First International Syndicalist Congress

First International Syndicalist Congress

A session of the congress
Date	27 September – 2 October 1913 (1913-09-27 – 1913-10-02)
Venue	Holborn Town Hall
Location	London, United Kingdom
Coordinates	51°31′01″N 0°07′22″W / 51.5169°N 0.1227°W / 51.5169; -0.1227
Type	Congress
Participants	National Labour Secretariat Industrial Syndicalist Education League Free Association of German Trade Unions Central Organisation of Swedish Workers Italian Syndicalist Union Argentine Regional Workers' Federation National Confederation of Labour
Outcome	International Syndicalist Information Bureau established; Bulletin international du mouvement syndicaliste begins publication

The First International Syndicalist Congress was a meeting of European and Latin American syndicalist organizations at Holborn Town Hall in London from 27 September to 2 October 1913. Upon a proposal by the Dutch National Labour Secretariat (NAS) and the British Industrial Syndicalist Education League (ISEL), most European syndicalist groups, both trade unions and advocacy groups, agreed to congregate at a meeting in London. The only exception was the biggest syndicalist organization worldwide, the French General Confederation of Labour (CGT). Nevertheless, the congress was held with organizations from twelve countries participating. It was marked by heated debate and constant disagreements over both tactics and principles. Yet, it succeeded in creating the International Syndicalist Information Bureau as a vehicle of exchange and solidarity between the various organizations and the Bulletin international du mouvement syndicaliste as a means of communication. It would be viewed as a success by almost all who participated.