A-Infos (en) Argentina, Organizacion-Obrera #102: 9th CONGRESS OF THE F.O.R.A. (ca, de, it, pt, tr)[machine translation]

In 1923, what will institutionally be the ninth congress of the F.O.R.A. 
since the one convened in April 1915 was unknown by a part of the 
federation continuing the orientation and purpose agreed upon in its 
fifth congress of 1905, supporting the revolutionary organization and 
called from that moment F.O.R.A. Vth Congress. The other F.O.R.A. (IX 
Congress), born in April 1915, was dissolved in 1922 in the midst of an 
internal crisis and through a new attempt to co-opt organizations 
outside its radius of influence, calling for a "new" unity congress of 
which the F.O.R.A. I do not participate.

On Wednesday, March 28, 1923, in the city of Buenos Aires, the 9th 
ordinary congress of the FORA began, originally scheduled to meet from 
March 28 to 31 [1], it was extended until April 3 as a result of the 
length of the meeting. topic to be discussed.

Eight years had passed since what would be the ninth congress in 1915, 
unknown to the 21 worker societies of the anarchist minority [2], when 
they understood that they had fallen into a trap with which and behind a 
unionist discourse the purpose was taken away. from anarchic communism 
to federation, a goal that FORA has raised since its 5th congress as a 
distinctive characteristic worldwide and as opposition to the political 
unionism of the socialists and the neutral unionism of the Marxist 
unionist current, these 21 unions will be the relaunchers of the which 
from that moment on will be known as FORA of the Vth Congress to 
differentiate itself from the one established in 1915 or FORA of the IX 
Congress, dissolved in 1922.

This ninth congress is attended by 126 member unions, 11 Local 
Federations, 4 Regional Federations and 5 Provincial Federations 
represented by 122 delegates. In addition, autonomous organizations, the 
representative committee of railway unions, the anarchist group of 
metalworkers, the newspaper La Protesta and the weekly Nueva Era.

The congress will spend eighteen sessions in consideration of the 
following agenda:

1-Contribution system, whether or not it should follow the stamping 
system and single card.
2-Inter-union relations, The international pass established in the 
single card.
3-Federal Pact, Need to simplify it, Review of all its clauses.
4-Regarding the members of the committees, councils, etc., those who 
hold political office or hinder the propaganda of our purpose may not be 
part of them.
5-Of anarchists who, due to circumstances, are not members of affiliated 
organizations or not, who may be qualified to be members of commissions 
in the organization.
6-Federal label and "communist" addition, delete the communist addition 
from the FORA label
7-Committees for Prisoners, that the committees be formed on the basis 
of the Federative organization.
8-The FOLB must belong to the Buenos Aires Provincial.
9-Appearance of the regional Workers' Organization body.
10-FO Regional Port, whether or not to maintain the exception with this 
ex officio regional entity.
11-Organization System, Whether the industrial system is appropriate or not.
12-Committees for relations between unions belonging to the same Branch 
or Industry, their adoption must be established or it is left to the 
circumstances and organizations for the same fight.
13-Factory Councils, Proposal of the Provincial Sanjuanina
14-Job exchanges
15-Boycotts, review of existing ones and means to be used in their 
application.
16-Sabotage, True use of this weapon is made or its application has 
degenerated.
17-Campaign for the abolition of night work, agreements of the second 
congress.
18-Prisoners for social issues, the most practical way to carry out 
intense agitation for their effective release.
19-Rationalist schools, member organizations must strive to create them 
under their auspices.
20-Agrarian Problem
21-Railway Problem, The formation of railway unions.
22-Proletarian Dictatorship, absolutely rejected as a temporary or 
definitive means.
23-Kronstadt Uprising, that March 7 be declared a day of protest and 
demand in memory of the revolutionaries murdered by the Russian Bolsheviks.
24-World Congress of Revolutionary Unions, Report.
25-South American Tour and Congress
26-Creation of the American International Continental.
27-Various Matters.
28-Closing of Congress.

At 9:15 p.m. the 9th Ordinary Regional Congress of the FORA opens. The 
secretary reads the The organizations present and invites the 
congressmen to appoint the credential review commission for this 
purpose. The following are designated: Panaderos de La Plata, Local 
Federation of La Plata, Regional of Tres Arroyos, Provincial of Buenos 
Aires and Provincial of San Juanina.

Once the report of the review commission is finished, the motions are 
voted on with respect to the vote of the delegations, by majority the 
following temperament proposed by the Buenos Aires Local is approved: 
"That the delegates have as many votes as they have representations" [3]

Regarding the first item on the agenda "Contribution system", the debate 
extends for three sessions, with the majority opinion of continuing with 
the stamp system and not with the single card (Both approved in the 
Extraordinary Congress). Regarding continuing with the federal stamp 
system and the "Pro Prisoners stamp," the motion was approved by 71 
votes in favor, 36 against, 8 abstentions and 2 absent. Regarding the 
continuation of the Single Card and after a long debate, the following 
motion is approved: "the single card system is abolished" [4]

The 2nd point is resolved without further debate as follows: "That the 
pass is left to the way in which the organizations want to issue it" 
[5]. In the third point "Federal Pact", also almost without debate, a 
motion from the Buenos Aires Provincial Federation is approved: "The IX 
Ordinary Congress of the FORA reaffirms the declaration approved in its 
fourth Congress, except that which refers to the Trade Federations. As 
an addition to this declaration of principles, the congress reaffirms 
the recommendation of anarchic communism approved in the fifth congress."

In point 4 "About the components of the commissions, councils, etc." 
This problem is long debated. After a roll call vote, it is resolved to 
continue as before, not giving intervention in the relationship bodies 
of the entity "to any element of notorious political action." During the 
eighth session on the 31st in the afternoon, the congress was 
interrupted to read a note from the Local Federation of Salta along with 
a manifesto from the Local Jujeña which recounted events that occurred 
in Jujuy that caused the declaration of a general strike in that town, 
regarding To the events, a debate is opened in which almost all of the 
congressmen participate where it is resolved to empower the Federal 
Council to express the protest and repudiation of the entire proletariat 
attached to the FORA in the face of the vandalism of which it has been 
the proletariat of the region is the victim, especially in Jujuy, 
Rosario and Punta Alta.

We return to point 5 of the agenda and approve the following motion that 
summarizes all those presented to the table "That the anarchist comrades 
who are outside the FORA have the right to join its responsible bodies", 
this controversial agreement will bring internal problems, which we can 
deal with in another text. Points 6 and 7 of the agenda are summarized 
in two motions, both in the sense of removing the "communist" addition 
used since 1920, with the following being approved: "The communist 
addition is abolished, as well as the attributes that the seal of the 
FORA, leaving for the future with the following legend: Argentine 
Regional Workers Federation." [6]and on the issue of the Pro-Prisoners 
Committee, adopt the resolution of the Provincial of Buenos Aires. Point 
8, very summarized in the minutes, has been pending since the provincial 
congress and it is only transcribed that it is agreed that the 
Bonaerense Local does not belong to the Bonaerense Provincial Federation.

The ninth point "The Workers' Organization", The congress resolves that 
this publication "be published as frequently as possible and distributed 
free of charge among the workers." For this purpose to be viable, it 
recommends "member organizations to cooperate with a voluntary fee" [7]. 
In the tenth point on the "Port" it is decided: "The concession agreed 
upon in the extraordinary congress of the FORA regarding the existence 
of the FOR Port and annexes is abolished, moving the sections to 
integrate the local, regional and provincial ones, to understand that do 
not fit within the FORA Regional Trade Federations" [8]. On the 
"Organization System" point, when discussing the implementation of union 
organization by industrial branch, this organization system is rejected, 
maintaining the organization by trade. In the 15th session (April 2 at 
night) a motion is approved not to discuss points 12, 13 and 14, moving 
on to point 15 "Boycotts" agreeing:

"The IX ordinary regional congress of the FORA resolves to apply at the 
regional level the boycott of the products of the Bieckert brewery." 
"Agrarian problem. With regard to the tenant settlers, the FORA limits 
itself to carrying out purely ideological and non-unionist propaganda 
among them." [9]

It is resolved to ignore the point "Sabotage" as it is an issue that is 
subject to the circumstances, in point 17 it is approved to reaffirm the 
agreement on the theme of the second FORA congress.

The rest of the agenda is resolved like this:

"Railway organization. The congress considers that the railway 
organization is currently in gestation and that the ex officio federal 
organizational norms that the delegate of the already constituted unions 
defends before this congress do not constitute any problem of urgent 
solution. Consequently, he agrees that the unions already constituted 
and those to be constituted must be formed in the respective local, 
regional and provincial unions, and once the organization is completed, 
they must discuss the issue of Federation ex officio with the FORA.

proletarian dictatorship. That the so-called dictatorship of the 
proletariat, or any kind of dictatorship that was attempted to be 
established in the revolutionary period, be absolutely rejected, as a 
transitory or definitive means.

International relations. That the Federal Council pass the international 
issue ad referendum of the unions, so that they are the ones to resolve 
the matter. That once the referendum is pronounced, the Federal Council 
convenes a meeting of regional delegates, at which meeting the position 
of the FORA before the International Workers' Association will be 
definitively resolved on the basis of the referendum.

South American Congress. "The Federal Council is given broad powers to 
study the best way to carry out the South American tour and congress, 
undertaking the necessary work as soon as a favorable circumstance 
arises." [10]

Arriving at the 18th session on the night of April 3, "miscellaneous 
matters" are discussed as the last item on the agenda. The secretary of 
the outgoing Council proposes to deal first with the appointment of the 
new federal council.

"A delegate proposes that the colleagues who will make up the council be 
appointed at the congress. Ladrilleros de Junín says that the congress 
must name the federative bodies that should make up the congress. Each 
of these federative bodies will then name the partner who will represent 
them in the congress. This practice avoids what happened when the last 
chameleons infiltrated the FORA, who, when asked to resign, claimed that 
they had been reaffirmed in the extraordinary congress and that only a 
congress would have the authority to make them resign. On the other 
hand, in the way I propose, each federative body may disavow its 
representative in Congress when it deems appropriate" [11]This 
proposition is voted on and approved. The local Federation of Resistance 
(Chaco) proposes that there be 15 members of the council. "The congress 
resolves that the council has nine members and that seven substitutes be 
appointed" [12]

"The new federal council is designated, which will be made up, as 
holders, of the delegates of the local federations of La Plata, Rosario, 
Avellaneda, Mendoza, Santa Fe, Bonaerense, Córdoba, Resistencia and Tres 
Arroyos; and as substitutes, those of the federations, also local, of 
Jujuy, Tucumán, Salta, Villa María, Necochea and Lomas de Zamora." [13]

"It is 24 hours when, in the midst of cheers for anarchy and FORA, the 
sessions of the IX ordinary regional congress of the same are closed" [14]

[1] Agenda - IX Ordinary Congress of the Communist FORA. La Protesta 
Newspaper, Tuesday, February 20, 1923 - Pages 2 and 3. Note: In most 
studies on the subject, the congress is mistakenly dated between 03/31 
and 04/06, an error that probably comes from the summary edition of 
agreements included in the Workers' Organization Extraordinary Edition 
of 05/01/ 1924
[2] "The attitude of the dissident minority was reaffirmed in the 
assembly of May 2, 1915 at the Car Drivers of Buenos Aires premises. 21 
associations dissatisfied with the ninth congress attended that 
assembly; are the following: Capital: Car Drivers, Carpenters, 
Electricians, Tobacco Makers, Bakers (various sections), Foundries and 
Annexes, Port Workers, Espadrilles, Graffiti Artists and Annexes, Centro 
Obrero del Este. For information purposes: Graphic Arts Federation, 
Union Chamber of Cooks and Pastry Chefs, Various Trades of Berazategui, 
Footwear Workers of Rosario, Railway Section of San Cristóbal, Various 
Trades of Santa Fe, Entre Ríos Workers' Federation. At that meeting it 
was resolved to ignore the ninth FORA congress; continue to maintain the 
declaration of the fifth congress, constitute the Federal Council and 
add to the name of the FORA the date of its foundation, that is, 1901." 
The FORA, Ideology and Trajectory- Diego Abad de Santillán. Page 254 - 
Nervio Editions - Buenos Aires 1933
[3] FORA Comunista, IXth Ordinary Regional Congress - Diario La Protesta 
- From nº 4362 of March 30, 1923 to nº4368 of April 6, 1923
[4] Note - This agreement to suppress the single card as well as another 
on the incorporation into the relations bodies of "anarchists" not 
affiliated with any FORA organization will bring serious inconveniences 
to the progress of the organization and just a year later they will be 
suppressed at the Regional Conference of September 1924
[5] Note - With the reinstatement of the single card, the international 
pass for other organizations will be added to the last page.
[6] La FORA, Ideology and Trajectory - Diego Abad de Santillán. Page 282 
- Nervio Editions - Buenos Aires 1933
[7] The Argentine Trade Union Movement T.2 -Sebastián Marotta. Page 122 
- Lacio Editions - Buenos Aires 1961
[8] La FORA, Ideology and Trajectory - Diego Abad de Santillán. Page 282 
- Nervio Editions - Buenos Aires 1933
[9] ditto
[10] La FORA, Ideology and Trajectory - Diego Abad de Santillán. Page 
284 - Nervio Editions - Buenos Aires 1933
[11] FORA Comunista, IXth Ordinary Regional Congress - Diario La 
Protesta - From nº 4362 of March 30, 1923 to nº4368 of April 6, 1923
[12] Idem.
[13] The Argentine Trade Union Movement T.2 -Sebastián Marotta. Page 123 
- Lacio Editions - Buenos Aires 1961
[14] FORA Comunista, IXth Ordinary Regional Congress - Diario La 
Protesta - From nº 4362 of March 30, 1923 to nº4368 of April 6, 1923

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