Founding Principles

The Founding Principles of the National Workers Union are a fundamental part of the Rules of the Union.

Class Struggle

The history of all hitherto existing society is the history of class struggles.

Society as a whole is more and more splitting up into two great hostile camps, into two great classes directly facing each other – the capitalist class and the working class. The interests of the capitalist class and of the workers are in irreconcilable conflict and between these two classes struggle must go on until the workers of the world, organised as a class, take possession of the means of production and build a society democratically run by workers for workers.

The capitalist class takes its wealth and power from the unpaid labour of the working-class. For their part, workers have no choice but to combine and fight for their political, economic and social interests and, in doing so, they form organisations of struggle. What capitalism produces, in the form of an organised working class, are the seeds of its own destruction. Its fall and the victory of the working class are equally inevitable.

Solidarity and Internationalism

The need of a constantly expanding market for its products forces capitalism to constantly expand over the entire world. This process of imperialism, which has found reflection in slavery, indentureship, colonialism and other forms of globalisation, requires from workers an equally international response.

Working class solidarity, which is the cornerstone of trade union action, is a responsibility which our Union takes seriously and will apply at all times both locally and internationally.

Working-class Politics

The ownership of capital represents not only economic wealth but economic and therefore political power. The working-class and its organisations cannot, therefore, escape from politics. Not the shallow politics of parties financed by and representing the interests of the capitalist class, but the politics of power and the class interests of workers.

Whilst the day to day struggle of workers will generate a trade union consciousness and the need for solidarity in the face of the employer, it is necessary to develop this so that there is an understanding of the class nature of society and the need for workers to take power through their own party. Our Union is therefore committed to the formation of an independent party of the working class.

Environment and Ecology

In an economic system where profit comes first it is inevitable that concerns about the environment are secondary. The working class, however, have to live in the mess created by capitalism. The responsibility of borrowing the earth from the next generation means developing a planned socialist economy capable of meeting the needs of today and tomorrow.

Collective Leadership

Central to the philosophy of the Union is the belief in collective action and, flowing from this, the importance of collective leadership. The Union will be based on the utmost accountability and transparency in its work at all levels.

Discrimination

What unites workers are their class interests. Divisions over race, colour, nationality, religion, sexuality, gender or any other issue can only be to the benefit of the employer class. The Union will ferociously oppose discrimination of any form which undermines the class solidarity necessary to take our class forward.

A Secular Union

The Union respects the right of all peoples to freedom of religious worship but acknowledges that within its ranks will be members of many religions and none. The Union will therefore respect the faith of its members but follow a secular path in its work and activities.

Socialist Transformation of Society

Capitalism can only fail workers as it continues to create societies and a world in which the rich get richer and the poor get poorer. Workers must take the power to build their own societies. Whilst we fight for our immediate demands, we know that the principles on which the Union is founded require us to fight for the socialist transformation of society.

Workers have nothing to lose but their chains, we have a world to win. Our demands are clear:

ALL POWER TO THE WORKING CLASS!

WORKERS OF THE WORLD UNITE!

ORGANISE THE UN-ORGANISED

JOIN THE NATIONAL WORKERS UNION