The Structure of the CNT

[Raúl Duke]

The CNT-FAI represented the anarchist current of the Spanish Civil War.

SO, my question is: Was the CNT a decentralized (from the bottom up) union or was it like any other union?

P.S. How does the CNT compare to the IWW? (Since I suppose the IWW is a decentralized union)

[Forward Union]

Here is the structure of the CNT

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0b/CNT_structure.png

The IWW and the CNT are very similar in a lot of ways. There are differences in organisation, but the principal of allowing anyone to join, whilst preventing those with formal political convictions/or memberships into the union leadership are the same.

Theres loads about it here Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Confederaci%C3%B3n_Nacional_del_Trabajo)

[syndicat]

the base of the CNT were the local industrial unions. the local industrial unions in a city or county were federated together, thru election of delegates to a local labor council, called the local federation. the local federations in the towns and counties in a region were federated into a regional federation. these regional organizations periodically had plenaries -- meetings of delegates from the local labor councils. these were the decision-making body for the regional organization, and elected the regional committee. for example the dexcision about whether to overthrow the regional government of Catalonia in July 1936 was made by the regional plenary which was a meeting of over 500 labor council delegates.

the local labor council controlled the jurisdiction of the local industrial unions in its area. a local union couldn't just organize whoever they might want. so the Barcelona construction union organized all the construction workers throughout Barcelona, but if a group of cabinetmakers came to them, they'd have to say "Go to the woodworkers union."

the local industrial unions also had "sections" which were either organized by plant, in the manufacturing sector, or by craft in industries such as construction or health care. the "sections" were self-governing parts of a local union. they elected their own shop stewards committee and had their own assemblies. the transport union in Barcelona for example had separate "sections" for the different sectors: streetcars, taxis, motor freight, dockworkers.

the local unions were run thru mass meetings (assemblies) and elected committees (delegates). there were no paid officials of local industrial unions.

most local industrial unions were autonomous within the framework i've described. for example, the "higher committees" had no right to expel anyone. only a local union assembly could do that.

there were national industrial unions in some industries -- railways, the telephone system, the commercial fishing industry. these were called "industrial federations."

the only paid officials were the national secretary, some regional secretaries (as in Catalonia), national secretaries of national industrial unions. The union ran two big daily newspapers, in Madrid and Barcelona, and these had paid staff of writers and printers. policy for these papers was controlled by the regional committees, elected by the regional plenaries.

at a national congress the items for the agenda could only be suggested by the local unions, the national secretary or national committee were not supposed to make proposals. the initiative was supposed to rely with the base.

when Horacio Prieto was national secretary of the CNT in 1936 he hated this because it meant he had to go around to endless meetings to get local unions to agree to his proposals. but the natural tendency for national or regional committees is to start making decisions for the organization so roadblocks were needed, the anarchists believed, to prevent top-down domination of the union.

[Raúl Duke]

I see, thanks.

Although...it still puzzles me why they didn't just abolish the state and take control completely (or at least in Catalonia.)

[Random Precision]

Originally posted by [email protected] 14, 2007 10:52 pm
Although...it still puzzles me why they didn't just abolish the state and take control completely (or at least in Catalonia.)
"An anarchist dictatorship would be as poisonous for Spain as a fascist or communist dictatorship. Not to mention that in practicing it, we would become the very negation of what we are and what we stand for."

- Diego Abad de Santillan, A Return to Principle

[syndicat]

"An anarchist dictatorship would be as poisonous for Spain as a fascist or communist dictatorship. Not to mention that in practicing it, we would become the very negation of what we are and what we stand for."

- Diego Abad de Santillan, A Return to Principle

that was the excuse the CNT-FAI leaders concocted after the fact, that is, after they had decided for Popular Front collaboration. when Garcia Oliver proposed the unions taking over and getting rid of the regional government in July of 1936 at the regional plenary, it was Federica Montseny who ran this line of argument. Garcia Oliver responded that he hadn't proposed any "anarchist or CNT dictatorship." For one thing, if there is a workers congress and all the unions or workplace assemblies can elect delegates and the various political trends present in the unions have their people there, there is no "dictatorship" even if the CNT has the majority.

[Random Precision]

Originally posted by [email protected] 15, 2007 01:10 am
that was the excuse the CNT-FAI leaders concocted after the fact, that is, after they had decided for Popular Front collaboration. when Garcia Oliver proposed the unions taking over and getting rid of the regional government in July of 1936 at the regional plenary, it was Federica Montseny who ran this line of argument. Garcia Oliver responded that he hadn't proposed any "anarchist or CNT dictatorship." For one thing, if there is a workers congress and all the unions or workplace assemblies can elect delegates and the various political trends present in the unions have their people there, there is no "dictatorship" even if the CNT has the majority.
I am fully aware of this.

[abbielives!]

Originally posted by [email protected] 14, 2007 09:31 pm
the base of the CNT were the local industrial unions. the local industrial unions in a city or county were federated together, thru election of delegates to a local labor council, called the local federation. the local federations in the towns and counties in a region were federated into a regional federation. these regional organizations periodically had plenaries -- meetings of delegates from the local labor councils. these were the decision-making body for the regional organization, and elected the regional committee. for example the dexcision about whether to overthrow the regional government of Catalonia in July 1936 was made by the regional plenary which was a meeting of over 500 labor council delegates.

the local labor council controlled the jurisdiction of the local industrial unions in its area. a local union couldn't just organize whoever they might want. so the Barcelona construction union organized all the construction workers throughout Barcelona, but if a group of cabinetmakers came to them, they'd have to say "Go to the woodworkers union."

the local industrial unions also had "sections" which were either organized by plant, in the manufacturing sector, or by craft in industries such as construction or health care. the "sections" were self-governing parts of a local union. they elected their own shop stewards committee and had their own assemblies. the transport union in Barcelona for example had separate "sections" for the different sectors: streetcars, taxis, motor freight, dockworkers.

the local unions were run thru mass meetings (assemblies) and elected committees (delegates). there were no paid officials of local industrial unions.

most local industrial unions were autonomous within the framework i've described. for example, the "higher committees" had no right to expel anyone. only a local union assembly could do that.

there were national industrial unions in some industries -- railways, the telephone system, the commercial fishing industry. these were called "industrial federations."

the only paid officials were the national secretary, some regional secretaries (as in Catalonia), national secretaries of national industrial unions. The union ran two big daily newspapers, in Madrid and Barcelona, and these had paid staff of writers and printers. policy for these papers was controlled by the regional committees, elected by the regional plenaries.

at a national congress the items for the agenda could only be suggested by the local unions, the national secretary or national committee were not supposed to make proposals. the initiative was supposed to rely with the base.

when Horacio Prieto was national secretary of the CNT in 1936 he hated this because it meant he had to go around to endless meetings to get local unions to agree to his proposals. but the natural tendency for national or regional committees is to start making decisions for the organization so roadblocks were needed, the anarchists believed, to prevent top-down domination of the union.

thanks,
we need more info out their about the desion making methods that anrchists use rather then the usual, well we function democratically rhetoric


ps- have any sugustions about books to read on this subject?