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| GLOBAL WOMEN'S STRIKE DAY | ||
Anarchist Bookfair Report
Thanks to everyone who made the effort to come along to the network's meeting at October's Bookfair. Despite the early start and the fact that I booked the meeting too late to get on the programme (never trust a trade union official to do anything!) around thirty people turned up, some subscribers, many not. The hour was spent discussing the role of anarchists in reformist trade unions - there is a separate article on the issues raised during the discussion in this newsletter. New subscribers joined and lots of material was distributed. We have decided that rather than organise a separate conference next year we will try to develop something within the May Day 2000 event (see below), probably a combination of debate and action. Watch this space for further details.
Ikea give staff takings - but just for one day
Last month furniture retailer Ikea decided to give their 40,000 employees their world wide takings for a day. All the money taken was divided equally amongst the staff, with some receiving as much in a day as they normally earn in a month! One member of staff said that he would now be able to get his wife "a decent Christmas present", another called it "brilliant". Now, of course, Ikea's motives weren't entirely altruistic: they hoped that the incentive would increase sales, but we wonder whether they have really thought this through. Now all of their workers have suddenly realised how much money they could really get if they got a fair share of the company's profits. Maybe now they'll start to think about getting rid of the bosses and shareholders who cream off the bulk of the company's profits altogether!
Sacked for Knocking On A Door!
Nick of Counter Information reports that two Unison stewards in Glasgow City Council have been sacked for chapping (knocking) on a door (see September's newsletter for background story). Twenty seven other members have been given final written warnings despite being given permission to use their own time to show support to Social Work Convenor Roddy Slorach at his disciplinary hearing. Ruling class puppets Unison have blocked any strike action in support despite a successful ballot. Meanwhile Unison have suspended Slorach from his post as Convenor. If only Unison could fight the ruling classes with the enthusiasm they have to attack activists!
n Counter Information: 17 W.Montgomery Place, Edinburgh, EH7 5HA, send a donation.Strikes hit all-time low, but work's still crap
In 1998 there were 166 work stoppages - the lowest number since records began in 1891. Now you might reasonably have expected the boss's union, the CBI, to herald this news, but who was it popping up on TV and the radio but none other than John Monks, head of the TUC (Totally Useless Crap?) Monks claims that the figures show that a "partnership mood" has over taken the workplace. We here at the Anarchist Trade Union Network are, of course, delighted that the class war is over, however we are a little bit worried that the bosses might have won it. Here are some reports about work we lifted out of that well known journal of anarchist propaganda The Guardian last month:
• According to ICM Research "workers are being driven to drink and illness by overwork, tougher targets and deadlines" Almost half of those in work work 12 or more hours a day.
• The Royal College of Psychiatrists report that stress and pressure of work is helping to tip a third of all employees into depression or other forms of mental illness each year,
• The Joseph Rowntree Foundation has found "health, family relationships and the long-term future of the economy are all at risk as staff are forced to work harder and fear that they will pay the price of the constant search to improve competitiveness"
Doesn't sound much like a mood of partnership sweeping Britain's workplaces to us - more like old fashioned exploitation. The workers work longer hours. The bosses get more profits. Tesco workers have found what partnership really means. The partnership deal that was signed there resulted in an end of Sunday premium rates. If this is partnership we reckon it's time to separate and start divorce proceedings!
Partnerships Comes Unstuck In Ireland
The biggest strike ever in the history of the Irish Republic saw 27,000 nurses begin indefinite industrial action in the middle of October. The Partnership 2000 agreement stitched up by unions, employers and the Irish government was set to deliver more wage restraint for Irish workers, despite the economy growing by 7.5% and the government having a large budget surplus. Nursing unions, though, rejected the government's pay offer. One of nursing union's leaders said "we've been too reasonable for too long" The Irish partnership agreement has long been heralded by the British TUC as a model for the UK to follow, but shows what partnership really means - low wages and large profits.
November 30, 'Let Our Resistance Be As Transitional As Capital'
Following the successful J18 Day of Action against Capitalism activists from diverse groups and movements around the world are discussing, networking and organising for an international day of action on November 30, the day on which officials from 150 governments will meet in Seattle for the third conference of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) which will decide on new policies to further escalate the exploitation of the planet and its inhabitants. The People's Global Action and International Workers of the World are planning actions against the WTO around the world. Calls are also going out for autonomous actions and protests in the streets, neighbourhoods, fields, factories, offices, commercial centres and financial centres. Actions could include: street parties, strikes, flyers, street theatre, pickets, occupations, building gardens, speeches........If you have any activist networks locally get in touch and find out what's going on.
n Contact for November 30 seems to be largely by e-mail and web sites: http://go.to/n30 & http://n30.listbot.com (discussion list for updates and news).The second People's Global Action conference took place in Bangalore, India in August. A firm commitment was made to "a strong and powerful day of action and global strike on 1 May 2000.
n Contact: www.agp.org
Global Women's Strike 8 March 2000
A global women's strike is being called for 8 March next year for a millennium which values all women's work and all women's lives. In most industrial countries including Britain women only earn a fraction of what men do. World wide in Africa women grow 80% of food consumed, in Asia many women spend up to five hours every day gathering fire wood. In Latin America 25% of the population have no access to clean drinking water. The campaign is calling for, amongst other things, pay equity, affordable and accessible housing and transportation, wages for caring work, paid maternity leave, breast-feeding and other benefits "that recognise women's biological work rather than penalise us for being women"
n Contact: International Wages for House Work Campaign, Crossroads Women's Centre, PO Box 287, London, NW6 5QU , Tel: 0171 482 2496 email: [email protected].The Black Women's Rape Action Project and Women Against Rape are seeking union support for their campaign against New Labour's racist Asylum Bill. The new Bill will make it harder for all immigrants to enter this country including rape victims. The campaign has worked with women from Cote D'Ivoire, Kenya, Lithuania, Turkey, Uganda and other countries who have been raped, often by police and soldiers in gangs. Many women are too traumatised on arrival in this country to give details of the rape and torture they have suffered. Many of these women's claims have been treated as 'bogus' by the Home Office. A number of national unions are supporting the campaign including ASLEF, MSF and the TGWU, along with a large number of local union branches and other organisations. If your union has not signed up raise it, as a matter of priority, at your next branch meeting.
n Information and support to: Crossroads Women's Centre, 230A Kentish Town Road, London, NW5 2AB, Tel: 0171 482 2496 email: [email protected] The campaign against the deportation of immigrants can be contacted at: National Coalition of Anti-deportation Campaigns, 101 Villa Road, Birmingham, B19 1NH. REVIEWS• Do or Die
8 - The direct action environmental movement, or at least the Earth First! bit of it, seems to be much more open to anarchism as an alternative to capitalism and this is reflected in the latest issue of DoD, the first article of which is called Confronting Capital and Smashing the State! Lots of reports and analysis of June 18 including the ACF's and Northern Anarchist Network's 'visit' to the TUC. There's a long piece about globalisation that makes the important point that capitalism has always been global (for example the slave trade) and a really good piece about pirates! DoD is 344 pages long and about an inch thick but costs just £3.60 (so how come Anarchist Studies is so dear then?!) n Available from: 6 Tilbury Place, Brighton, East Sussex, BN2 2GY. Send them £5 to cover postage.• Black Flag 216 - Blimey BF's gone all posh! New type face and design and an interview with Nick Cohen. Still a good read though, although not much on work place issues this time. More reports and analysis of J18, a piece on racism in Dover and the Southall Black Sisters. One of the good things about BF is their international coverage and this issue has bits on the Bologna squatted anarchist centre, Iraq, the Indonesian Front Anti Facist and the Brazilain Anarchist Uprising of 1918. All this and that Nick Cohen interview for just £1.50 from: Black Flag, BM Hurrican, London, WC1N 3XX .
• Class War - It's a while since I have looked at CW, but their rather good London Bulletin (London Calling) encouraged me to pick up a copy at the Book Fair. Pretty much business as usual it would seem, which is no bad thing it must be said: Page 3 hospitalised cop, an Anti BNP donor card (great idea), a whole page on work place issues (including a plug for the network), more stuff on J18 and lots more for a mere quid.
n Contact: CWF, PO Box 467, London, E8 3QX (you can get London Calling from this address too)Fighting Tube Privatisation - The three unions representing workers on the London Underground (ASLEF, RMT and TSSA) have joined forces to fight the plans to privatise the tube system. They are also working alongside the Campaign Against Tube Privatisation a broader coalition which includes Unison and Reclaim the Streets. Three quarters of Londoners want to see the Underground stay in public ownership
n Contact: Campaign Against Tube Privatisation, Tel: 0181 981 8065 email: [email protected]J18 Legal Defence - Sixty people have now been arrested in connection with J18, two squats have been raided and the cops have published 72 photos on the Internet (www.cityoflondon.gov.uk). If you know anyone whose picture has been published get in touch with them in a safe way (ie., not by 'phone or email). We would like to point out that Schnews' suggestion that people shop their bosses and managers from a public call box is very naughty and should under no circumstances be done! If you have any information that could help defendants or if you can help out with the Legal Defence and Monitoring Group who are pretty stretched and skint at present get in touch (LDMG, BM Haven, London, WC1N 3XX).
n Onofrio Loverso an Italian is doing nine months for violent disorder following J18 and would appreciate letters (especially in Italian)and support. Contact him at: TC3014, HMYOI, Bedfont Road, Feltham, Middlesex, TW13 4ND.Wildcat Strikes!
- Much respect to Scottish postal workers and workers at Ford Dagenhams who both took unofficial action during October. In the case of the Scottish posties their successful action was in defence of a sacked union convenor. Maybe it is a bit too early, then, to consign wildcat strikes to the Museum of Labour History!November 10th International Day of Action Against Shell n 26th International Buy Nothing Day.n On June 2000 the Movement Against the Monarchy is planning a mass public mooning (no really!) outside Buckingham Palace. Contact: MAM PO Box 14672, London, E9 5UQ they need 2,000 bare butts!
• Anarchist Trade Union Network
Unemployed Subscribers Network.Subscriber Mike Smith is keen to set up an unemployed network within
aTUN If you are interested contact Mike at: 91 Manchester Road, Ardenshaw, Manchester, M34 5PZ
A four day festival of anarchist ideas and action is being planned for the weekend around next May Day in London (although there may well be regional events and actions as well). Events include a Bookfair, film festival, footie tournament, speakers, work shops and actions. This promises to be a major event (further details are included in a leaflet distributed with this issue of the newsletter).
aTUN is proposing as part of MayDay 2000 to organise a discussion on anarchism and trade unionism and to organise some form of action. If you have any ideas/suggestions let us know. This will be an excellent opportunity to develop discussion and debate about the future of British trade unionism and to take some positive action.
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TUN subscribers work in a range of occupations: teaching, journalism, on the railways, in the motor industry, for the NHS, for local authorities, for MI5 (well you never know!) Many of you are active in your union as stewards or branch secretaries. We would really like to hear from as many of you as possible about your experiences of work and your union to publish in future issues of the newsletter. Send all contributions to the Derby address or email.How to win friends and influence people
Work can be an invigorating place of contact with like-minded comrades, a place where organisation is made easier by the acute nature of class conflict, the obvious exploitation and oppression between capital and labour - the bullying of workers by managers. It can also be isolating and alienating for the lone anarchist, amongst work mates seemingly accepting of the authoritarian status quo.
To move from isolation to organisation has to be the main goal of trade unionism. For anarchists in the workplace it is essential if our desires are to be anything more than a pipe dream. So how do we go about it in real life?
It depends on your circumstances, of course, but here is one possibility: I think the first thing to say is that it is all right to be a bit sneaky. I mean if you are happy with the notion of a 'by any means necessary' approach to achieving equality and freedom then being economical with the truth is OK. So the best thing to do is to become accepted as the ordinary work colleague that you are. It's not necessary and probably counter-productive to confront everyone on day one with your anarchist label and all out hostility to authority. That can come later. Much better to put principles to one side and take the role of workplace rep' for the union which no-one else wants. From there it is easy to become respected as a good rep who always takes the side of his/her work mates. Once accepted as a trustworthy thorn in management's side, it can and will come out that you are an anarchist/ultra leftist. By this stage the majority of your colleagues will see this as either just a minor eccentricity of your obviously all round good character or alternatively as a sign that you will maintain your uncompromising attitude towards management and therefore as a positive label. The boss will by now already be wary of your ability to slow down his/her arbitrary wielding of power. Once management find out that they've got an anarcho in a tricky to sack union position they'll shit their pants!
So what's the point of all this winning friends and influencing people? Well...it's good fun for a start and has to be better than having no influence in your life. Equally important it's a way of normalising anarchist ideas to a large number of people. In other words if we're just in the business of making grand statements about bringing about a future revolution and removing the forces of oppression we need to get anarchist ideas accepted by large numbers of the oppressed groups who would stand to benefit and therefore actually need to take action. If workers don't already trust us on a personal level what hope have we got of winning them over through propaganda?
*Bill Godwin (thanks to those at the Book fair meeting who all seemed to be well into winning friends and influencing people)
Listed below are all those British anarchist groups and publications which are particularly concerned with workplace issues. If you are not on this list and want to be get in touch!
SolFed
: PO Box 29, South West PDO, Manchester, M15 5HW, email: [email protected], tel (hotline): (44) 1603 611072 n Industrial Workers of the World: Secular Hall, 75 Humberstone Gate, Leicester, LE1 1WB, tel (hotline): (44) 116 266 1835 n Anarchist Federation: 84b Whitechapel High Street, London, E1 7QX, email: [email protected]n Class War Federation: PO Box 467, London E8 3QX, tel(hotline): (44) 1582 750601 n Black Flag magazine: BM Hurrican, London, WC1N 3XXn Organise: PO Box 505, Belfast, BT12 6BQ n Workers' Solidarity Movement: PO Box 1528, Dublin 8 (email: [email protected]) n Earth First! Action Update: (nb-new address): PO Box ITA, Newcastle, NE99 1TAn Schnews: PO Box 2600, Brighton, East Sussex, BN2 2DX n Counter Information: 17 West Montgomery Place, Edinburg, EH7 5HAn Anarchist Information Network (quarterly newsletter for non aligned anarchists): Box EMAB, 88 Abbey Street, Derby, DE22 3SQ n Solidarity: (non anarchist anti partnership mag' price £1.40) from 333 Welcombe Avenue, Park North, Swindon, SN3 2PF .........remember when writing for free newsletters to include a donation to cover costs if you can afford to!a
TUN: Box EMAB (ATU), 88 Abbey Street, Derby, DE22 3SQ e-mail: [email protected]Web Site: http://www.geocities.com/CapitolHill/Parliament/2522/