The trade Union Movement in the West, also, was instrumental
in ushering in this era of workers’ participation. In Britain, for
example, the very birth and growth of the trade union movement
was closely connected with the ideas of Robert Owen about ‘co-
operative production’ and the ‘elimination’ of the master-servant
relationship in industry. The Grand Consolidated Trades Union
was formed for this purpose, though it soon met its demise due to
the hostile attitude of both state and capital to the idea of
organised labour.*

This attitude was of course soon to charge, the capitalists
having learned to their satisfaction that trade unionism — far
from interests antagonistic to theirs, was in fact an instrument for
the service of their own interests in the long run. As long as
‘bargaining’ is done within the confines of capitalist norms, trade
unionism certainly assists in postponing. The rising of movements
that work for root-and-branch changes in society — besides
stabilising relations in the short run.

It was therefore not difficulty for the British government, which
had earlier fought ruthlessly against trade unionism,® to appoint in
1917 a committee (The Whitley Committee) which was charged
with making recommendations for better industrial relations. In
turn, this committee did not find it difficult to recommend the for-
mation of ‘Joint Works Committees’ in firms and even ‘National
Joint Councils’.®

In Sweden, to take another example, the 1946 Agreement bet-
ween the Labour Unions (LO) and the Employers’ Federation
(SAF) provided for ‘works councils’ which would act as in-
formative and consultative organs with the aim of forging close
collaboration between employers and employees and hence in-
creasing productivity, order and discipline.’

Because of the very close collaboration of the trade unions with
the employers, the works councils in Sweden have been able to
function relatively steadily. Das, in a survey of these institutions
throughout the capitalist world, is able to report that ‘there is the
doubt whatsoever that, in Sweden, works councils have been
promoting better understanding (sic) between the management and
the workers: and credits this ‘success’ to the Swedish trade unions
which have been promoting ‘intelligent participation’ which has ‘a
greater appeal to the Swedish workers’ than ‘the radical doctrine
of workers' control.®

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