An informative overview from Browder, who had a long history in the workers’ movement, though almost all as an organizational functionary, well before he was ever known as ‘The Man from Kansas.’ In 1927 he was working for the R.I.L.U., organizing the Pan-Pacific Trade Union Secretariat while in China during that tumultuous year of 1927 as a member of the Profintern’s ‘International Workers Delegation.’ Below are his notes from an interview with Sou Cheu-tsen, then Minister of Labour in the new Wuhan-based Left-KMT Nationalist government, and Li Lisan, then Secretary of the All-China Labour Federation, both also leading member of the C.C.P. who would go on to play even larger roles in the years following.

‘Historical Sketch of the Chinese Labour Movement’ by Earl Browder from International Press. Correspondence. Vol. 7 No. 31. May 26, 1927.

Hankow, April 10, 1927.

The following sketch of the history of the Chinese Labour Movement is the result of notes made in an interview with the Chairman of the All-China Labour Federation, Sou Cheu-tsen, who is also the new Minister of Labour in the Nationalist Government, and with the secretary of the All-China Labour Federation, Li Li-san.

The Chinese trade union movement dates from 1919. It arose during the great anti-Japanese movement, protesting against the “21 points”, known as the “Fourth of May Movement”. This began as a students’ movement. Some embryonic organisations of workers had existed previously among the railway workers on the Peking-Mukden line, and the Peking-Hankow line, but had not yet become properly a trade union movement. These embryonic groups were transformed into trade unions during 1919.

At the same time in Shanghai there broke out the strikes of textile workers and dockers, who were in Japanese employ, 20,000 in all; while in Hongkong occurred a large metal workers strike. These were successful, and imparted a great impetus to the Labour Movement elsewhere. During this time the trade unions in Kwantung Province made especial progress, in Canton alone their number increasing from 20 to 100 during 1919. This year may therefore be called the real beginning of the Chinese Labour Movement.

Among the most important influences affecting the course of development of the Labour Movement, were the following:

1. The Russian revolution, which was made known to the Chinese masses through several weekly propaganda papers.

2. The rising Chinese nationalist movement, which began to absorb masses into its ranks. A seamen’s union was organised at that time by the Kuomintang; there existed the Social-Republican party, and also many anarchist groups. The political movement was especially strong in Canton.

3. The workers had lived through several insurrections which had failed; from these, the lesson of the necessity of strong, centralized organisation had penetrated large masses.

4. Organisation of the Chinese Communist Party, which furnished a central direction for the movement; this was done through a special organ, called the “Secretariat of the Chinese Labour Movement”, with branches in Shanghai, Canton, and Hankow.

After 1919, the trade unions grew steadily. But it was not until 1922, when another national wave of struggles broke out, that the First All-China Congress was held. First among the battles of 1922, was the great Hongkong Seamen’s strike, which was declared on January 12th, and lasted 56 days. Before it ended in the granting of the workers’ demands, all Hongkong labour had been drawn into the struggle, in a General Strike which included the railwaymen. The successful outcome of this struggle stimulated the workers of the entire country.

The centre of the 1922 movement was the Railwaymen’s organisation particularly that of the Peking-Hankow line, which had 10 branches with 18,000 members. A successful strike on this line was quickly followed by railway strikes throughout Central and Northern China; Peking-Mukden line, Shanchou-Haichow line, etc. Through this movement 50,000 railwaymen were organised in the Union.

In the Province of Hupeh, a General Trade Union (Provincial Federation) was established with 23 trade unions, and 35,000 members.

In Hunan Province, after a long strike of 13,000 miners of An-yuen, the movement was established, with 25 trade unions in which were 40,000 members.

The Shanghai movement was very active, with strikes of seamen, silk filature workers, postmen, and others. All these strikes, except that of the seamen, were however, unsuccessful and the movement there received a setback, only 20,000 members being organised as a result of the 1922 movement.

On May 1, 1922, the First All-China Labour Congress was held in Canton, on the initiative of the “Secretariat of the Chinese Labour Movement”. A membership of 230,000 was represented. The most important resolution at this Congress was that providing for the industrial form of organisation.

It had been decided at the First Congress to convene the Second Congress at Hankow on May 1st, 1923. But on February 7^th, occurred the massacre in Hankow of the railway union leaders and others by Wu Pei-fu, and white terror reigned throughout China. This massacre and repression was planned and ordered by British imperialists, who were financing Wu Pei-fu. The immediate occasion for it was the creation of the General Union of Railwaymen on the Peking-Hankow line; Wu Pei-fu dissolved the union, whereupon a general strike broke out, which was joined by all Hankow workers. An All-China strike was imminent. But the movement was crushed by the Army of Wu Pei-fu, who executed 43 leaders, imprisoned unknown hundreds, and dissolved all trade unions. Even sympathising schools were closed, and active unionists were driven from the factories and railroads, when not imprisoned and shot. During this reign of terror the entire movement was crushed, except at Canton, where the trade unions remained intact.

Until September, 1924, there was a period of reaction. Then the movement began to revive again. On January 18, 1925, occurred the beginning of a series of strikes in Shanghai, Tsintao, and other cities. These were all successful, and regained some of the losses of hours, wages, and conditions which had been lost in the year and a half of reaction.

The period of inaction after the defeat of 1923, had been made use of by the workers to assimilate the lessons of the past experiences. There also occurred during this period a great change among the leaders of the Kuomintang, who finally had come to realize the vastly important role of the working class in the Chinese National revolution. The masses themselves had achieved political consciousness, and learned the necessity of strong trade unions. International relations had been established during the struggle, when the Russian and Japanese trade unions sent telegrams of solidarity, and the Chinese trade unions had addressed themselves to the trade union movement of the world.

On May 1, 1925, the Second All-China Labour Congress was held at Canton, in an atmosphere of a rising movement. More than 600,000 members were represented. At this Congress, the All-China Labour Federation was definitely formed; theory, tactics, and organisational methods firmly established, and a recognised central leadership set up.

Quickly thereafter followed the massacre of 30th May at Shanghai, and the Shankee massacre at Canton, on June 23. These occurrences were the signal for a national upheaval. Strikes broke out everywhere. The most notable of these was the glorious strike of the Hongkong and Canton workers against the British, and the blockade of Hongkong for more than a year. In Shanghai, more than 300,000 workers came into the trade unions. Great movements sprang up at Dairen, Tientsin, Tsintao, Nanking, Kiukiang, Hankow. Living and working conditions were everywhere improved. In Shanghai a general wage increase of 15% was secured. Not only the industrial workers, but also the artisans throughout China, flocked into the movement.

The Third All-China Labour Congress was held on May 1, 1926, in Canton. Already there were 1,200,000 members. Concrete resolutions were adopted on all problems of the movement. The movement after May 30th had raised the level of the entire working class. Previously, the political side of the trade unions had not been firm; now the trade unions were deep in the political struggle and leading it. Active and permanent contact had been established with the International Labour Movement. The movement had become mature.

Militarist agents of imperialism still tried to crush the rising trade union movement, especially at Tientsin, Tsintao, Shanghai, and Mukden. But steady and rapid progress continued and continues up to today. The masses of all China had been won to the trade unions and for the Revolution.

The Northern Expedition of the Revolutionary Armies was prepared by the great national strike movement following May 30. This was the basis of the military victories, which resulted in the occupation of the Yangtse Valley, the capture of Nanking and Shanghai, and the present drive toward Peking. When the Revolutionary Army entered Shanghai, for example, they found the city already policed by the Workers’ Guards, and an administration jointly established by the trade unions, commercial associations, and students unions, already functioning.

This is a general and very brief review of the history of the Chinese Labour Movement. Results which in Europe or America would have taken decades to accomplish, have been accomplished in China in a few years. The demands of the trade unions have gone through the whole scale, from the most elementary economic demands up to participation in Government and management of industry. And these highest demands are now being realized, with Comrade Sou Cheu-tsen in charge of the Labour Ministry, and the trade unions already participating in the administration of the railways.

International Press Correspondence, widely known as”Inprecorr” was published by the Executive Committee of the Communist International (ECCI) regularly in German and English, occasionally in many other languages, beginning in 1921 and lasting in English until 1938. Inprecorr’s role was to supply translated articles to the English-speaking press of the International from the Comintern’s different sections, as well as news and statements from the ECCI. Many ‘Daily Worker’ and ‘Communist’ articles originated in Inprecorr, and it also published articles by American comrades for use in other countries. It was published at least weekly, and often thrice weekly.

PDF of full issue: https://www.marxists.org/history/international/comintern/inprecor/1927/v07n31-may-26-1927-Inprecor-op.pdf