INTERNATIONAL LABOUR
OFFIGE
GENEVA

October nth,

Studies and Reports
Series A
No. 4

ig20.

International Congress of Workers in the Food
and Drink Trades.

Thirty-,thr.ee delegates, representing the International Federations of Bakers and Pastrycooks, Brewers and Millers,
Butchers and Pork Butchers, met in the Maison du Peuple at __
Zurich on the. 25th, 26th and 27th August, to consider t h e '
creation of a Fooü and Drink Trades International. The initiative in this matter was taken by the International Federation of Bakers. At the Congress at Amsterdam, in August,
1919, il instructed its Secretary, Alleman (of Hamburg), to
take the necessary steips. At that time the federation of the
four following associations was contemplated :
1. Bakers, Pastrycooks, Chocolate-makers, Confectioners
and Biscuit-makers ;
2. Brewers and Millers ;
3. Butchers and Pork Butchers ;
4. Hotel Employees and Waiters.
This latter body preferred to reserve its decision.
Certain countries, such as France, Switzerland, Belgium,
Austria and-Czecho-Slovakia, have constituted National Food
Producers' Federations on an industrial basis ; others, such as
Germany, have only craft federations. This difference of constitution produced a certain inequality in the number of
delegates sent by each country.
The list of the delegates is as follows :—
Germany : 8 Delegates.
Federation of Bakers and Pastrycooks : 4 delegates, representing 60,000 members.
Federation of Brewers and Millers : 3 delegates,
representing 75,000 members.
Federation of Butchers and Pork Butchers: 1 delegate, representing 23,700 members.

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Austria : 3 Delegates.
Federation of Food and Drink Trades : 3 delegates,
representing 26,000 members.
Hungary : 2 Delegates.
Federation of Bakers : 1 delegate, representing
7,000 members.
Federation of Butchers 1 delegate, representing
1,000 members.
Czechoslovakia : 4 Delegates.
Federation of Brewers, Millers and Food and Drink
Trades : 3 delegates, representing 21,000
members.
Federation of Workers in the Food and Drink Industry Trades : 1 delegate, representing 4,000
members.
Italy : 1 Delegate.
National Federation of Food and Drink Trades : 1
delegate, representing 25,000 members.
Switzerland : 2 Delegates.
Federation of Food andi Drink Trades : 2 delegates,
representing 20,000 members.
Denmark : 2 Delegates.
Federation of Bakers : 1 delegate, representing
6,300 members.
Federation of Butchers 1 delegate, representing
7,000 members.
Sweden : 2 Delegates.
Federation of Bakers : 1 delegate, representing
8,000 members.
Federation of Butchers : 1 delegate, representing
2,000 members.
Norway : 2 Delegates.
Federation of Bakers : 1 delegate, representing
2,200 members.
Federation of Butchers : 1 delegate, representing
700 members.
Belgium : 2 Delegates.
Federation of Food1 and' Drink Trades : 2 delegates,
representing 10,000 members.
France : 2 Delegates.
Federation of Food and Drink Trades : 2 delegates,
representing 21,024 members.

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Holland : 2 Delegates.
Federation of Bakers : 1 delegate, representing
6,000 members.
Federation, of Butchers : T delegate, representing
1,500 members.
North America : 1 Delegate.
Industrial Workers of the World : 1 delegate,
representing 3,950 members.
A representative of the International Labour Office was
also present at the Congress.
Agenda.
The Agenda contained the following items :
Creation of an International Federation of Food
and Drink Trades.
Discussion of the Constitution of the Union,
Choice of Headquarters,
Creation of an International Secretariat.
Election of Officers.
Fixing the Amount of the Contributions.

T H E OPENING SITTING.

The opening sitting was presided over by Alleman (Hamburg), Secretary of the International Federation of Bakers,
which numbers at present more than 150,000 members.
In the morning, the delegates of the different branches met
sqparately, to consider the question of federating the abovie
associations into a single International.

PLENARY SITTING.

On the proposal of the French delegate Savoye, a vote of
sympathy was passed, addressed to all the workers of the
world who are fighting for their emancipation.
The Dupiication of Organisations in

Czechoslovakia.

Immediately afterwards the Congress dealt with the question of the difficulties of organisation caused in Czecho-Slovakia by differences of nationality. Two organisations have

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been formed in the Food and Drink Trades : « The Federation
of Brewers, Millers and Workers in the Food and Drink
Trades », the headquarters of which is at Prague, and the
« Federation cf the Foed and Drink Industry Trades », the
headquarters cf which is at Bodenbaich on the Elbe. The
latter organisation includes the German-speaking workers.
Now, the constitution of the International Federation of
Bakers and Pastrycooks prohibits the establishment of two
organisations of the same branch of industry in one country.
Following on a decision at their own Conference, the Bakers
accordingly asked the Congress to decide upon the amalgamation of the two rival groups. But the German speaking delegates insisted on the difficulties which the diversity of languages placed in the way cf the full recognition of their rights,
and invoked certain precedents in Czecho-Slovakian organisations belonging to the late Austro-Hungarian monarchy.
In view of the acuteness of the problem and its general character, several delegates proposed the following resolution,
which was carried unanimously :—
« The Congress considers that a plurality of national languages within
one State does not justify the constitution of several organisations for the
same branch of industry. Nevertheless, considering that the question of
unity of organisation does not concern exclusively the two Federations
of Food and Drink Trades in the Czecho-Slovakian Republic, the Congress
resolves to refer the definite decision on this matter to the next International Trade Union Congress. Until such time as this decision has been
given, the two Federations shall be admitted to the International Federation
of Food ,and Drink Trades. Without 'prejudice to the decision of the International Trade Union Congress, the International Federation of Food and
Drink Trades invites the two Federations to prepare an agreement based
upon an equality of rights. »

Creation of an International Federation of
in the Food and Drink Trades.

Workers

The three International Federations were agreed as to the
necessity of uniting for the common defence of the rights of
the workers in the Food and Drink Trades. The delegates of
the respective countries spoke in turn in favour of the establishment of the new Federation.
Braga (Italy) asked that the doors should not be opened
too wide, so that the hew organisation might possess the homogeneity indispensable to successful action. He wished the
Congress to adopt a well-defined programme, and asked that
it should decide in favour of the abolition of night work and
the socialisation of the industries connected with food production.
Lankes (Germany) was in favour of federation, but with
the reservation that the International Federation should not

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interfere in the internal affairs of the different national organisations.
The Norwegian delegate gave his approval, but referred
to a tendency towards de-centralisation in his country.
After other delegates had given their views, the following
resolution was unanimously adopted : —
The International Congress of Men an'd Women Workers in the Food
and Drink Trades, considering thai the concentration of the 'production of
foodstuffs of many different kinds in a small number of great establishments is becoming 'more and more general, and that this concentration of
production has given rise in a number of States to the union of the workers'
federations of these branches into general federations of workers in the
Food and Drink Trades, resolves :— That the three International Asso'dations, namely the Association of Bakers, Pastrycooks, etc., the Association of Brewers and Millers, and the Association of Butchers and Pork
Butchers, shall amalgamate into one « International Union of Men and
Women Workers in the Food and Drink Trades ». The amalgamation shall
come into effect on "the 1st October, 1920.
« The three now existing associations shall transfer to the new organisation their assets and. liabilities. The International Union of Men and
Women Workers in the Food and Drin:k Trades shall not interfere in
matters relating to the internal organisation of the federations in the different States, and proclaims the complete autonomy of such national federations. Nevertheless, the Conlgress declares that the amalgamation of
smalt federations of particular branches into powerful organisations of the
•whole industry is desirable.
« All existing Federations of Men and Women Workers in the Food and
Drink Trades, whether federations of branlches or federations of the whole
industry, shall be bound to give their adhesion to the said international
organisation ».

After this important resolution, which establishes the International of the Feed and Drink Trades, had been carried, a
resolution was passed, requesting the Secretary of the new
association to take the necessary steps to obtain the adhesion
of the International Federation of Hotel Employees.
Choice of Headquarters.
The choice of the headquarters of the International Union
gave rise to long, and often heated, discussions, and was
marked by a difference of opinion in the German delegation.
The headquarters of the « International Federation of
Bakers and Pastrycooks » is at present in Hamburg. Those
of the two other Federations are also in Germany. For this
reason the German Delegation considered that it had a right
to ask that the Secretariat of the Union be allowed to be
in Germany.
However, at the Congress' of the Bakers and Pastrycooks at
Amsterdam in 1919, the Germans had agreed to the transfer

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of the headquarters for reasons of convenience, and it was
therefore for the present congress to fix the country in which
the Secretariat should be situated. The French Delegates,
therefore, in agreement with the Dutch, proposed Amsterdam.
The Italian delegate declared for Switzerland. The Belgian
representative, in view oí the insistence of the Germans in
favour of Hamburg, reminded them with some bitterness of
the sentiments of distrust, which still exist in many quarters
towards their country, and requested! them, for this reason,
to agree to the choice of Amsterdam. The translation of this
speech aroused the indignation of some of the members of the
German delegation-. They declared that they considered these
reproaches 1 unmerited, and that under these conditions they
would abide by their proposal. It should be noted, however,
that the delegates of Independent Socialist tendencies, Hanck
and Lankes, were not opposed to the transfer, which caused
them to be severely criticisedl by their colleagues.
Switzerland having been proposed, Schifferstein, the Swiss
delegate, spoke. He declared himself in favour of keeping
the headquarters in Germany, but added that if, for reasons
considered to be of greater weight, it was necessary to give up
this idea, his organisation was willing to acce¡pt the secretariat.
Savoye, the French Delegate, made a speech in which he
tried to reconcile the two points of view. He affirmed that
the French proletariat harboured no sentiments of animosity
towards the German proletariat. His attitude should not be
interpreted as a sign of mistrust towards the Germans who
had fulfilled their task as well as circumstances permitted.
Having heard these words, the German delegation requested
to be allowed to retire for a few minutes in order to consider
the situation, and, on its return, Hetzhold announced that,
having taken note of the declaration of the French delegate,
and in the interest of the new International, the German delegation withdrew its opposition to the transfer and decided in
favour of Switzerland. Zurich was unanimously chosen as the
headquarters.
Schifferstein, the Secretary of the Swiss Federation of .the
Food and Drink Trades, was appointed International Secretary.

International

Constitution.

A Commission of six members was nominated to prepare
a draft constitution. This draft was adopted in all its details,
with the exception of one point relating to the representation
of the various international sections. In the original text the
distribution of votes was as follows :—

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Up to 2,000 m e m b e r s : 1 delegate.
F r o m 2,000 to 5,000 m e m b e r s : 2 delegates.
F r o m 5,000 to 10,000 m e m b e r s : 3 delegates.
Over 10,000 m e m b e r s : 1 delegate for each additional 10,000
members.
According to this scale, Germany, with its 158,708 m e m bers, would) h a v e h a d 18 votes, while only 4 would h a v e gone
to F r a n c e . The F r e n c h delegate protested. T h e Belgian delegate pointed out the danger which this distribution would
h a v e h a d for G e r m a n y itself when t h e Russian T r a d e Unions
entered t h e organisation. An agreement was finally arrived
at for a m a x i m u m of 8 votes for one country.
Apart from this point, t h e only provision in this Constitution ihat need be reproduced h e r e is Article I relating to the
objects of the organisation, which is as follows :—
« The International Federation of the Central Organisations of
the Men and Women Workers in the Food and Drink Trades, has
for its object : to 'Protect and promote the economic and social
interests of all the workers of the association ; to strengthen by all
available means the international solidarity of the working classes
and to support all national and international action in the struggle
against the exploitation of labour ; to support everywhere the struggle
against imperialism and1 militarism ; and' to work for the suppression
of the capitalist regime by the realisation oí the socialist economic
system.
This object will be attained by the following means :
(a) Reciprocal information and agreement on questions, of importance
in the trade union and economic world and in that of protective
labour legislation.
(b) Payment oí travelling expenses oí unemployed members.
(c) Conclusion of treaties oí reciprocity.
(d) The placing on the index of places in which wage disputes are
in progress ,wirh a view to preventing the arrival of foreign
workers. »
T h e German delegate, Hanok, would 1 have liked t h e Congress to insert in t h e Constitution an Article requesting each
affiliated organisation to study the principle of W o r k s ' Councils ; but the Commission rejected this proposal, as it considered that the^different States w e r e not all in the same position for dealing with this question.

CLOSING S I T T I N G .

At its closing sitting the Congress unanimously voted three
resolutions, one relating to Night W o r k , another to the Russian Soviet Republic, and the third to Socialisation. T h e three
texts a r e given below :—

— 8 1. — Resolution relating to Night Work :
« Considering that Night Work constitutes a terrible scourge from the
sanitary, economic, intellectual and moral (points of view for all1 the categories of workers who are subjected thereto ; that it separates that portion
of rhe working class from the rest of humanity, and thus .prevents its free
participation in the benefits of civilisation ; that it •menaces in the most
serious manner the general health of the people by the transmission to the
consumers of diseases contracted by the workers in the Food and Drink
Trades ; and that it is an enemy to 'progress, to general culture, to national
economy and to the healthy growth of the population (Bevölkerungspolitik), the Congress invites the International Secretariat at Zurich to use
every effort to secure the legal prohibition in all civilised countries of
liie-sappkig night work, with the exception of occasional work of an
absolutely necessary character. »

2. — Resolution relating to the Russian Soviet Republic :
« The International Congress of 'the Food and Drink Trades expresses
its entire sympathy with the Russian Proletariat in its struggle against
International.Imperialism. The delegates undertake to prevent by every
means any action which may be undertaken in their own countries against
the Russian Soviet Republic. »

3. — Resolution relating to Socialisation :
« The International Congress, convinced that Capitalist production is not
in a position to permit to the working classes an existence worthy of human
beings, welcomes with joy the international propaganda for the. socialisation
of industry, in order that the fruits of labour may no longer benefit a capitalist minority, but the whole of the labouring population, and requests the
affiliated organisations to employ every means to attain this object as
speedily as possible. » .

A s a r e s u l t of t h e d e c i s i o n s of t h i s C o n g r e s s , t h e r e e x i s t s
t o - d a y a n I n t e r n a t i o n a l F e d e r a t i o n of t h e F o o d a n d D r i n k
T r a d e s . O n e of its first a c t s h a s b e e n to e m p h a s i s e t h e
i m p o r t a n c e of a p r o b l e m , — t h e s t u d y of w h i c h e n t e r s
d i r e c t l y w i t h i n t h e c o m p e t e n c e of t h e I n t e r n a t i o n a l L a b o u r
Office, — t h e p r o b l e m of t h e i n t e r n a t i o n a l m e a s u r e s t o b e
t a k e n w i t h a v i e w to t h e a b o l i t i o n öf n i g h t w o r k in t h e F o o d
and Drink Trades.
.