 1922

& amen ded at Co ngres ses : jVladrid 193 1,

Par i s 1935. Par is 1938 , To ulouse 195 1,

Puteaux 1953 , ' darse i l les 1956 and

Toulouse 195P . l1eaffirmed at Cong r esses :

J\Tontpellier 1971, Par i s 197f> K 1979.

ISSUED BY REBEL WORKER GROUPSYDNEY JULY 1983

J\1O NTY :\111,l.ER PI1E-SS

f ' . 0 . Box 92 Broadway

2007 Austral ia



p r i n e i p l ~ & ; . T I i m ~ 8t ~ t a t u t ~ ~

o f t h ~

LW-TI.

INTRODUCTION

The age-old battle between the e x p l o i t ~ r s and the

exploited has taken on a forbidding dimension .

Omnipotent capital has raised its monstrous head.



Despite the internal struggles that tear apart the

manageria l classes and the bourgeoise, these

forces have created a powerful relationship which

will enable them to throw themselves with more

strength and unity against the proletariat and

further chain it to the triumphant chariot of capital.

Capitalism is organizing and is passing from a

defensive p osit ion to the aggressive strategy of

directly attacking the working class on all fronts.

This offensive has its origins in specific causes:

in the confusion of ideas and principles in the

working class, in the lack of clarity and agreement .

on the present and future aims of the working class,

and in the dividing of the working class into

innumerable tendencies; in a word, in the weakness

and disorganization of the worker 's movement.

To this violent international attack by exploiters

of every kind there is but one answer: theimmediate organization of the proletarian army

into a combative s tructure which welcomes all

revolutionary workers of all countries. This organ-

izatic)ll must be a granite block against which every

capitalis t maneuver will be crushed and whose

enormous size will bring it victory.

This movement for emancipation cannot accept

the line of those currents of the worker ' s move-ment which hope for harmony between capital and

labor, desiring international peace with capitalism

and incorporation into the bourgeoise state. Neither

can i t accept those currents which propagate the

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principles of the dictatorship of the proletariat .

All class-conscious workers share a desire for a

society based upon the greatest possible l iberty

and well- being for all.

Against capital 's offensive , and also against

politicians of all colors , the revolutionary workers

of the world must build a rea l International

Association of Workers , each member of which

will know that the emancipation of the workers will

only be possible when the working class is conscious

of i tself and is prepared to jointly adminis ter the

land and the factories through its own organizations.

With this view and this goal before it, the duty of

the working class consis ts of participating in all

actions which lead towards a revolutionary t rans-

formation of society, always keeping this end in

mind. We must make our strength known through

these activities , always striving to give our move

ment , through propaganda and organization, the

necessary means by which it can do away with itsenemies . Similarly, and wherever possible , our

social system must be realized through model and

example , and our organizations must exert , to the

l imits of their possibil i t ies , the greatest possible

influence on other tendencies in order that they may

be incorporated into our struggle (which is the

common struggle against all statist and capitalist

adversar ies) . We must always keep in mind thecircumstances of place and t ime and must remain

faithful to the ends of the liberating workers '

movement.

3



THE PRINCIPLES OF

REVOLUTIONARY SYNDICALISM

Revolutionary syndicalism is based on the class

s truggle and holds that all workers must unite in

economic combative organizations. These organ-

izations must fight for l iberation from the double

yoke of capital and the state. Its goal is the

reorganization of social life on the basis of

l iber tar ian communism, which will be achieved

by the revolutionary action of the working class.

Considering that only the economic organizations

of the proletariat are capable of reaching this

objective, revolutionary syndicalism addresses

i tself to workers in their capacity as producers ,

as creators of social wealth, so that it will take

root and develop among them in opposition to the

modern workers ' part ies , which it declares inept

for the economic reorganization of society .

2

Revolutionary syndicalism is the pronounced

enemy of all economic and social monopoly. It aims

at the abolition of privilege by the establishing of

economic communes and administrat ive organs run

by the workers in the fie lds and factories, forming

a sys tem of fr ee counci l s without subordination to

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any power or political party. Revolutionary

syndicalism poses as an alternative to the politics

of states and part ies, the economic reorganization

of production. I t is opposed to the governing of

people by others and poses self-management as an

alternative. Consequently, the goal of revolutionary

syndicalism is not the conquest of political power,

but the abolition of all state functions in the life of

society. Revolutionary syndicalism considers that

the disappearance of the monopoly of property must

also be accompanied by the disappearance of all

forms of domination. Statism, however camoflaged,

can never be an instrument for human liberation

and, on the contrary, will always be the creator of

new monopolies and privileges.

3

Revolutionary syndicalism hasa

twofold function.I t car r ies on the revolutionary struggle in all

countries for the economic, social and intellectual

improvement of the working class within the l imits

of present day society. I t also seeks to educate

the masses so that they will be able to competently

manage the processes of production and distribution

through the socialization of all wealth. Revolutionary

syndicalism does not accept the idea that the organization of a social system based exclusively on the

producing class can be ordered by simple govern

mental decrees. I t affirms that it can only be

obtained through the common action of all manual

5



and intellectual workers , in every branch of

industry, by self-management, in such a way that

every region, factory or branch of industry is an

autonomous member of the economic organism andsystematically regulates, on a determined plan and

on the basis of mutual agreement, the production

and distribution processes according to the interests

of the community.

4

Revolutionary syndicalism is opposed to allorganizational tendencies inspired by the central ism

of the state and church . These can only prolong the

survival of the state and authority and they system-

- atically stifle the spir i t of initiative and any

independence of thought. Central ism is the artificial

organization which subjects the so-called lower

classes to those which claim to be superior.

Central ism leaves the affairs of the whole communityin the hands of a few - the individual being turned

into a robot with regulated movements and gestures.

In the centralized organization, the ne'cessi t ies of

society are subordinated to the interests of a few,

variety is replaced by uniformity and personal

responsibility is replaced by unanimous discipline.

I t is for this reason that revolutionary syndicalism

founds its social conception on a wide federalistorganization, an organization which works from the

bottom to the top by uniting all forces in the defense

of common ideas and interests .

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5

Revolutionary syndicalism rejects all parl iamentary

activity and all collaboration with legislative bodies.I t holds that even the freest voting system cannot

bring about the disappearance of the clear contra-

- dictions at the center of present day society. The

parl iamentary system has only one goal: to lend a

pretense of legitimacy to the reign of falsehood and

social injustice.

6

Revolutionary syndicalism rejects all arbitrar i ly

created political and national frontiers and declares

that what is called nationalism is the religion of the

modern state, behind which is concealed the mater ia l

interests of the ruling classes. Revolutionary

syndicalism recognizes only economic and regional

differences and demands for all groups the right toself- determination without exception.

7

I t is for these reasons that revolutionary

syndicalism fights against militarism and war.

Revolutionary syndicalism advocates anti-war

propaganda and the substitution of permanent armies

which are only the instruments of counter-revolution

at the service of capitalism, by workers ' mil i t ias

which, during the revolution, will be controlled by

the workers ' syndicates; it demands, as well, the

7



boycott and embargo of all raw materials and

products necessary to war, with the exception of a

country where the workers are in. the midst of a

social revolution, in which case it is necessary tohelp them defend the revolution. Finally, revolu tion-

- ary syndicalism advocates the preventive and

revolutionary general str ike as a means of opposing

w ar and mili tar ism.

8

Revolutionary syndicalism supports direct actionand supports and encourages all struggles which are

not in contradiction to its own ends . The means of

s truggle are : occupations, s tr ikes , boycotts,

sabotage, etc. Direct action is best expressed

through the general str ike. The general strike must,

at the same t ime, from the point of view of

revolutionary syndicalism , be the prelude to the

social revolution .

9

While revolutionary syndicalism is opposed to all

organized violence of the state, it real izes that there

will be extremely violent clashes during the decisive

struggles between the capitalism of today and the

free communism of tomorrow. Consequently, it

recognizes as valid that violence which can be used

as a means of defense against the voilent methods

used by the ruling classes during the social

8



revolution. As expropriat ions of the land and the

means of production can only be carr ied out and

brought to a successful conclusion by the direct

intervention of the workers ' revolutionary economicorganizations, defense of the revolution must also

be the task of the economic organizations. Defense

of the revolution is not the task of a military or

quasi-mili tary body developing independently of

these economic organizations.

10

I t is only through the economic and revolutionary

organizations of the working class that it will be

possible to bring about the l iberation and necessary

creative energy for the reorganization of society on

the basis of l ibertarian communism.

NAME OF THE INTERNATJONAl

ORGANIZATION

The international bond of struggle and solidarity

which unites the revolutionary syndicalist

organizations of the world is called the International

Workers ' Association (I. w. A.).

9



ENDS & OBJECTIVES OF THE i.W.A.The IW A has as its aims:

(a) To organize and press for revolutionary

struggle in all countries with the aim of destroying

once and for all the present political and econpmic

regimes and to establish a l ibertarian communist

society.

(b) To give a regional and industrial base to the

economic syndicalist organizations and, where that

already exists, to strengthen those organizations

which are determined to fight for the destruction of

capitalism and the state.

(c) To prevent the infiltration of any political party

into the economic syndicalist organizations and tocombat with resolution every attempt at political

domination within thp. unions.

(d) Where circumstances demand it, to establish

through a given program which is not in contradiction

with the above, provisional alliances with other

revolutionary and working class organizations, with

the objective of planning and carrying out commoninternational actions in the interest of the' working

class . Such alliances must never be with political

parties and with organizations that accept the state

as a system of social organization.

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(e) To unmask and combat the arbi t rary violence of

all governments against revolutionaries dedicated

to the cause of social revolution.

(f) To examine all problems concerning the worldproletariat in order to consolidate and develop

movements which defend the rights and new

conquests of the working class the world over.

(g) To undertake show s of solidarity in the event of

important economic struggles against the declared

or concealed enemies of the working class.

(h) To give moral and material support to theworking class movements whose management is in

the hands of the workers themselves.

The International only intervenes in the affairs of

a union when its affiliated organization requests it

or when this submits to the general decision of the

International.

CONDITIONS OF MEMBERSHIP

Those who can belong to the IWA are :

(a) Regional revolutionary union organizations which

do not belong to any other International.Membership of a second regional organization of

the same area can only be accepted by an Inter

-national Congress on the basis of preliminary

11



information of a Com mis sion appointed by the IW A

Secretariat . This Commission will be composed of

two members of each of the organizations concerned:the regional organization already affiliated, the

other regional organization wishing to join and the

IWA Secretariat .

(b) Minority groups of organized revolutionary

unionists within national organizations belonging to

other Union Internationals, only where the organ

-ization affiliated to the IWA, if one exists in that

region, accepts their membership.

(c) Unionist professional or industrial organizations

may join if they accept the Declaration of Principles

and Aims of the IW A. These may belong to organ

-izations which are not a part of the IWA, but they

must be accepted by the affiliate of the IW A in that

region, if such an organization exists.

(d) Every revolutionary propaganda organization

which accepts the Declaration of Principles and

Aims of the IWA and which works in an area where

there is no regional organization affiliated to the

IWA.

(e) The IWA is composed of sections, legal or

illegal, organized along regional l ines. Only those

groups of exiles can be recognized as sections ofthe IWA which can clearly prove that they authent

- ical ly represent those organizations which operate

and work in their respective countries.

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THE INTERNATIONAL CONGRESSES

The International Congresses of the IW A are held,

if possible, every two y.ears.

Within a sufficient period of t ime, the Secretariat

asks the sections for themes and topics to be dealt

with at the Congress. Then the Secretariat draws

up an agenda, which, with the motions presented,

are sent to the organizations belonging to the IWAat least six months before the beginning of the

Congress.

The agreements and resolutions adopted by the

Congresses are binding for all membership

organizations, except when those organizations,

through the resolutions of a regional Congress

or by referendum, reject the resolutions of an

International Congres s.On the request of a minimum of three regional

membership organizations, an international

decision can be submitted for revision by general

referendum in all sections.

In the International Congresses and referenda

each membership organization disposes of one vote

it being understood that an attempt to obtain

unanimity is to be recommended before the voteis taken.

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INTERNATIONAL MOBILITY

Each member of an organization belonging to

the IWA, who has paid their dues, but is living in

a region other than where they are affiliated, must.

at a maximum of one month after their arrival ,

car ry out their t ransfer to the corresponding local

organization belonging to the IW A. This t ransfer

must be approved by this regional organization

without any additional charge.

THE SECRETARIAT

A Secretar ia t is elected in order that the

international activities of the IWA may be efficiently

coordinated, so that information may be obtained

and disseminated on the struggle in all countries

and so that the resolutions of the International

Congresses will be put into effect in the best way

possible. This Secretar ia t is to be composed of at

leas t three people living where the IWA has its

headauarters. The General Secretary is electeu by

the Congress or by international referendum. The

other members must be elected by the section orsections designated by the Congress.

The members of the Secretariat share between

them the various tasks and work. The Secretar ia t

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and the Secretary are elected as indicated above

for the period between Congresses . The Secretariat

and the Secretary may only serve two t e rms

concurrently. The place of residence of the Secret-ariat will be decided at the Congress. I f that is not

possible it vvill be decided by referendum.

The Secretariat must give a vvrit ten repor t of its

activities during-its term of office. The repor t

must be presented in advance so that the member

Sections are acouainted with i t before the Congress

takes place. At the same t ime a financial and

administrat ive report must be drawn UT) andpresented to the sections. The Congress nominates

a commission during the Congress to inspect the

reports and records .

FINANCES

Each member of an organization belonging to theIW A must annually pay, as international dues , the

sum of 6.00 French frances or the equivalent sum

in international currency, taking into account the

rate of exchange between the two countries in

question. Dues are charged so that the IWA can

develop and consolidate its international activities,

so that it can give its written propaganda a firm

foundation, so that its publications can appear

regularly, so that it can participate in revolutionary

unionist movements in various countries and so

that it can promote the ideas of revolutionary

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syndicalism in regions where our ideas and t a c t i ~ s have only a small influence. Dues are also charged

in order that the IwA can reply at once, and in a

satisfactory way, to appeals for solidarityaddressed to it.

For those sections in a difficult situation the

dues are fixed in agreement with the IWA Secretariat .

Each member section decides independently on the

procedure to follow in obtaining dues from its

members . For those sections that desire it, the

IWA has a special stamp for the membership cards

of its members . The affiliated organizations send

the dues money requested to the IWA quarterly.

PUBLICATIONS

The Secretariat edits:

(1) A publication which should appear as frequently

as is possible. I t is desirable for each periodical

edited by the affiliated organizations, or those in

sympathy with the IWA, to reserve a special space

for information from the IW A concerning appeals of

solidarity and for propaganda in general.

(2) Propaganda brochures directed specially at

areas where our movement has no regional section.

(3) All publications, periodicals or not, on which

the Congresses decide.

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ADDRESSES

INTERNATIONAL SECRETARIAT(1983-85)

APDO DE CORREOS 14836

MADRID, SPAIN

ENGLISH SPEAKING SECTIONS:-

D. A. M. (Direct Action Movement)clo THE AUTONOMY CENTRE,

RAVEN PRESS ,

8-10 GREAT ANCOATS St,

MANCHESTER 4, U.K.

L. W. G. (Libertar ian Workers Group)

P.O. BOX 692

OLD CHELSEA STATIONNEW YORK , NY 10113, USA

(W orkers Emancipation)

p . O. BOX 40400

SAN FRANCISCO

CA 94110, USA

LOCAL CONTACT : -



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Principles, Aims & Statues of the I.W.A