PROCLAMATION TO PRINTING WORKERS

singing of workers. Back in February, they tried through a strike to improve
their situation. The attempt was unsuccessful due to lack of
organization. They had to start work almost on the same terms
conditions, but they could not reconcile themselves to a semi-starved life, bad
working conditions, with humiliations. And their patience came to an end.
Comrades, the printing workers have declared a strike in defense of the rights of a dismissed
comrade. The February failure did not break their energy and taught them a lot. They realized that in the struggle with entrepreneurs, workers will
win only when they act together and in an organized manner.
vanized, and they boldly came out to fight again.
But in this struggle they are waiting for your support, since the interests of the
striking workers are your interests. And just as an individual worker
is unable to stand up for himself, so the workers of an individual enterprise
can be easily crushed by the owner, who will be helped in his struggle with the workers
other capitalists.
Join the strike.
Make the same demands that your comrades made in the provincial printing house, namely:
The following requirements were presented:
1) insurance of workers in case of disability at
expense of the printing house,
2) Raising the salaries of students,
3) Mandatory bi-monthly vacations with retention of salary,
4) Arbitration court to resolve misunderstandings, composed
equally of representatives of workers and entrepreneurs.
Demand further an 8-hour working day where it does not yet exist. Demand
the abolition of overtime work, increase wages and improve working conditions.
Strike, comrades, is a powerful means of fighting capitalists.
But we can only use it to the fullest extent when Russia
will have political freedom. When we can organize ourselves
into unions, freely assemble, freely speak and discuss our
needs in newspapers and leaflets, and when the inviolability of the person and
dwelling will be provided. But until the tsarist autocracy with its officials, police and gendarmes exists, such political freedom is impossible. Our immediate task, therefore, is to
destroy the tsarist autocracy and replace it with POPULAR
GOVERNMENT — A DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC. Only then can we take rapid steps towards our ultimate goal —
a radical change in our situation, to a SOCIALIST
SYSTEM.
Long live the strike. Long live the DEMOCRATIC
REPUBLIC.
Long live SOCIALISM.
August 1905