Union of Russian Social-Democrats Abroad was an organization of emigrant Russian socialists, set up in Geneva in 1894 on the initiative of the Emancipation of Labour group. It had its own printing press for issuing revolutionary literature, and published the journal Rabotnik (Worker). Initially, the Emancipation of Labour group directed the Union and edited its publications. But afterwards opportunist elements ('the young' or Economists) gained the upper hand within the Union. At the first congress of the Union in November 1898, the Emancipation of Labour group announced that it would no longer edit the publications of the Union. The final break and the withdrawal of the group from the Union took place at the second congress of the Union in April 1900; the Emancipation of Labour group and its followers walked out of the congress and set up an independent organisation, Sotsial-Demokrat.
From April 1899 to February 1902 the Union published Rabocheye Dyelo (Workers' Cause) in Geneva. It was edited by B. N. Krichevsky, A. S. Martynov, P.F. Teplov and V. P. Ivanshin.