The Red International of Labour Unions (Russian: Красный интернационал профсоюзов), widely known as the Profintern (Russian: Профинтерн), was an international body established with the aim of co-ordinating Communist activities within trade unions. It was intended to act as a counterweight to the influence of the 'Amsterdam International', the Social Democratic International Federation of Trade Unions (branded as the 'Yellow International' by the Comintern). Its formation was proposed by Grigory Zinoviev at the Congress of the Russian Communist Party (Bolshevik) in March 1920, but the founding conference, attended by national delegations from a large number of countries, did not take place until July 1921. The full-time secretariat of RILU consisted of the Spaniard, Andres Nin, the Russian trade unionist Mikhail Tomsky and General Secretary Solomon A. Lozovsky.

In addition to its Moscow headquarters, RILU established four overseas offices in Berlin (Central European Bureau), Paris, (Latin Bureau), Bulgaria (Balkan Bureau) and the United Kingdom (British Bureau). In Britain, the Bureau worked closely with the National Minority Movement. North American Communist Parties established the Workers' Unity League (Canada) and the Trade Union Unity League (United States)

In May 1927, the Pan Pacific Trade Union Secretariat was established in Shanghai as the Asia and Pacific branch of the RILU. In 1929, the Confederación Sindical Latinoamericana was formed as the Latin American branch of RILU.

The Profintern was dissolved in 1937.

[edit] References

• Profintern at marxists.org
• TUUL pamphlet
• Moscow or Amsterdam? The Red International of Labour Unions, 1920/21-1937

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