Authentic syndicalism is based on two essential pillars: self-denial and altruism. These two notions express the very essence of trade union involvement, which is neither a personal springboard nor a space of comfort, but rather a place of effort, self-giving and collective responsibility. Abnegation: the renunciation of oneself in the service of the collective. Syndicalism implies a constant sacrifice: that of one’s time, one’s energy, sometimes even one’s career or one’s personal tranquillity. The syndicalist, by committing himself, accepts to expose himself to pressures, to marginalizations, even to reprisals, to defend the rights of others. It is this voluntary renunciation of certain privileges or personal ambitions which is the basis of self-denial. To be a syndicalist is often to put aside one’s hierarchical progression in order not to compromise one’s integrity. It is to accept the late meetings, the legal battles, the endless negotiations, without other gratification than the moral satisfaction of having defended a just cause. Abnegation is therefore a reversal of the individualist logic: it presupposes a profound disinterestedness in a world where each is expected to ” succeed for himself “. L’altruisme: l’autre as the purpose of commitment.
Syndicalism: Between Abnegation and Altruism
