Page 98 - SELECTED WORKS OF LIU SHAOQI Volume Ⅱ

96 LIU SHAOQI

them the principal contradictions play a decisive role, while the rest
occupy secondary and subordinate positions. Therefore, when deal-
ing with any problem, people should not consider their position vis-
à-vis the given contradiction alone, but should, above all, consider
their position vis-à-vis the principal contradiction that plays the de-
cisive role, then proceed from the latter position to formulate the
basic policies to solve the problem and, from the former position, to
decide on specific measures and approaches. In handling any pro-
blem, therefore, people should simultaneously take into consideration
many other relevant problems and their positions regarding these
problems and determine which is principal.
Another basic problem should be clarified in trade union work,
that is, the different views taken by the Communist Party — the van-
guard of the working class — and by the workers with regard to the
trade unions.
We often say that trade unions serve as a bridge, linking the Party
with the workers, that they are a Communist school for the workers
and one of the chief pillars of society supporting the people’s govern-
ment, and that they play a major role in economic development and
in reinforcing the leadership of the working class in the state appara-
tus. All these views are correct. Also they explain why we attach
great importance to trade union work and help the workers organize
trade unions. Communist Party members involved in trade union
work should never stray from these basic tenets; otherwise they will
make mistakes.
However, it should be understood that these views belong only
to the vanguard; they are the demands they make on the trade unions
and the goals they expect to achieve. Only the Communists and poli-
tically awakened people can appreciate these demands and goals, not
the ordinary workers, particularly those who are backward, and on
no account can we require them to do so. The trade unions are not
organizations of the workers’ vanguard. They cannot represent the
worker masses and play the important political roles we mentioned
above until they build themselves into organizations composed of
advanced, ordinary and even backward workers. Without the parti-
cipation and enthusiasm of the masses the trade unions will fail to
perform their basic function.
What are the points of departure and the aims of ordinary and,
especially, politically backward workers in joining the trade unions and
becoming actively involved in all sorts of union work? They are not