As the Civil War progressed and dissatisfaction increased within Russian mines, factories and workplaces, there was also disagreement within the Bolshevik party itself. In 1920 a faction emerged within the party, calling itself the Workers’ Opposition. Headed by Alexander Shlyapnikov, a noted trade unionist, this group also enjoyed the support of noted female Bolshevik Alexandra Kollontai. The Workers’ Opposition was not the first group or organisation to show dissent to Bolshevik rule, however their existence prompted a split within the party itself. The emergence of the Workers’ Opposition clearly shows that the Bolshevik policies of 1918-20 were failing to meet the needs of Russian workers.

The Workers’ Opposition consisted mainly of unionists and their chief grievance was that the Soviet economy was becoming over-bureaucratised. The party elites and government departments were dominating decision-making and imposing economic control from above. Policies affecting workers, such as setting difficult production targets and imposing factory discipline, were being made by the government rather than by the workers themselves. Members of the Workers’ Opposition, many of who were syndicalists, considered that the workers, through their trade unions, should have a say in the formulation of economic policy. They also objected to party interference and manipulation of the unions, which they argued should be left to operate freely so that they could protect the interests of workers. Another grievance was the placement of party commissars in factories as ‘spies’, to monitor and report on production.

The 10th Party Congress criticised the Workers’ Opposition for factionalism and a lack of revolutionary discipline. The group’s efforts did have an impact, however, with the party agreeing to concessions and improvements, particularly to the living and working conditions of industrial labourers.