The result of the debate at the 10th Congress of the Russian Communist Party was a rejection of the positions put forward by Leon Trotsky, the Workers' Opposition, and the Democratic Centralists.
[1][2] The trade union debate arose in the context of severe economic challenges following the Russian Civil War, particularly the collapse of industry and transportation systems.
During the period of War Communism (1918–1921), the Soviet government had centralized economic control, with the state managing industry and production directly.
Lenin’s approach was more moderate than Trotsky’s and focused on the educational and organizational role of trade unions in the socialist state.
He believed that trade unions should serve as a "school of communism," helping to educate workers in the administration of the economy and preparing them for eventual control of production.
[9] Prominent figures such as Joseph Stalin and Grigory Zinoviev supported Lenin's view, and it was this position that ultimately won out at the 10th Congress of the Russian Communist Party.
This compromise allowed the Party to maintain unity but did not fully resolve the underlying tensions between those advocating for a more democratic form of worker representation and those pushing for tighter state control.