Direct Action www.direct-action.org.uk Summer 2009

Direct Action is published by the Aims of the Solidarity Federation, the British section of the International Workers he Solidarity Federation is an organi- isation in all spheres of life that conscious- Association (IWA). Tsation of workers which seeks to ly parallel those of the society we wish to destroy capitalism and the state. create; that is, organisation based on DA is edited & laid out by the DA Col- Capitalism because it exploits, oppresses mutual aid, voluntary cooperation, direct lective & printed by Clydeside Press and kills people, and wrecks the environ- democracy, and opposed to domination ([email protected]). ment for profit worldwide. The state and exploitation in all forms. 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20-22 No Platform for Fascism - the BNP, despite “ordinary people” in this issue voting for it, is a fascist party 4-5 editorial: Why Anarcho- and must continue to be Remains Relevant Today confronted as such 6-7 A Contradiction at the Heart 22-23 have your say: & Crime of Chaos - regulation of global Crime / the Miami Five financial markets to solve boom Left Luggage and bust is a non-starter English National Resistance 8-9 Occupy and Defy - the Visteon workers’ 24 A Rebellious Tradition - is there cause struggle and their union for optimism amid greed, corruption & inequality? 10-11 Lewisham Occupation - a community 25-26 international: the CNT vs. Ryanair fighting to save its primary school for the Amazon 11 Fujitsu Attack on Pensions Killing for Profit 12-15 Dirty Deeds Done Dirt 26-29 reviews: Paul Mason - Live Work- Cheap - immigrant cleaners’: ing or Die Fighting and Meltdown the “hard-to-organise” - A Grand Cause; are self-organising The Federación Anarquista Uruguaya 16 Breaking Isolation - domestic abuse and and & the MIL workplace support 30-33 closer look: Seeing 17 The Big Green Con - seeing through the Sense in the Age of sham of “green” capitalism Stupid - alienation, power and the case for social 18-19 our history: The Great transformation Dock Strike of 1889 - for the anarchist movement, a significant event 34-35 DA resources: that turned abstract talk into what ulti- Solidarity Federation booklets, contacts, mately became anarcho-syndicalism information and friends & neighbours Anarcho-Syndicalism Anarchism is revolutionary anti- Anarcho-Syndicalism: As syndi- colours are symbols of the basic princi- state . Anarchists aim for the calism is a tactic which can be used by ples and goals of anarcho-syndicalism destruction of ruling class power and a number of revolutionary movements, - red is for material and social equality of all relationships based on domina- we advocate its explicit linkage with and the black of the anarchist flag is tion and exploitation. This means tak- the creation of a stateless, anarchist for freedom and solidarity. To that ing over our workplaces and commu- society: anarcho-syndicalism. The extent the colours of the anarcho-syn- nities and changing them to meet the International Workers’ Association dicalist flag are a constant reminder needs of all, as well as the ecological unites anarcho-syndicalists around the both of the libertarian methods by needs of the environment. Without world, and the Solidarity Federation is which the anarcho-syndicalist fights this takeover, we can struggle within the British section of the IWA. and of the goal of freedom from gov- capitalism but never replace it. Revolutionary unions, federated inside ernment and that she or An anarchist society will be created by and outside the workplace, are the best he fights for. millions of people, not by a dictatorial method of defending working-class The red and black flag of anarcho-syn- elite, and everyone will have their part interests today and for preparing and dicalism is used by many anarchists to play in shaping it. Power will lie delivering the new society of tomor- around the world in place of their with the organisations created by row. In these organisations, power “national” flags. The use of the flag is working people to defend themselves remains at the base and flows a statement against nationalism, which and to transform society, not with upwards. Members elect delegates is the lie that enslaves and victimises political parties which will try to dom- rather than representatives, and these the majority of a people to a minority inate and destroy them. can be recalled at any time. All deci- of exploiters and oppressors in any Syndicalism comes from the sions are made by the mass member- given country. By the same token, the French word for trade unionism and is ship of the unions. use of the red and black flag is a state- a theory which seeks to unite workers The Red and Black Flag is the ment in favour of internationalism, in different industries and sectors to primary symbol of the international and of the unity and solidarity of all fight for their interests. libertarian . Its humanity. 3 Direct Action www.direct-action.org.uk Direct Action www.solfed.org.uk Summer 2009 editorial Summer 2009 editorial Why Anarcho-Syndicalism Remains Relevant Today

PART FROM THE OBVIOUS RECURRENT GLOBAL ECO- rife, despite all the politically cor- lasting and substantial social pages 12-15) and the actioins of an emerging fight back against the nomic crises, we live in a world where some rect rhetoric about “equality”. reconstruction. This requires grass- London Underground workers over state and capitalism. They come at roots organisation, constructive recent months and years (covered a time where there is a groundswell 30,000 children continue to die every day, not To address all these problems, we because of a lack of resources, but because action and ; in Beyond the Usual Union of opinion emerging that not only A need a completely different world means by which we can fashion a Structures in DA46). rejects capitalism, but also sees of a flawed set of economic priorities that places the system, one based on mutual aid new world in the here and now. You political corruption and intransi- profits of the rich above all others. As capitalism has and co-operation. We need to dis- cannot change the world by throw- Nor is it just in the workplace that gence as the inevitable by-product gone global, the majority of the population suffer pense with power structures and ing stones. resistance is being organised. of constituted power. From this growing absolute or relative poverty, increasingly markets once and for all. Crucially, Schools threatened with closure in consciousness, we believe that a repressive governments, financial uncertainty, and we also need to challenge the ide- And there are signs that grass roots both and Lewisham have mass global movement can coalesce social divisions. As transnational corporations grow ologies that erect false barriers and organisation is beginning to been occupied by parents and com- into an irresistible force for social divide us like religion, patriarchy emerge. The workers at Visteon did munity activists. In Glasgow, the change. Rank and file unions and ever more powerful, workers across the world face and nationalism. But revolutionary not wait around for ballots and Labour controlled council’s deci- horizontally organised communi- sub-contracting, migration, “race to the bottom” pay change can only occur through the legal niceties; they took control of sion to close 22 schools and nurs- ties of resistance can form the policies and non-contract labour in their quest to conscious will of the majority. A their own dispute by occupying the earn a living. three factories involved. Just as encouraging, support groups were In Britain, the added uncertainty of quickly established helping to unemployment, pension devalua- ensure that the Visteon workers tion and the spectre of home repos- were not left isolated. session have been thrown into the mix. Amidst a burgeoning financial Again at Lindsey oil refinery in crisis, millions in taxpayers’ money Lincolnshire workers didn’t bother has been funnelled into propping waiting for the trade union bureau- up a failing financial system and cracy and long drawn out legal into funding greedy bankers’ osten- processes. If they had the dispute tatious salaries. As government would have been lost. Instead, when borrowing goes through the roof, 51 people were effectively sacked, the remaining public services face the 600 workers took immediate being sold off, partially or com- action and walked out on strike. pletely, or being ruthlessly cut back They were soon joined by up to over the coming months and years. 4,000 contract workers at power sta- Save Our Schools - Glasgow: protest march to the Scottish Parliament tions and oil and gas terminals up Aside from, but linked to the floun- and down the country who walked eries was met with fierce resistance building blocks capable of chang- dering economy, the world is facing out in sympathy. This mass show of by local communities leading to a ing the world without taking power. a severe environmental crisis, esca- burning dismissal notices at the Lindsey Oil Refinery solidarity soon had the employers, number of schools being occupied. Workers’ self-management, the lating militarism and conflict the oil giant Total, backing down. As we go to press the St Gregory’s assuming of economic and political between imperialist powers over reformism and nationalisation have transitional approach, breaking and Wynford primary schools cam- control of the means of life, is a declining resources like oil. Large all failed miserably in their bid to down barriers to build confidence Other instances of workers organ- paign reoccupied Wynford primary prerequisite to creating the class- scale power abuses by corrupt implement anything vaguely repre- by winning gains in the here and ising beyond the official union school in protest at the closure less libertarian socialist society we politicians, thuggish police and pae- senting socialism. The unions, born now, is also needed. This is only the structures include immigrant attempts. Already they have been desire. dophile priests are exposed in the out of past working class struggle, first step on the journey to more cleaners in London (covered on successful in blocking attempts by public domain. As public disillu- have morphed the City council Anarcho-syndicalism recognises sion grows, increasingly draconian into overbearing to demolish the that the major crises we face are anti-terror laws and population sur- corporate struc- Bristol Manchester Anarchist Bookfair school. (The situ- caused by capitalism and the archa- veillance methods are rubber tures of more ation in ic, outmoded structures and beliefs th stamped – measures used to target value to the boss- Saturday 12th September Saturday 26 September Lewisham is cov- that prop it up. We seek to destroy and marginalise minority groups es than workers. ered on page 10.) all power structures and ideologies and dissuade populations from Politicians of all 10:30am to 6:00pm 11:00am to 5:00pm that divide us. Anarcho-syndical- fighting back. These are the persuasions offer These examples ism offers a practical means of inevitable symptoms of a system only false solu- The Island, Bridewell St, Jabez Clegg, 2 Portsmouth of working class enacting the wholesale social that always puts profit and power tions and more of people using changes needed to build an ecologi- before people. the same. Bristol, BS1 2PY. Street, Manchester, M13 9GB direct action as a cally sustainable global communi- Institutionalised means of self- ty; a community founded on the And what of popular resistance? sexism and www.bristolanarchistbookfair.org www.bookfair.org.uk organisation are most positive aspects of human sol- The old left, social democratic racism still run welcome signs of idarity, freedom and equality. 4 5 Direct Action www.direct-action.org.uk Direct Action www.solfed.org.uk Summer 2009 Summer 2009 A Contradiction at the Heart of Chaos regulation of global financial markets to solve boom and bust is a non-starter

T APPEARS THE WORLD’S GOVERNMENTS HAVE STOPPED CAPI- all, you can’t bet on fluctuations in ever done about it. As mentioned, What will happen, then? There’s still or, for that matter, in getting worker talism going into total meltdown. But even if it recov- currency prices if those prices are this trade insures companies a chance the current measures to res- directors on to the boards of nation- ers the cost of saving it will be massive and we, the fixed. Currency trading increased against future risk, otherwise they cue national financial systems will alised banks, as some on the left I dramatically leading to today’s situa- couldn’t operate. So how do you reg- fail and the world will slide into a advocate. Such approaches won’t working class, will pay for years to come through job loss- tion with vast sums of money con- ulate against speculators without long, deep depression. However, what work. The instability stems from es, cuts in pay and reductions in public services. Nor is stantly moving between currencies damaging companies’ ability to seems more likely is that the massive the contradiction between the inter- that our only worry. There is every likelihood capitalism chasing ever higher returns. trade? You can’t. The real solution injection of public funds will slowly ests of capitalism as a global system will nose dive back into recession at some future point. would be to regulate the risk out of pull the global economy out of reces- and the interests of nation states. The collaose of Bretton Woods had the system. For example, a fixed sion. This will be followed by a pro- This could only be overcome if The current crisis is portrayed as the This contradiction isn’t new though. other effects. Companies trading exchange rate system would mean longed period of public spending nation states were to disappear – fault of greedy bankers, just as the It’s one reason why capitalism is so internationally had to operate with there’s no need for companies to cuts as the money borrowed is paid don’t hold your breath on that one. “dot com crisis” was portrayed as the unstable and why there’s never been currency fluctuations which could trade in financial derivatives. back. However, as public spending is fault of greedy investors. However, sustainable international financial wipe out profits. Desperately they scaled back, the pressure will be on We also have to recognise that the the failure is a symptom of a deeper management. Indeed, one of the most turned to derivatives as a means to There’s another obstacle to any to boost private consumption to fill period of social democratic consen- problem in a system that has become stable periods of capitalism, the post “hedge” against future currency meaningful regulation – the rise of the gap. At this point all talk of regu- sus, based on the idea of full more volatile and prone to crisis in world war two boom, only came fluctuations. In effect, they could China. The Chinese state exploits lation will increasingly be seen for employment and economic stability, the last 30 years. If trade safe in the knowledge that its workers to produce vast amounts what it is – just talk. In the absence of has gone. Capitalism, due to its the problem can’t they were insured against profits of cheap exports. It then lends huge meaningful regulation it’s many contradictions, is returning be fixed, it is only a being eaten up by future currency sums of money to the west, particu- likely that the credit tap to type – a system prone to boom matter of time be- movements. The problem with larly to the USA and Britain, to buy will be opened again to and bust with all of the conse- fore another crisis. derivatives was that they allowed these goods. Cheap Chinese imports fund consumer spending, quences that this holds for the All governments speculators to bet on future curren- have helped hold down inflation in in turn fuelling debt, in working class. In the short term seem aware of this cy fluctuations. Soon the money the west, which in turn has kept turn leading to a specula- we have to fight for every job and seem to accept made from currency futures led to interest rates low. On top of this, tive bubble and in the and against every threat the world economy new forms of derivatives. The these low interest rates coupled long run ending in to cut pay and public cannot continue launch in 1973 of a formula allowing with the loans from China have kept the tears of another services. This day to staggering from speculators to bet on the future the price of credit down. And it was financial crisis. day struggle has to one debt induced prices of assets was followed in 1975 the availability of this cheap credit be linked to the idea crisis to the next. by trading in interest rate futures. that caused the speculative bubble What can we do as of defeating capital- There’s also broad Under Bretton Woods trade in deriv- that brought on the current crisis. workers? Well, ism and replacing consensus that the atives was almost non-existent; by we need to for- it with a system markets cannot be 2006 the global trade had reached a Logic dictates that measures be get about plac- based on workers’ left to their own staggering $700 trillion per year. taken to prevent this happening ing our faith in control and human devices and that again. But it is in the national inter- regulation, in liberation. the solution is So the collapse of Bretton Woods led ests of both China and the USA that politicians greater regulation. to today’s casino culture, a culture business as usual is restored as about partly because the dominance that dominates world financial mar- soon as possible. So they will both But here lie the problems. Capital- of the USA allowed it to impose glob- kets, but one that is only a symptom resist any international regulation ism is a global system, so avoiding al financial regulation. A system of of capitalism’s slack international that limits the flow of global credit. instability requires proper interna- fixed exchange rates, the Bretton regulation. Yet, when they talk of tional financial management and a Woods system, made the US dollar a more regulation, politicians confine More regulation, then, is not the easy common currency. However, the de facto global currency. All world themselves only to dealing with the solution it seems. Tough regulation world’s nation states are anxious to trade was denoted in dollars, so each system rather than with the cause. of global financial markets would protect their own interests which country had to buy dollars in order to This is precisely because they know mean countries putting aside nation- often run counter to those of global trade. As US economic power waned that any attempt to set up a common al interests for the greater good of capitalism. Britain is a good exam- it became harder to defend the price international regulatory system the world economy. And that’s not ple; its economy is heavily dependent of the dollar. In 1973 it was floated on would soon fall foul of the compet- about to happen. The only possibility on the financial sector, itself heavily the international money markets and ing needs of national governments. would be for a country to achieve the dependent on deregulated interna- Bretton Woods collapsed. economic and military power to tional financial markets. So the UK Attempts to regulate the derivatives impose it, as the USA did after world government, acting in the interests The roots of the current crisis lie in trade proves the point. Just about war two. But even this would only be of the financial sector, will resist any this collapse as it opened the way for everyone agrees that the way they temporary and, in any case, is meaningful international regulation. greater currency speculation. After are traded is crazy, yet nothing is unlikely in the foreseeable future. 6 7 Direct Action www.direct-action.org.uk Direct Action www.solfed.org.uk Summer 2009 Summer 2009 Occupy and Defy the Visteon workers’ struggle & their union

VER THE SPRING, HUNDREDS OF WORKERS AT THREE service for Ford and then Visteon, workers and most supplies were car parts manufacturing plants across the UK workers were offered a miserly funded from the pockets of support- were made redundant. In response, workers cash payment equivalent to 16 ers or workers’ families, not from occupied the plants and, in doing so, demon- weeks’ pay. The workers rejected Unite!, let alone the wealthy union O the insulting offer and continued leaders. Funds for the Enfield work- strated that any protection we might have from the their dispute, with Enfield workers ers were donated first through the ravages of this recession will come not from the gen- barricading the main gate with bank account of Haringey Solidari- erosity of employers, politicians or trade union bosses heavy car parts containers. ty Group, a local libertarian com- but from the action we take as rank and file workers. munity organising group, and then Eventually, the workers’ resolve through an independent account. In June 2000, Ford Motor Company Enfield occupation lasted nine days forced Ford to cave in and come to This was due to Unite!’s inaction in outsourced production of some of while the Belfast workers held on the table, a table they had initially raising funds for the struggle at its car parts to Visteon, an appar- for over a month. claimed had nothing to do with Enfield, which was also followed by document of the settlement nor its of anti-worker laws and griev- ently independent company, but in them. After workers agreed to call complaints that the few donations time enough to consider the deal ance procedures meaning they have reality one in which Ford retained Using dubious legal advice, Unite! off a 30-strong picket at Ford’s that did go through the union’s and discuss what it meant for dif- to distance themselves from any a 60% holding. The relatively encouraged Enfield workers to drop Bridgend plant in Wales, Ford man- bureaucratic channels were taking ferent groups of workers. The militant action by their members. smooth changeover was negotiated their occupation to allow the union aged to put together a new, much too long in getting to the pickets. result was that some sections of the Ultimately, there comes a point in on the promise that the ex-Ford – to begin negotiations. Talks took improved deal, which the workers workforce got a significantly worse all struggles where we find our- now Visteon – workers would place in New York City on April 8th, voted to accept. Unite! also failed to mention the deal than others. Rushing through selves fighting our union in order remain on Ford terms and condi- and it was announced that an strike on their website or make any acceptance was deliberate on the to effectively fight our employer. tions, including pensions and improved deal was to be offered. good old-fashioned trade effort to rally its membership’s sup- union’s part, as was the arrange- redundancy packages. However, details of the deal were unionism… port for the dispute. When com- ment whereby the more militant not the way we usually do not passed on to the workers them- pared with the efforts it made to Belfast workers voted on whether to things… Flash forward almost nine years to selves. Realising they could not just As the dispute wore on, the Visteon mobilise members for the subdued accept after their counterparts in March 31st 2009 and Visteon an- hand the plant back and hope for workers’ disillusionment with the and non-confrontational “Put Enfield and Basil-don. Many in The only way to resolve this prob- nounce the closure of factories in the best, the Visteon workers began union intensified as it became People First” demonstration, the Belfast felt they should have been lem is for the rank and file to take Belfast, Basildon (Essex) and holding 24 hour pickets outside the increasingly obvious that the Unite! union’s priorities seem glaringly allowed more time to read the deal direct control of their struggles and Enfield (north London), sacking 610 factory to make sure their employ- bureaucracy wanted a speedy end obvious: lobbying and harmless “A- first; many more voted against the trust in the power of collective workers with only minutes’ notice. ers would not attempt to move any to the dispute. In Enfield, it took to-B” demonstrations take prece- deal than in Enfield or Basildon direct action. In Belfast, their mili- The company declared insolvency of the machinery. three weeks for financial support to dence over workers taking direct and it would have been a lot more tancy meant employers had to re- and was put in receivership with no reach the action for their livelihoods. had the two factories not already linquish control of the plant for the word about where pensions and This proved a sensible move. When accepted. On both counts, the entirety of the dispute while at- redundancy payments would come the results of the negotiations final- This unwillingness to support the actions of the union were not with tempting to attack the less militant from. Workers who’d been employ- ly came through, the strike also manifested itself the intention of securing the best workers in Enfield and Basildon. ed for 20, 30 and even 40 years were workers were less than through the culture of secrecy deal for its members, but of ending not only out of a job, but were told happy. After decades of which Unite! maintained around the dispute quickly. It’s important to understand that they would get nothing. the details of any negotiations. For the deal which the workers secured instance, after the negotiations in However, these issues aren’t a prob- was won by the strength of their The Belfast workers acted the same New York City, the union lem of “poor leadership” or of the actions alone and despite, not day, immediately occupying their announced that a deal had been union not doing its job properly, but because of, their union’s interven- factory with hundreds of negotiated and that the occupation one of the union doing its job too tion. The struggle at Visteon local supporters soon in Enfield should end by noon the well. Official unions are supposed showed us that we get nothing with- arriving at the factory next day. No details of the deal to mediate between workers and out fighting for it and that in fight- gates. When news trav- would be released until the follow- bosses and our highly paid union ing we can improve and protect our elled the next day, the ing Tuesday 14th, however, and this leaders do not share our interests. conditions. Furthermore, their Basildon and Enfield then turned out to be the insulting It’s only a short jump from the top struggle showed us, yet again, that workers followed suit. 16 weeks pay offer. of the trade union ladder to a politi- when we fight back effectively it Though the Basildon cal think tank or cushy ministerial poses not only a threat to our occupation was Similarly, with the final deal, the position. Not to mention that all employers but also to those who extremely brief, the union did not give people a printed trade unions are bound by the lim- would claim to represent us. 8 9 Direct Action www.direct-action.org.uk Summer 2009 Lewisham Occupation

INCE 23RD APRIL PARENTS OF PUPILS AT LEWISHAM for his incompetence, it seems. Bridge Primary School in Lewisham, south east London, and their supporters have been occupy- The planned new school would be a ing a school roof. They are protesting against “foundation” school that can set its S own admissions policy. Staff would Lewisham Council’s plans to demolish the school be employed by the governors, not building and replace it with a school for children aged by the local authority. It would 3 to16. The proposed new school will be squeezed into a probably become part of a “Trust” site presently occupied by the primary school, which federation, sponsored by the has less than half of the 835 pupils projected for the Leathersellers’ Company that backs “all age” school, so play areas and room sizes would the Prendergast federation of fall below government recommendations. schools. The council have already handed two schools over to the The new school would only have from the school site thus losing an Haberdashers’ Aske’s Academy fed- one primary class per year, instead hour a day of school time. This eration and want three more to of the current school’s two. Eleanor started just as year 6 were on the become a trust backed by Gold- Davies, whose six year old son, verge of their SATs. Worse still, the smiths College. This would mean attends the school, said: council hasn’t even got planning that three unaccountable medieval It’s a really good school and my son permission because the building guilds would be running schools in is very happy. My concern is for my was listed earlier this year, with the Lewisham, so Lewisham Bridge is children’s safety and happiness but council’s appeal likely to take many really being knocked down as part also for the secondary school chil- months. Ever since the proposal of a plan to break up the already dren because there isn’t the space. was first announced in 2006 parents limited comprehensive education in Everybody is a loser. have expressed their concerns and Lewisham. objections in the form of petitions, The council’s own figures predict letters and lobbies. The occupation was inspired by a an imminent shortage of hundreds similar campaign by Glasgow Save of primary school places. But Steve Bullock, Mayor of Lewisham, Our Schools and by the Visteon planned developments in the imme- said of the listing: “The future workers’ action. Both groups gave diate vicinity of Lewisham Bridge prospects of our children and almost immediate support and will make matters even worse. young people cannot be sacrificed Visteon workers from both Enfield Indeed, just metres away, there is for the sake of somebody’s fancy for and Belfast visited and donated barren land awaiting developers’ Edwardian sinks, butterfly designs their (very warm) “hi-vis” yellow plans (and credit) to turn this part and tiling.” But it can be sacrificed jackets to the occupiers while two of Lewisham into a mini Croydon.

The need for more secondary places was identified some time ago after the council closed and demolished a failing secondary in New Cross. After losing a local election to an education campaigner and the Socialist Party, the council eventu- ally recognised they had to provide more places. They next targeted the only full size working swimming pool, despite it being too small a site and not in the right area of the borough. After a long campaign, they finally gave up on that one and targeted Lewisham Bridge.

The school has been decanted a mile and a half away to New Cross and the children are taken by bus 10 Direct Action www.solfed.org.uk Summer 2009 of the Lewisham parents joined the ards and shouting Visteon workers leading the May and leaping out in Day march in Belfast. There has front of Brown’s been widespread local support from motorcade. parents, residents and many union branches, including Lewisham and Whatever happens Greenwich NUT. with the occupa- tion, this has been And just as the Lewisham Bridge an inspiring and occupation was inspired by others, empowering expe- so it too inspired parents at a pri- rience. Those in- mary school in Deptford in neigh- volved will not just bouring Greenwich borough to give up, but will occupy. Parents at Charlotte Turner continue fighting primary school have been told the and building links. school will close next year, despite a consultation in which 296 out of 297 respondents disagreed that it Fujitsu Attack on Pensions should be closed. The parents demanded a meeting with the man- he IT firm, Fujitsu Services, defined contribution scheme. This agement and got one that day. The has announced it is closing is what the people being thrown off council want to close the school as Tits final salary pension the final salary scheme will be it is “failing”, but the alternative scheme to existing members. It offered. Defined contribution offered to those parents who live in was closed to new joiners in 2000. schemes are totally reliant on the Greenwich is bottom of the bor- stock market and could potentially ough’s league tables, as well as The union, Unite!, centred around pay out less than workers put in. being a 30 minute bus ride away. the firm’s Manchester site, has Unite! has promised a “robust cam- condemned the plans. Peter Skyte paign” and the Manchester branch The roof top has been transformed of Unite! said: have already resolved to organise a into a lively campsite with running Fujitsu Services is a highly prof- ballot on . water and kitchen area and has been itable company and made profits of used for meetings and even for a re- £177m in the last financial year. The The union is also right to focus on hearsal by local socialist choir, The company has yet to produce any the outsourcing element of this. Strawberry Thieves. The South Lon- proper justification for this latest Fujitsu gets a lot of its business by don local of Solidarity Federation attempt to raise profits by cutting winning new contracts from the and Autonomy & Solidarity, the pension benefits, and this action government. Unless the law Goldsmiths student group, have been may hinder future bids for blue chip changes sometime soon, workers heavily involved in the campaign, private sector outsourcing contracts. transferred from the public sector doing regular shifts and building have protected pensions. Fujitsu infrastructure. On Monday 8th June Despite such profits, Fujitsu has isn’t currently closing its scheme the garden area behind the occupied been attacking its workforce for for such workers, the Comparable buildings was seized. This seems to some time. Contract- Scheme, but it is sure- have prompted the council to start ors were given a 15% ly only a matter of eviction proceedings which, as we pay cut and employ- time. They regularly go to press, have been successfully ees had bonuses insist that anyone resisted. The protesters have forged stopped and a pay applying for an inter- ahead with plans to open it up as it’s freeze. You’d expect nal vacancy who’s a lot less daunting than climbing a not to need a bonus transferred over swap ladder. They’ve built a compost toi- but Fujitsu operate to their internal terms let and are planting flowers, paint- on an individual bar- and conditions, which ing a mural and sharing coffee, tea gaining basis and for now include losing a and cake amongst other activities. many workers the final salary pension. bonus is a substitute Workers at Fujitsu in The protest has not just been confin- for a pay rise. It also Manchester equated ed to the roof. Hands Off Lewisham suits Fujitsu, as no Fujitsu, Manchester this to a 20% pay cut. Bridge organised a 300 strong march benefits get paid on a The stand taken at Fujitsu is just through Lewisham on 9th May. It bonus. the beginning of a long battle, as has also lobbied the council and big companies like BP and disrupted Gordon Brown’s visit to About a quarter of the company’s Barclays have also announced clo- Prendergast School, run by the workforce, 4000 people, are in the sure of their final salary pensions. Leathersellers, brandishing plac- final salary scheme. Others have a

11 Direct Action www.direct-action.org.uk Direct Action www.solfed.org.uk Summer 2009 Summer 2009 Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap Lancaster immigrant cleaners: the “hard-to-organise” are self-organising Workers

he Amey 5 campaign also ORKERS IN CONTRACT CLEANING In DA43 we argued that the Justice4- leave the premises face low wages, a lack of basic Cleaners campaign organised by but when one temp inspired other workers, finished late they Tstarting with cleaners employment rights, bullying T&G/Unite! had concentrated on “easy working for Lancaster at management and victimisation targets” and neglected small groups of found it locked and W jumped over the Schroders bank. Late in 2007 they for union activities. However, especially workers in so-called “hard to organise” wall. The individ- had joined Unite! to take part in among Latin Americans, self-organisation workplaces. Cleaners sacked by Amey at ual was sacked, the Justice4Cleaners campaign has sustained struggles against the un- the National Physical Laboratory (NPL) and the other for the London Living Wage but scrupulous multinational companies who in Teddington outside London, and those cleaners were they didn’t get the support they employ them, and against the immigra- working for Lancaster at Schroders bank forced by the man- had expected. tion controls which are used to sack un- and for Mitie at Willis insurance compa- ager to leave by wanted workers and victimise union acti- ny in the City of London have organised another gate, caus- Consequently, they organised them- vists. Those struggles highlight the inade- themselves, and showed up the union and ing them to miss selves to pressure the union, the quacy of the “organising model” of trades why it finds such workers “hard to organ- their train back to picket of Lancaster's HQ in Canary wharf cleaning company and Schroders. unionism promoted by the likes of Unite! ise”. London. Lancaster responded to their griev- £5,000 each and were told £3,000 was ances by reducing the workforce he Amey cleaners were the Amey thought it impossible that The workers took out another grie- the final offer. PROSPECT told from thirty to nine and putting the first to “go it alone” with cleaners were paid £7.03 an hour but vance, met the manager and got her them to accept this and put solici- remaining cleaners on a whole Tthe help of supporters, the lab is a high risk area due to to back down over the gate. A prom- tors off representing them. The night shift instead of working 7- inspiring other workers to orga- the experiments carried out there ised meeting to discuss a proper workers decided that, rather than 11pm. A meeting of all the workers The nise without support from Unite! and specialist health and safety solution never happened and Amey accept the offer, they would fight on called a demo outside Schroders on unilaterally changed the shift times and represent themselves. 17th October 2008. Unite! officials They were transferred to Amey training is required. After four and exit gate. The workers distribut- tried to get them to call it off but when it took over the cleaning months Amey tried to cut staffing th ed a leaflet to the laboratory’s staff Their campaign was sustained by they went ahead and sent a letter to contract at NPL on 1st Decem- levels and, on 27 May 2007, work- Amey ers were invited to a “health and asking for solidarity against these support from the Latin American the company warning them that ber 2006. They joined T&G/ safety training session” where the changes on 28th July.The next day Workers Association (LAWA), No the demonstration would take place Unite! after their previous doors were locked and 60 police and the ten workers who’d taken part Borders and the Campaign Against unless their demands were met. employer, PKM, told them immigration officials carried out were suspended. The five main Immigration Controls. Other sup- The Unite! official told them he Amey was a bad company. So Five paper checks. Seven workers didn’t union organisers were sacked on porters have included SF members could have organised it better! 28 of the 38 workers joined have the right papers, were arrest- 5th September; the others were from the two London locals. Noisy the union; a full time official ed and sacked. Two were deported threatened with the sack to prevent pickets were organised at Amey’s The workers knew about the Amey told them not to worry, that to Brazil; a third to Colombia; a them supporting the five. Their ap- offices in Bristol, London, Oxford protests and contacted Julio Mayor Amey would recognise the fourth was detained. (These are the peal, heard on 7th November, was and elsewhere, and at events organ- of the Amey 5 and the LAWA to ask union and honour their TUPE correct figures for this incident; rejected in writing on the 18th. The ised or attended by NPL, to embar- them how it had been organised. [Transfer of Undertakings those cited in DA43 are inaccurate.) speed of the disciplinary procedure rass them into taking responsibili- They asked Unite! for flags, t-shirts (Protection of Employment)] They weren’t replaced and within a contrasted with the grievance pro- ty for Amey’s actions. Pickets at and a megaphone for the demonstra- terms, but did nothing. month there were only 22 workers cedure; they got the response to NPL itself got a sympathetic res- tion but the day before, when they left to do the same amount of work. their grievance lodged on 20th June ponse from some workers, although collected them from Unite!’s head- when they were dismissed. some objected to NPL being associ- quarters the organiser tried to scare As a result of a grievance, Amey ated with Amey’s actions and man- them about what the police might promised to hire six more workers Although the five had joined agement instructed them not to get do and urged them to wear masks! but only hired three. More workers PROSPECT to link up with NPL involved. A protest and “teach in” The demo was very successful; all resigned because of the increased employees, they were dissatisfied by 80 students and staff were also the workers and their families took workload and were not replaced. On with the representation they got. In held on 4th December 2008 at part. It won a meeting with the com- 19th June 2008 Amey tried to change February 2009 they lodged an appli- Kingston University, to coincide pany and a delegation of four clean- shift times to end at 9.55 instead of cation to an Employment Tribunal with an award given to Mel Ewell, ers from different ethnic back- 9.45, breaking TUPE terms. On 20th for unfair dismissal and discrimi- Chief Executive of Amey on grounds was elected to meet the June three agency temps were hired nation on the grounds of nationali- £970,000 a year, one of its most suc- management. Lancaster tried to in- but not given the specialised induc- ty. Amey offered £1,000 between the cessful graduates. This is in con- timidate the delegates telling them tion on the safety risks in the lab. five, who had demanded £40,000, trast to the “do nothing” approach that if the protests continued they Usually a security guard opened a then raised the offer to £3,000 in of the trades unions and helped to would all be sacked and replaced 25/9/08: Amey 5 picket at an event attended by NPL at the Institute of Directors in Pall Mall special gate to allow cleaners to total. The workers then demanded make the workers less “disposable”. with new workers. They offer- >>> 12 13 Direct Action www.direct-action.org.uk Summer 2009 ed to sack fewer cleaners, transfer- was removed from Schroders. Since cautioned and for “bringing the ring three in return for a salary he had an outstanding grievance company into disrepute” by publi- increase. The Unite! official, who Lancaster paid him but sent him to cising its actions. was also present, told them in the various other buildings where they meeting that they should accept this had cleaning contracts and told him Alberto had worked for Lancaster as the best offer they could expect, just to walk around. since 1998, initially on a student but the delegates did not respond visa which expired in 2002, and, on and went back to a meeting of all On 6th May 2009 they called him to a company advice, he continued to the workers to make a decision. meeting in Canary Wharf where he work for them under a false name, was arrested on suspicion of work- reverting to his real name when he The meeting decided to reject the ing illegally. His home was search- was able to. He has correspondence transfers and shift changes and to ed and police seized political and from Lancaster under both his real send a letter signed by all the work- trade union literature, including a and false names and, in the latter, ers to Unite!, to Schroders and to DVD produced by a Tamil refugee he is still addressed as “Alberto”. Lancaster demanding a written group which the police called “ter- He has “indefinite leave to remain”, guarantee and giving an ultimatum rorist material”. Supporters got which is why he wasn’t deported. that there would be another demon- Alberto a solicitor and demonstrat- This case exposes the collusion be- stration and that these would con- ed outside the police station. He tween cleaning companies and work- tinue until their demands had been accepted a caution for working ers who are deemed “illegal”, not met. The day before the next demo under a false name on legal advice because the companies value the the HR manager met them and told and was released. The police told workers as collaborators in driving them they would get the pay rise him that he had no job to go back down wages, as nationalists would without redundancies. Workers at to. Lancaster did not contact him; have it, but because it is the vulner- the meeting made the management they’d obviously ex-pected him to able status of such workers which nervous by not responding as to be deported. Alberto was called to a allows the companies to do this. whether or not there would be more disciplinary demonstrations. The workers seem- hearing at ed to have won but management Canary Wharf on resorted to dirty tricks like stop- Tuesday 26th May, ping the pay of activists. Further at which he was demonstrations were planned sacked both for against this but Alberto Einstein the offence for Durango, one of the organisers, which he was Mitie Workers

lberto is a strong supporter of the 29/5/09: Alberto (2nd from left) with some of the Mitie cleaners cleaners working for Mitie at Willis. Dromey, husband of Harriet Harman, wrote to them AAlso members of T&G/Unite!, they withdrawing the union’s support from their campaign. won the London Living Wage in April 2008 The general drift of the letter is that Unite! and Mitie but were then subject to a similar attack to had made great efforts to accommodate the workers the Lancaster cleaners involving a change in but that they had been unreasonable. The workers are shifts from 7-11pm to 10pm until 6am and a disappointed that their version of events has been reduction in the number of workers. rejected by their union in favour of that of Mitie, but they are not surprised. Previously, Unite! officials had On 11th December 2008 six workers were made redun- boasted of their “good relationship” with Mitie. dant, including shop steward Edwin Pazmino, and they have conducted demonstrations outside the Willis A petition against the withdrawal of support, in the building on Friday lunchtimes since their appeal was form of an open letter to Dromey, was launched on 13th rejected on 10th February 2009. On 29th February, in May and handed in at Unite! headquarters on Friday response to the demonstrations, the workers were 29th May. A demonstration by supporters accompany- called to a meeting where they were handed a letter ing the petition also highlighted the case of Alberto, threatening them with legal action if they did not stop urging the union to support his claim for unfair dis- the pickets. They have continued to date as Willis missal and victimisation for trades union activities. Cleaners4Justice – a rebuke to Justice4Cleaners. The pressure has to be kept on the social democratic unions but the self-organisation which has sustained However, the cleaners fight on without the support of the struggles is the key to building unions run by and Unite! On 30th April, Deputy General Secretary, Jack for their own members. 14 Direct Action www.solfed.org.uk Summer 2009

his brings home the crucial lowed by organisation around health failure of the “organising and safety and other routine issues; it Tmodel” favoured by Unite! can’t cope with the class warfare which and other unions. They are arises from this race to the bottom. Why the social democratic in nature and essentially believe capitalism Trouble begins with the transfer to a can and should be managed bet- new contractor, which will have won ter to benefit workers. the contract by offering the same serv- Unions ice for less. To make profit they cut costs To do this they have to work with the by sacking the better paid workers and bosses and get the Labour Party to pro- not replacing them, increasing work- vide a legislative framework. A top loads. Contractors rely on convincing Fail us down model of union recognition, workers they have no rights and can’t negotiation controlled by full time of- organise, or that there will be dire con- ficials and a concentration on “headline” sequences if they do. The easiest way to issues like the London Living Wage, not do this is to use immigration controls. the real concerns of workers, are their Immigration controls don’t keep people objectives. Unite!’s relationship with out of the UK; they control them when Mitie was always more important to they’re here creating a “good business them than the interests of a small, environment” for contractors. Rich troublesome group of workers. companies thrive in this environment.

Social democrats take the fact that clean- Mitie lags behind Capita and SERCO in ing contractors are rich multinationals the “outsourcing” and services stakes, to mean they should be more willing to but in 2008 its pre-tax profits were £67.9m pay better wages as they can “afford” it. on a turnover of £1.4bn. Year on year In fact, they are rich precisely because increases since 2004 had roughly dou- they constantly cut costs on existing con- bled these figures. The NPL building tracts and win more by undercutting management contract was run by competitors. Besides giving investors a SERCO which also runs immigration greater return, this attracts further in- detention centres and carries out depor- vestment and keeps share prices up. tations; it subcontracted the cleaning to Their wealth proves they are ruthless Amey, thus making money both from but makes them attractive “partners” for the cheaper workforce provided by im- social democrats. Winning the London migration controls and from deporting Living Wage has always led first to cut- migrants. SERCO is part owned by ting jobs, like with the shift changes at Ferrovia, a major shareholder in Tube- Schroders and Willis, then to victimisa- lines, which itself subcontracts cleaning tion of union activists. These workers on London Underground. These compa- are “hard to organise” due to the level of nies have their fingers in all the pies commitment required from the union and are very powerful. to support them. The “organising Mitie cleaners at ... model” of reformist trades unionism is The layers of subcontracting require based on gaining union recognition fol- research to find and pressurise the peo- ple who matter, who control the money, ... Transport House: 29/5/09 have the public profile and can be em- barrassed. One reason for subcontract- ing is to evade responsibility for the workforce, as well as to hamper solidar- ity and cut costs. Our targets shouldn’t be Amey, but NPL with its standing in the scientific community; not Mitie or Lancaster but the bank that subcon- tracts to them and who has a reputa- tion. Our aim shouldn’t just be to shame capitalists into acting against their own interests, but to expose their true nature and advocate their abolition. The exist- ing unions can’t and won’t do this; it is not just the methods but the aims and objectives of social democrats which fail the working class. 15 Direct Action www.direct-action.org.uk Summer 2009 Breaking Isolation domestic abuse and workplace support omestic abuse focal point for the campaign petrator, to work in the same work- remains a massive against domestic violence. place. Having to deal with problems Dproblem in Britain at home, as well as in work, often Since then the support structures proves too much and abused women with the vast majority of in place for abused women have end up being dismissed or having to it being carried out by steadily spread and improved. leave, a situation which only adds men against women and However, the high incidence of to their feelings of isolation. children. The sheer scale domestic abuse demonstrates that, of the problem can be although women escaping it now We fully support the aim of trying gauged from the fact that, have more support available, its to raise awareness of domestic although only half of root cause, women’s oppression, abuse within the workplace. Unlike remains firmly entrenched within the existing trade unions, we be- incidents are reported, the our society. lieve that it is only through uniting police still receive one call community and workplace strug- every minute that is relat- In recent years the battle against gles within a single movement that ed to domestic violence. domestic abuse has been taken into real progress can be made. Many of these calls involve life threatening situations, reflected in the fact that an average of two women each week are killed by their partner or ex-partner.

The abuse experienced by women takes various forms – physical, sex- ual or psychological – while one in four women will experience domes- tic abuse at some time in their lives. The effects of this abuse can be devastating and include home- lessness, poor physical and mental health and isolation from friends and family. In trying to cope with these effects many women also suc- cumb to drug and alcohol problems. the workplace. The aim is to organ- We do, however, reject the idea of ise support within the workplace attempting to win over trade union In the past domestic violence for women suffering from abuse as officials and company management remained hidden. It was very often a means of breaking down the iso- in favour of a grass roots campaign portrayed as something that women lation of being trapped in abusive aimed at workers within the work- just had to put up with, something relationships within the home. place. The aim should be to raise that was somehow a part of normal awareness of domestic abuse married life. Marriage itself was a The campaign also aims to support among workers and to confront the relationship in which women were women with work related problems culture of sexism that exists in cast as subservient to men. It was that stem from abuse. The abuse many of our workplaces. It is only not until the rise of the feminist suffered at home affects all areas of by demonstrating that there is movement in the 1960s and 70s that women’s lives, including the work- opposition to domestic abuse and to the reality of domestic abuse began place. Abused women often have everyday ingrained sexism, that to be forced out into the open. The poor work records in terms of women suffering from abuse will more radical elements of the move- issues like job performance, time begin to become confident enough ment set up women’s refuges which keeping and absenteeism. It is also to come forward and break the iso- provided a place for women to not uncommon for the perpetrator, lation that traps them within the escape from abuse and acted as a or the friends and family of the per- horror of abusive relationships. 16 Direct Action www.solfed.org.uk Summer 2009 The Big Green Con seeing through the sham of “green” capitalism aging deforestation, raising awareness of the causes of degradation of the the ecological crisis, green con- Rsoil, sea and atmos- sumerism mystifies them. The solu- tion is presented as an individual phere and rising greenhouse act rather than as the collective gas emissions. With current action of individuals struggling for concerns over the environ- social change. The corporations ment and future of the plan- laugh all the way to the bank. et, it seems every business under the sun is doing their Green consumerism, like green utmost to jump on the green capitalism, is a contradiction in terms. Just as capitalism exploits bandwagon and convince us people, the natural world is one of their sound ecological Thus, in enslaving us, capitalism more resource to shamelessly also wrecks the planet. Sure, we can credentials. exploit for profit. In predicting the recycle and try to be more personal- current ecological crisis, Murray ly responsible. But phoney solutions Along with this, all sorts of consum- Bookchin, cited how the domination er products are advertised with buzz like “green capitalism”, technologi- of the natural world emerged from cal fixes and carbon offsetting are words like “ethically traded”, and the exploitation of human by “carbon neutral”. Magazines from just diversions which fail to address human. Further, in Post Scarcity the real cause of the environmental The Ecologist to The Observer wax Anarchism he observed: lyrical about how we can all be crisis. We must look beyond corpo- greener and do our bit to save the Capitalism is inherently anti-ecologi- rate greenwash and strive for the planet. The implication here seems cal. Competition and accumulation only real solution – an ecologically to be that if we all buy the “right” constitute the very law of life, a law responsible libertarian socialist products, recycle our rubbish and … summarised in the phrase ‘produc- society. This means decentralisation take a few steps to cut down on our tion for the sake of production’. of industry, recycling and renewable energy emissions then, hey presto!, Anything … has its price and is fair energy, sufficiency rather than the planet will be magically saved. game for the marketplace. In a socie- excess, sustainability not waste and, ty of this kind, nature is necessarily most significantly, an end to the The truth of the matter, of course, treated as a mere resource to be plun- domination of human by human is that addressing today’s ecological dered and exploited. The destruction and an end to production for profit. crisis requires something more sub- of the natural world … follows inex- stantial than a few tokenistic orably from the very logic of capital- Anarcho-syndicalism is as much lifestyle changes. It is now an estab- ist production … An economy that is about addressing ecological lished fact that levels of consump- structured around the maxim‘expand exploitation as human exploitation; tion in most advanced capitalist or die’ must necessarily pit itself it is about building the framework economies are way beyond what is against the natural world and leave for a free society within the existing sustainable. Nevertheless, “green- ecological ruin in its wake ... one. wash” – companies using advertis- ing and PR to misrepresent or exag- The oil industry has distinguished itself as one of the worst gerate their green credentials – is all the rage as corporations seek to culprits in using fraudulent and misleading claims to be envi- cash in on new markets created by ronmentally friendly. Before announcing plans to reduce rising environmental consciousness. investment in renewable energy sources, complaints against “Green” consumerism is about Shell advertisements depicting pretty flowers rather than toxic increasing consumption, not reduc- pollution spewing forth from refinery stacks (under the head- ing it, or in Andrew Watson’s words line “Don’t Throw Anything Away, There Is No Away”) were “is largely a cynical attempt to upheld by the Advertising Standards Authority. Not to be out- maintain profit margins”. Watson done, Exxon-Mobil took third place in the 2007 Worst EU eloquently sums up the con: Greenwash Awards, following advertising claims to be “work- Environmental concern is commodi- ing to reduce emissions”, when in actuality (by their own fied and transformed into ideological accounting) their emissions were increasing. support for capitalism. Instead of 17 Direct Action www.direct-action.org.uk Summer 2009 our history The Great Dock Strike of 1889

HE GREAT DOCK STRIKE OF 1889 IN LONDON IS REMEM- Anarchists By contrast, the anarchists criticised 1st 10,000 marchers had been harassed bered as the foundation of the modern trade union were also di- what they called “officialism” and ad- and attacked repeatedly by them. movement. It was led by social democrats like Ben rectly involv- vocated solidarity between skilled and “Legitimate protest” has always Tillett and future member of the Liberal cabinet ed in organis- unskilled workers given spontaneously served to legitimise repression of T ing drives and without official approval, and unity be- protest which might prove effective. John Burns, and by the future syndicalist and Communist disputes in- tween employed and unemployed wor- Tom Mann. Its centenary in 1989 was celebrated by the spired by the kers. They also argued that workers In 1893, Mowbray was among the del- Transport and General Workers’ Union, now part of Unite!, great strike. should apply the tactics of industrial egates at the Zürich Anarchist which traced its origins back to the strike. How-ever, for the Many carmen, struggle to wider struggles, and saw Congress held during and after the nascent anarchist movement in Britain it was also a signif- who drove the struggles as having the potential to International Socialist Congress from icant event which turned abstract talk of revolution and a carts carry- become revolutionary. They vigorous- which the anarchists had been ing goods un- ly opposed nationalisation, pointing expelled for not supporting “political simple advocacy of expropriation and rioting into what loaded at the out that the social democrats were action”, i.e. electoral activity. ultimately became anarcho-syndicalism. docks to their “urging us not to wait for the repair of Propaganda for the general strike, as destinations, the ancient political machine, i.e. not a prelude to revolution, was com- Beginning with a small strike in the In the best traditions of social around it. They aimed “to teach the had struck in sympathy with the dock- bined with demands for South West India Dock on 13th August, democracy, Karl Marx’s daughter, people self-reliance, to urge them to ers, without assistance from the strike the 8 hour day and other it spread spontaneously across the Eleanor, was sent by Engels to tell the take part in non-political [i.e. extra-par- fund, and been sacked for their trou- practical demands to be whole of London’s docks. It also pro- committee to call off the general liamentary] movements directly start- ble. A Carman’s Union was formed, in won through direct action vided the inspiration for other groups strike. ed by themselves for themselves”. Cit- which Ted Leggatt was an active mem- rather than legislation of workers to organise and strike for ing the example of the dock strike they ber, later becoming the union’s full passed in parliament. increased wages or reduced hours. A The financial hardship which had led argued “that as soon as the people time organiser. Leggatt was prominent Solidarity between strong- near general strike prevailed in the Strike Committee to call for a gen- learn to rely upon themselves they will in the Syndicalist Revolt of 1910-1914. ly organised workers and London’s East End and anarchists eral strike was relieved by substantial act for themselves without waiting for Charles Mowbray was a lay official of the unemployed was also thought the area on the verge of revo- funds sent to support the strikers from parliament, it has been disregarded”. the West End tailors’ union and active advocated. Back in lution. Every day, dockers and other Australia, news of which reached Lon- They deplored the fact that “the both in their struggles and in helping Britain, Mowbray argued workers marched through the streets don on 29th August. At the same time, strike has gone upon the old Trade those of the mostly Jewish East End unions should fight unem- and held vast public meetings. Cardinal Manning and the Lord Mayor Union lines but had it started on the tailors. John Turner also formed a ployment by imposing the Commonweal, the Socialist League of London intervened to broker a set- lines of expropriation, who knows Shop Assistants Union. However, anar- Sam Mainwaring, centre; Ted Leggatt to his right 8 hour day and abolishing paper, wrote in September “The East tlement and a couple of weeks later how rapidly it might have spread”; chists were ambivalent about the trade overtime and piecework. End is like Paris in the first the dockers went back to work having and “suggested to the men on strike unions which they saw as insufficient- to concern ourselves with mere poli- Revolution”. Effective picketing was won their “tanner” (sixpence per that the trade unions should take over ly revolutionary and failing to harness tics but to joyfully confide railways or Later in the decade, anarchists were organised and Kropotkin wrote of the hour). Once back at work, however, the work rather than the contractors. the potential seen in the 1889 strikes. land or what not to the control of concerned that unions were either too strike “showing the powers of the the bosses chipped away at what they They might follow this up until they Salisbury and Balfour or Gladstone small to be effective, or too big and working men for organizing the sup- had won and reversed it all. A similar gradually get control of the whole From 1890 a critique of the leaderships and Morley or Roseberry and Co. consequently dominated by officials ply and distribution of food for a fate befell the other groups of work- concern, and they would find the cap- of the new unions developed. Union of- [Conservative and Liberal politicians leading to branch apathy and lack of large population of strikers”. Here ers who had been inspired by the italists as unnecessary as monarchs ficials seemed to think that they knew of the day], tomorrow if only those control over those officials. They also was a concrete example of solidarity dock strike to win their own disputes, have been found to be”. best and seemed to be more interested chosen of the people can be persuad- linked the social democratic strategy and mutual aid organised by the including Jewish in electoral activity than the concerns ed to undertake the task.” of seeking positions in the unions as a workers themselves, not by the state. tailors in the of their members. As social democrats base for electoral activity to the inabil- East End who they did indeed see trades unions as These differences were thrown into ity of those unions to effectively fight A de facto rent strike prevailed and as would only final- inadequate for bringing social change, sharp focus by the question of May over economic issues. In September the strike dragged on, citing the fact ly win their and tended to see them as mere plat- Day, which had been declared Interna- 1903 and March 1904 Sam Mainwaring, that “our studied moderation has demands in 1912 forms of support for electoral activity. tional Workers’ Day by the interna- an anarchist active in the Socialist been mistaken … for lack of courage in a strike led by In December 1890 Commonweal de- tional socialist congresses in Paris League during the dock strike, pub- or want of resources”, the Strike anarcho-syndi- nounced Tom Mann and other dockers’ late in 1889. The call for a 1 day general lished 2 issues of The General Strike, Committee called for a general strike calist Rudolf union officials as “bureaucrats” and strike on May 1st 1890 to demand the 8 a revolutionary syndicalist paper that across London from Monday 2nd Rocker. reported on a meeting at which com- hour day and commemorate the Hay- made detailed criticisms of “official- September. But the social democratic plaints were made by rank and file market Martyrs of 1886 was answered ism” and publicised strikes in Europe leaders of the strike swiftly withdrew Anarchists were members that he and the other offi- by the anti-parliamentary Socialist which used syndicalist methods. the “No work manifesto”, ensuring not directly invol- cials were aloof and difficult to con- League and the small Federation of that the character of the strike and of ved in the dock tact. These criticisms were made Trades and Industries. The socialists The legacy of the 1889 dock strike was its legacy would ultimately be strike, but were against a background of defeats for and larger unions held a march on the Syndicalist Revolt twenty years reformist. Ben Tillett stressed the active in propa- the new unions and the beginnings of Sunday May 4th, when 100,000 march- later, not just the reformist general need to keep “public opinion” on side. ganda work the dockers march through London an economic depression. ers were assisted by the police; on May unions of today. 18 19 Direct Action www.direct-action.org.uk Direct Action www.solfed.org.uk Summer 2009 Summer 2009 No Platform for Fascism HE BRITISH NATIONAL PARTY IS A FASCIST PARTY parliamentary game while also streets. Two days after his shops, social centres and must be treated as such. Don’t be fooled by exacerbating tensions in society election, BNP leader, Nick and those on the their growing electoral success. Don’t think which they hoped would drive peo- Griffin, was calling on left. Should the eco- that because “ordinary” people, and even non- ple into their camp. In Italy, in the police to “get a grip” on nomic crisis deep- T 1920s and as recently as the 1980s, anti-fascist protestors – en, especially in racists, are voting for them and joining them that the fascists sought to use , the first step in the author- conjunction with party has somehow changed. Elected positions and an the strength of the left and the per- itarian solution he advo- the collapse of par- influx of “moderate” members will not transform the ceived threat of revolution to per- cates for all Britain’s ills. liamentary “legiti- party. suade powerful sectors of society, But the BNP’s main arena macy” in the eyes of inside and outside of government will be race and immigra- many and increased In the BNP, power and policy flow For as long as they can, they’ll por- and industry, to opt for an authori- tion. It will be here that racial tension, ele- from the top down and the party is traying themselves as a democratic tarian “solution”. In the ’20s this they try to whip up fears ments of the state, run by veteran fascists who won’t party, acting within the law and “strategy of tension” worked, with of impending social con- business and con- deviate from their long flict, of the destruction of servatism will begin held agenda. Whatever “traditional” British val- to contemplate sup- they say in public, these ues and institutions and of porting the BNP. By people are committed to the “indigenous” popula- any assessment, creating an authoritari- tion becoming a persecut- Fascists on the streets of Luton, May 2009 this scenario is still an regime, to severe lim- ed minority in its own far down the road, its on individual and col- country. Here, the BNP will be On May 24th, groups calling them- and circumstances may never bring lective freedom in every helped not just by the undercurrent selves “March for England” and it into being. But we can ensure sphere of life, to racial of racism still present in British “United People of Luton” support- that this cannot happen by attack- segregation and eventu- society, but by those sections of the ed a protest in the Bedfordshire ing the BNP and its ilk now, by pre- al removal of non-white media and the political elite which town over an earlier Muslim demo venting them from organising and people. On top of this, feed it on a daily basis with scare against troops returning from developing their strength, and the BNP has a stated stories about everything from asy- Afghanistan. Though some of the thereby eliminating them as a commitment to main- lum seekers, immigrants and organisers denied this was a racist potential or actual ally of other taining capitalism and Islamists to the EU. Though these march, around 400 people, some anti-working-class forces in society. free enterprise, contra- media outlets do not support the masked, and including known fas- dicting its claims to be BNP, their expressions of national- cists, assembled and roamed the Defeating fascism is an integral an “alternative”, radical ism and xenophobia inevitably play streets waving British and English part of building a revolutionary or even revolutionary into the party’s hands. flags. Asian-owned shops and cars movement. It increases our combat- party. were attacked and police intevened iveness, forces us to communicate But for fascists, even this fetid mix to prevent the mob descending on our ideas to ever wider circles of electoral politics of fear and paranoia is not enough. the Bury Park area, a centre of the potential sympathisers and exposes how not to campaign against fascism They are already seeking to spice it town’s Asian community. “March as false the liberal arguments that Yet the BNP will push up with racial violence on a fright- for England” have said they are fascists have a right to “free its electoral strategy to the limit, seeking to gain power by legal Mussolini’s minority fascist party ening scale. The BNP argument will planning future events. speech”, that parliamentary democ- seeking to capitalise on any and means. Ultimately, their aim is to attacking the left and being hoisted be helped enormously if they can racy is a defence against the far every source of voters’ fear and dis- silence all opposition. to power by its influential conserva- point to actual conflict between eth- new phase of conflict right, and that relying on the forces content. These range from local tive friends. In the ’80s it failed, but nic groups, and moves are already of the state is the best way to pro- community concerns to disgust strategy of tension only at the cost of many lives, as afoot to provoke this. While the This was barely reported by a tect working people from oppres- over MPs’ expenses, from fears fascist gangs and their allies in the BNP itself will seek to retain its mainstream media still playing sion and violence. We must close about the economic crisis to con- Yet BNP leaders know that there state structure engaged in armed democratic and legalistic image, down the BNP’s potential at the down fascism as a first step to rid- cerns over immigration, radical are limits to their electoral support, actions and bombings. other far right groups, some linked Euro elections, but it is a portent of ding our class of all of the para- Islam and terrorism. The BNP don’t even in cases like the recent Euro to the party, some not, are already what is to come and a clarion call to sites currently exploiting us and care what the issue is, or whether poll, where the voting system, low In Britain today, the organised taking to the streets trying to ignite anti-fascists. We are entering a new living off our backs. people’s fears are justified; they turnout, economic uncertainty and working class has taken a battering violence. The BNP will deny any phase of conflict with the far right just tailor the message in an popular anger at the “political and, despite some encouraging ties with them, but will seize upon and we must be absolutely clear what is to be done? attempt to win people over. This is class” all played into their hands. signs lately, cannot be painted as any resulting clashes to argue that about what we are doing and why. what fascists have always done. They know that there will always being about to seize control. How- multiculturalism doesn’t work, that Fascism is about far more than Build SF – we have a great tradi- They will use the electoral system, be a majority opposing them. ever, this won’t stop the BNP black and Asian youth are attack- racism, and a reinvigorated far tion of anti-fascism and must democratic “freedoms” and the denouncing opposition to it as “red ing whites, and that the “indige- right will not just focus on its per- recruit on the basis of that and of notion of freedom of speech to put How then, can they get around this? mobs” in an attempt to whip up nous” population can no longer tol- ceived racial enemies. Its activists our work today. We are the revolu- across their poisonous message, In the past, fascists have played the fears of political violence on the erate this state of affairs. are already targeting radical book- tionary alternative. >>> 20 21 Direct Action www.direct-action.org.uk Summer 2009

Support wider militant anti-fas- No platform for fascists – don’t cist campaigns – that means be conned by liberal notions of free Want to comment on anything Antifa (www.antifa.org.uk/) which speech or of appearing “anti-demo- you’ve read in DA? already has many anarchist adher- cratic” by preventing the BNP from Want to bring anything to DA ents. It’s the only national anti-fas- organising or speaking. No meas- cist organisation with a policy of ure of electoral success can be readers’ attention? “no platform” for fascism, of not allowed to legitimise fascism. Just email us at: allowing the BNP to organise, Organise direct action against all speak or campaign without physi- fascist manifestations – stalls, [email protected] cal opposition. If there are like leafleting, meetings, venues, march- or write to us at: minded people in your area, form es. We have made a good start with PO Box 29, S.W. DO, an anti-fascist group and get affili- this. Griffin and Andrew Brons ated to Antifa. were forced from public view out- Manchester, side Westminster the day after the M15 5HW. New links with those threatened election. In Manchester the next by fascism – the BNP seeks to day, they were boxed into a run “divide and rule”, preferring to down pub owned by a BNP support- Anarchism & Crime defeat us piecemeal than to take on er, only fending off protestors with Dear DA, a united, militant anti-fascist move- the aid of the police. These protests ment. Anyone who agrees with “no were organised mainly by Unite May I commend DA for the article platform”, whether part of organ- Against Fascism, linked to the SWP Anarchism and Crime in the Spring ised anti-fascism before or not, now and reformist trade unions. It has 2009 edition. It’s nice to read anar- needs to organise around it. A pri- in the past sought to prevent direct chists discuss this issue sensibly. mary responsibility for anti-fas- action so it remains to be seen Not sure what exactly “the policing cists is to make direct links with whether the BNP’s electoral suc- role would...be carried out only as communities which fascists will cess will prompt it to take “no plat- part of a balanced job complex” target. This does not mean going to form” more literally. means. “community leaders” (unless they Can I assume it means we the people genuinely back a no platform Keep up the pressure – Griffin policing ourselves and each other, as approach), but making efforts to says of anti-fascists that “in the community militia, workers and resi- draw in disaffected and angry end they will get bored”. He clearly dents militia, protecting ourselves members of those communities intends to put across the party’s and each other and coming to deci- which militant anti-fascism has message in Britain, rather than jet sions by free association and direct often previously struggled to con- off to Brussels and fiddle expenses. democracy, with former skilled police nect with. We can much more This will be a crucial contest of constables training the rest of us in quickly raise the numbers we need will with a BNP desperately trying crime prevention and detection and to swamp fascism by dramatically to be an accepted and permanent forensics being retained as needed? and imaginatively broadening our feature of the political landscape, networks of supporters. New times to “normalise” and “decontami- Glad to read about rotation of posts call for new tactics and we must nate” itself in order to rise up the and community direct democracy. Of look outwards and break down bar- greasy political pole. Anti-fascists course there would be no role for riers between people willing to con- must wreck this strategy at all judges in an anarchist society. Deci- front the BNP. costs. sions on proven guilt would need to be reserved to juries, and sentencing also decided by community direct democracy. Judges can be replaced with chairpersons of the court, a position rotated and recallable, and for maintaining order only. Solidarity, Joey. We would argue for society to dispense with police forces per se, but some of their functions, like those you mention, would still be needed. Instead of being the preserve of one group, as now, these should be integrated with other relat- ed, “non-policing” roles, always under the control of an appropriate council (rather than militia) whether that be at the community or workplace level, anti-fascists chase Nick Griffin, June 2009 or at the regional or industrial level. 22 Direct Action www.solfed.org.uk Summer 2009 Left Luggage Have Dear DA, Just to let you know that we have your launched a website to promote discus- sion of strategy on the British left. Say We hope to build links and share ideas and experiences with others on the left. Our primary goal is to devel- op working class self-organisation 2201 C Street NW and to reorientate the left towards The Miami Five Washington DC this aim. We also aim to encourage a Dear DA, 20520 USA culture of robust self-criticism and Urge her to grant temporary internal democracy. The site is inde- The Miami 5 were trying to pre- pendent and run on non-sectarian vent Miami fascists, aided by the visas on humanitarian grounds to 2 of the prisoners’ wives, Olga lines, and welcomes contributions CIA, from carrying out sabotage from activists from across the Left. in Cuba. They were arrested in Salanueva and Adriana Pérez, 1998 as “terrorists”, have been in who have been refused visas nine Please visit our blog at: US jails ever since and have been times and have not seen their theleftluggage.wordpress.com. denied regular family visits. husbands for 8 and 10 years. We’d also be very grateful if you’d be Join the campaign for their cause The Miami 5 are innocent. For willing to put a link to the blog on by writing to: details see the Cuba Solidarity your site, or in DA. Feel free to use Campaign at: Secretary of State any of the articles on the blog – we Hilary Rodham Clinton www.cubaconnect.co.uk just ask that you include an active U.S. Dept. of State In solidarity, AC. link to our site. Best wishes, Joseph See “Friends and Neighbours”, p35.

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 supporting sub - 4 issues (enclose £10)  basic sub - 4 issues (enclose £5)  rush me free information English National Resistance about DA and SolFed  Europe - 4 issues Dear DA, know. No doubt we will run (enclose £10) I have been monitoring a lit- into them at some point – it’s  rest of the world - 4 issues tle group of Nazifascists, always good to be on our (enclose £15) English National Resistance, guard especially if they turn up in black trying to infil- for a couple of months: Name...... trate demos, etc. The interesting thing about them is that they are pur- In solidarity, AN Address...... posely attempting to replicate similar movements in Ger- ...... many who have taken on the anarchist style of dressing in ...... black; they even have the anarchist antifa flag logo as cheques, etc. payable to: their logo! From their site it seems they are getting active ‘Direct Action’ – graffiti, banner drops, return to: Direct Action, PO Box leaflets – in a few cities. 29, South West DO, Manchester, Just thought I’ll let people M15 5HW 23 Direct Action www.direct-action.org.uk Summer 2009 A Rebellious Tradition

T’S COMFORTING TO LEARN Collusion in extraordinary that in troubled times rendition, foreknowledge of our fearless leaders are torture at Guantánamo Bay, I and rubber stamping of doing their utmost to be the illegal war in Iraq have paragons of virtue – not. similarly come to light – Revelations that public without consequence to funds are being frittered the politicians. It seems away on frivolities like there’s one law for them moat cleaning, duck and one for the rest of us. Small As leftist party hacks mouth worn wonder that a princely 69% of the out platitudes, sporadic strike islands and non-existent electorate chose not to vote in the action and social protest simmers. mortgages shows how de- European elections. Whether the allure of Britain’s Got tached from reality politi- Talent, East Enders, tabloid gossip, cians really are. As one Back in April, perhaps as a portent cheap booze and the shopping mall member of the public re- of things to come, protests at the can remain all consuming diver- marked on TV, if ordinary G20 summit saw baton wielding sions indefinitely is yet to be seen. people behaved like that riot police wading indiscriminately Financial uncertainty and rising into groups of peaceful protestors. household debt fuel despondency, they’d get locked up. As One act of wanton thuggery, cap- acting as a brake on radical dissent. the nation nodded unani- tured incontrovertibly on film, Nevertheless, the heady mix of a mously in agreement, the caused the tragic death of paper gaping wealth gap, a faltering econ- sheer magnitude of the seller Ian Tomlinson. These actions omy, disillusion with all politicians, expenses scandal and the sparked outrage amongst liberal rising environmental concern and a deep seatedness of the cor- observers. One Guardian article by shared repugnance of racism offer ruption exposed came as a Paul Kingsnorth remarked: an opportunity for change. Why do we live in a nation of CCTV real shock to many. But it Britain boasts a proud and under- shouldn‘t have. cameras, email surveillance, DNA databases and masked riot police, stated tradition of rebellion, radi- watching in silence as more and calism and resistance. It’s a tradi- Corruption and self-service is what tion that gave birth to the Levellers, politicians do best – after protecting more of our fundamental liberties are stolen by our government? the Diggers, the Suffragettes and the interests of their buddies in the syndicalist revolt; a tradition banking and big business. Why indeed? Kingsnorth’s article that came within a whisker of over- went on to decry the ravaging of throwing feudalism, brought gener- rural communities by second al strikes and poll tax rebellions; homes, the carpet bombing of our and a tradition that has fought for high streets by superstores, the equality and countered every social demise of the pub, the selling off of injustice with defiance. the NHS and the erosion of every- thing quintessentially English by As the Orwellian state edges closer, the voraciousness of market forces. savvy liberals and revolutionaries alike seem to agree on one thing; Sadly, the homogenising effects of the spirit of domestic radicalism corporate globalisation, social needs to reawaken and rediscover breakdown and the bitter fallout of its voice. “Disobedience” as Oscar recession are being exploited by a Wilde wrote, “is (wo)man’s original resurgent BNP. Scapegoating virtue. It is through disobedience minority groups suits the moneyed that progress has been made, classes and politicians nicely. The through disobedience and through tabloid media they control are well rebellion”. Growing workplace mili- versed in fuelling racism (and sex- tancy, campaigns from defending the ism for that matter). It’s an age old NHS to confronting the arms trade, concept called divide and rule; a local initiatives to combat poverty tactic designed to divert the blame and to oust crooked MPs, show there from where it truly lies. is still cause for optimism. 24 Direct Action www.solfed.org.uk Summer 2009 international

Spain Peru CNT vs. Ryanair General Strike yanair workers in Zaragoza, pay and conditions. Since the CNT Spain, are currently in dis- began organising in Ryanair, man- for the Amazon Rpute. The workers involved agement have tried everything pos- he rapacious western impe- are members of the anarcho-syndi- sible to discourage staff from join- rialist oil machine marches calist union, the CNT. The dispute ing the union. This should come as Ton, this time in Peru. After started in March when Ryanair cut no surprise. Ryanair are no lovers government decrees opened up the hours of staff by reducing the of even reformist unions, so it’s no parts of the Amazon region to working day. The strikers are also shock that they have resisted the plunder by multinationals in protesting at Ryanair’s refusal to spread of the revolutionary CNT. April this year, indigenous com- make staff on temporary contracts Should the strikers fail there is lit- munities responded by setting up permanent. tle doubt that Ryanair will try to a series of blockades. Leaders of break the CNT as a force within the the resistance movement issued a The dispute deepened when the del- workplace. statement saying; “we will fight egate of the CNT’s union section in together with our parents and Ryanair received a letter of dis- As well as demanding the full rein- children to take care of the forest, missal, for reasons of unsuitability, statement of the sacked worker the to save the life of the equator and claiming a drop in the worker’s per- CNT is demanding an end to short the entire world”. formance – a claim that is clear term contracts and part time work- nonsense. Ryanair hoped that by ing. In pressing their demands, the On the 5th of June, a phalanx of sacking the CNT delegate the rest strikers have not only received the troops, gunships and armed of the strikers would be intimidat- support of the CNT membership police launched a savage assault ed back to work. across Spain; the anarcho-syndical- on one of the key blockades. The ist international, the IWA, has also ensuing conflict resulted in the The move backfired, however, with organised two international days of deaths of between 30 and 100 pro- the sacking only stiffening the action in support of the Zaragoza testors. Curfews and martial law strikers’ resolve. The strikers have strikers, and further such events were then installed, as the US- made it clear there will be no reso- are planned. friendly president, Alan García, lution of the dispute until their del- denounced protestors as “savage egate is reinstated. They have also To get involved with the planned and barbaric”. In spite of this vio- made it clear that they will reject days of action, contact: lent repression, indigenous com- any attempts to pay compensation [email protected] munities vowed to fight on. as an alternative to the full rein- statement of their sacked comrade. or your nearest SF local (see p.35). Outraged, Peruvian social move- ments, trade unionists and But the dispute should not just be For further details, in Spanish, see: human rights groups joined seen in the context of defending http://cntryanair.wordpress.com forces to stage a general strike on June 11th in support of the activists. With solidarity actions taking place around the world, the Peruvian Congress eventually bowed to overwhelming pressure, repealing laws that effectively paved the way for oil drilling. In a humiliating climb down, two gov- ernment ministers resigned and García has apologised for his “serious errors and exaggera- tions”. While the multinationals will no doubt regroup, this turn around represents an epic victory for the power of solidarity.

For further info, see: www.amazonwatch.org/ amazon/PE/ CNT demo at Zaragoza airport www.aidesep.org.pe 25 Direct Action www.direct-action.org.uk Summer 2009 international / reviews Killing for Profit Live Working or Die Fighting he 2008 Annual Sur- six people being killed. vey of Trade Union Again, in Equatorial Paul Mason – 2008 – Vintage Books TRights is frighten- Guinea, a strike by 320 pages – £8.99 – ISBN: 978-0099492887 ing reading. The report Chinese workers was documents the murders of bloodily suppressed by 76 trade unionists around the security forces, leav- the world. By far the most ing two workers dead and dangerous place for trade several others injured. unionists remains Subsequently, 300 strikers Columbia where approxi- were sent back to China. mately one trade unionist was slaughtered each The report also docu- week. The second most ments the physical murderous state was attacks, imprisonment Guatemala, where nine and sacking of thousands trade unionists were of trade unionists, as well killed. Four were killed in as the increasing use of both Venezuela and the temporary contracts, out- Philippines, three in sourcing and the use of Honduras, two in Nepal other “flexible” working and one each in Iraq, practices as a means of Nigeria, Panama, Tunisia undermining collective and Zimbabwe. organisation and driving ewsnight corre- workforce stratification, down pay and conditions. spondent, Paul to name but two. These figures are in some The report highlights the NMason’s Live ways only the tip of the fact that capitalism world- Working or Die Fighting One bone of contention iceberg. For example, it wide remains a brutal offers a unique, timely for us, which is raised in does not include people system that will kill, and engaging micro-his- the book’s closing chap- killed in strikes or on main and imprison in its torical account of the ter, is the misguided demonstrations. In Egypt, thirst for ever higher rise and fall of the revo- faith placed by the for instance, after textile profits. lutionary working class. author in aid agencies as workers were forced back Charting the conditions instruments of social to work, a demonstration The full report is at: which gave rise to the change. Nevertheless, mass syndicalist move- Mason observes how of support by the general http://survey09.ituc- ments in Europe and the market globalisation has public was put down with csi.org/ Americas during the sounded the death knell early 20th century, con- of “consensus” politics, temporary parallels are thereby bringing about a drawn and interwoven renewed convergence with the experiences of between what were pre- workers in the newly viously (economically industrialised “global and geographically) dis- south”. parate workforces. Whether this conver- Mason eulogises key gence is capable of being inspirational figures forged into a worldwide from our past – figures movement for social like Louise Michel, Bill change remains to be Haywood, Tom Paine – seen. telling of bitter struggles fought with murderous The future, as they say, bosses and implacable has yet to be written, but rulers. Latterly, he cites Live Working or Die the post-war factors that Fighting provides an have seen militant work- invaluable and well ers’ movements fall into researched account of San José, Costa Rica: a young worker being beaten seemingly irretrievable how we got to where we by police during a demonstration of street vendors decline; welfarism and are now. Recommended. 26 Direct Action www.solfed.org.uk Summer 2009 reviews Meltdown: the end of the age of greed - Paul Mason 2009 – Verso Books – 208 pages – £7.99 – ISBN: 978-1844673964 t’s almost a year since Among the anecdotes and personal picking out the reluctance to move the proverbial hit the histories Meltdown sets out the away from old ways of thinking Ifan and splattered the events and mechanisms that have and hesitation amongst central created the current crisis, as well bankers and politicians. Essentially walls of economic institu- as the faltering attempts to fix it. Mason believes the old monetarist tions, our workplaces and Mason pinpoints the passing of the and interest rate levers aren’t work- our homes. While govern- 1999 Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act in the ing and we need a change; “the ments and central banks USA as the major piece of deregula- search for an alternative to neo-lib- frantically try to clean up tion that led to financial turmoil. eralism is on”. The suggested alter- the mess, Paul Mason has Costing $300m in lobbying, the Act native is a “socialised banking sys- stepped in to analyse the ended the separation of investment tem plus redistribution” with low murky data. Although banking from people’s savings and profit utility style banking separat- allowed banks to behave as insur- ed from the speculative sector. many explorations of the ance companies. This, beside the Essentially, he argues for a more economic crisis leave the development of information tech- regulated capitalism with reader cold or confused, nology, it is argued, unleashed a state intervention to Mason has a knack for new era in the world of finance. ensure social justice, clear and engaging expo- fought for by sition of the processes at One of the more troubling aspects organised labour work. There’s a good glos- of this era was the shadow bank- and liberal sary and an accessible ing system, “a huge, unan- reformists. nounced and unregulated bank- Mason is hazy style, like using the de- ing network oper- on the details tailed analogy of a magic ating with almost of this new trick to explain “struc- no press coverage model and tured finance” – OK, I’m and little visibili- doesn’t claim still a bit confused. ty”. The off-bal- to have all the ance sheet com- answers but at Getting the details of the crisis also panies known as least he has involves understanding the past, “conduits” and something, something Mason does very well. “structured right? Moving from recent to historical investment vehi- events with a fluidity well practiced cles” ended up in Live Working or Die Fighting, crippling the economic history becomes a fasci- banks when they nating story. Today’s world of high went bust. An- finance and high politics is also other well docu- part of the story; a world apart mented cock up is from ours, mediated to us through the credit default story tellers. And Paul Mason tells swap, an insurance policy that pays The anti-capitalists, he claims, it pretty well. Personal histories are out in the event that somebody else don’t have an adequate response to given to key players and personali- goes bust – “the unwinding of this the crisis. We can and should be ties are brought in, like ex-Bear tangled web of default bets drove promoting the end of capitalism Stern’s CEO, Jimmy Cane, who the markets towards catastrophe”. but the level of class struggle neces- stays at a bridge tournament whilst And of course there was the sub- sary to support it doesn’t exist yet. his hedge funds collapse. Mason prime market which teamed up Should we then be engaging with also tells his own story, one of a with the derivatives people, appar- big ideas of generalised reform BBC reporter wandering bewil- ently in a coffee queue at Bank of alongside “horizontal and granu- dered from bank to workplace to America, to create the accident lar” struggles? news conference, forming a narra- waiting to happen. tive to contextualise the haphazard Either way, Meltdown is a fun and activity of the economic and politi- The attempt to fix the subsequent illuminating read, a rare treat in cal players. mess is well charted in Meltdown, economic texts. 27 Direct Action www.direct-action.org.uk Summer 2009 reviews – kate sharpley library A Grand Cause The Fed - the hunger strike & the deportation of anarchists from Soviet Russia Anarquista G. P. Maksimov crisis, armed struggle 2008 – 34 pages – £2.00 – ISBN: 978-1873605745 translated & edited he Kate Sharpley Library has revisit this lost past. Records have 2009 – 50 pages – £3.00 an admirable commitment to re-emerged, archives are accessible his overview of the main Trecovering anarchist history. and individuals can share diaries, Uruguayan anarchist move- This has led to pamphlets and letters and papers passed down by Tment takes the form of vari- books on many fascinating but their forebears. Details of KSL’s ous articles by and interviews with sometimes obscure topics: the story “Anarchists in the Gulag, Prison militants. It may be initially daunt- of the Budapest of 1919, and Exile Project” are on its web- ing for anyone not familiar with the the biography of an anarchist cob- site, but an early exercise in pub- subject, as the pieces which give a bler in Philadelphia, or tales of lishing its findings is A Grand basic overview of the history only Italian exiles fighting tyranny in Cause, a pamphlet telling the story appear in the middle and at the end 1930s Argentina, for example.KSL of a hunger strike by hundreds of of the pamphlet. However, it is also casts its spot- imprisoned anarchists in worth persevering as the story of light on epic strug- 1921. Timed to coincide the Federación Anarquista gles which mark the with the presence in Uruguaya (FAU) is instructive. anarchist past. Its Russia of foreign delegates series on Spain, at a conference intended to Though anarchists had been active from first hand bring unions into the in Uruguay since the 1860s, the accounts of life in Soviet orbit, the hunger Federación was not formed until the CNT militias to strikers demanded to be 1956. Like earlier libertarian organ- painstaking recon- released and to be allowed isations in the country, it was a structions of the to leave the country if they broad based movement, influenced post-war anti-Franco wished, and it worked. mainly by the writings of Mikhail underground, are Bakunin and Errico Malatesta. invaluable. The pamphlet is taken from the Though anarchism gained a follow- writings of Grigorii Maksimov, ing in the poorer districts of the KSL is currently engaged in a (better known in the west as G.P. cities and in some trade unions, the research project on the anarchist Maximoff), secretary of Russia’s Federación lacked a distinct ideolo- movement in Russia. The telling of Anarcho-Syndicalist Federation gy and, partly due to this, it lost its story has been hampered in and himself a hunger striker. Upon influential activists to in many ways. The Bolsheviks release, he left the country and the wake of the successful Cuban clamped down on left wing oppo- later produced a classic account of revolution of 1959 – proof again nents almost as soon as they seized the Bolsheviks’ destruction of the that the effects of selfless activism power in 1917. Activists disap- revolution, The Guillotine at Work. are all too often dissipated if anar- peared into camps or prisons and However, Maximoff wrote largely chist movements don’t adopt a many never re-emerged. Others from memory, and this pamphlet is strategy and organisational model were murdered by the Cheka or Red augmented by extensive footnotes, which allow it to present a viable Guards, or shot down at Kronstadt shedding new light on many of the alternative to the parties of the left. or other, lesser known, acts of re- people and events covered in the sistance. Organisations were liqui- text. It also has an excellent biogra- Worse was to follow as a growing dated and their records seized or phical essay on Maximoff by economic crisis brought with it destroyed. The new state strenuous- Anatoly Dubovik, who has written increased state repression against ly tried to eradicate anarchism extensively on Russian anarchism. the working class. Fascist gangs from the annals of the revolution- attacked union ary movement. Lenin’s party, glad Congratula- activists and strik- of the anarchists’ contribution to tions are due Kate Sharpley Library ers and an intense the Tsar’s overthrow and the ensu- to KSL – their BM Hurricane social conflict led to ing civil war, was quick to smear work is ensur- the suspension of them as counter-revolutionaries ing that de- London civil liberties by the and wreckers once its power was spite the best government in 1968, secure. efforts of WC1N 3XX followed by a mili- Lenin, Trotsky tary seizure of However, now that Soviet commu- and Stalin, the www.katesharpleylibrary.net power in 1973. The nism is no more, researchers can truth will out! FAU had to go 28 Direct Action www.solfed.org.uk Summer 2009 reviews – kate sharpley library eración Salvador Puig Antich & Uruguaya the Movimiento Ibérico de Liberación edited by Anna Key & translated Paul Sharkey & dictatorship, 1967-85 2008 – 36 pages – £2.00 – ISBN: 978-1873605448 by Paul Sharkey his collection of articles ist and left communist ideas. ISBN: 978-1873605691 charts the tragic story of Tactically, it aimed to use armed TSalvador Puig Antich, a force to aid workers’ struggles, and Catalan anarchist who was the though it issued statements final victim of the executioner’s explaining its politics and its garrotte in Franco’s Spain. The actions, saw itself in a supporting pieces, including several by role rather than behaving as a van- Spanish and Catalan anarchists, guard. To this end its units robbed also detail Puig Antich’s legacy and banks and distributed the money to attempts to expropriate it by those strikers, and even seized printing who did not share his ideals. presses with the intention of creat- ing its own underground media. underground but continued to oper- His political journey began early, ate clandestinely, despite many of his family being steeped in demo- However, its campaign was largely its members being rounded up. cratic Catalan nationalism and uncoordinated and lacked the infra- opposition to the forces of Spain’s structure to sustain itself, and the It created an armed wing, the right, which they saw as a lethal MIL announced its disbandment in People’s Revolutionary threat to Catalonia’s identity and 1973. This left activists living clan- Organisation, which expropriated integrity. Yet it was the events of destinely and continuing sporadic funds from the banks for workers’ May 1968 in Paris and the armed actions without the necessary sup- struggles and kidnapped leading actions of ETA which are generally port networks. Franco’s security industrialists. However, the mili- acknowledged to have inspired forces were still effective and quick- tary proved too strong and many Puig Antich to become actively ly made arrests. Following a bank FAU militants had to go into exile. involved in the fight against the robbery at the end of the year, they Yet even in neighbouring countries Spanish dictatorship in the late captured some of the raiders and they were not safe. South American 1960s. From initially supporting ascertained that these men had dictatorships combined with US communist inspired workers’ arranged a rendezvous with other intelligence against revolutionaries groups, he embraced anarchism MIL activists, including Puig of all shades in “Operation and joined a fledgling paramilitary Antich. At the meeting point, the Condor” – an international collabo- organisation, the Movimiento police pounced, arresting him and rative effort launched in 1975 in Ibérico de Liberación (MIL). a comrade, though only after an which information was shared, inspector had died in a close quar- fugitives and exiles were hunted The MIL was ideologically diverse, ters shoot out in which he himself down and tens of thousands were incorporating anarchist, situation- was wounded. He was sentenced to imprisoned or assassinated. death, which provoked a wave of solidarity actions across Europe Ultimately, the Uruguayan dictator- and even in South America. Any ship could not solve the country’s chance of clemency evaporated economic problems and its repres- though, when ETA assassinated sion could not indefinitely contain Franco’s intended successor, popular protest. The FAU Admiral Luis Carrero Blanco, with reemerged with the outbreak of a car bomb in Madrid in December strikes and demonstrations in the 1973. An ailing Franco determined mid-1980s and held its refounding to show he was still in control and congress in 1986. Today, with sanctioned Puig Antich’s execution “democracy” as the preferred politi- the following March. cal method of the nation’s ruling class, it is once more active in com- This pamphlet is a timely reexami- munity, workplace and student nation of Salvador Puig Antich’s struggles. The definitive English life and significance and reminds language in us that, despite Franco’s victory in South America is yet to be written, 1939, resistance to him continued but pamphlets such as this are use- until the very end of his long and ful steps towards that goal. Salvador Puig Antich repressive reign. 29 Direct Action www.direct-action.org.uk Direct Action www.solfed.org.uk Summer 2009 a closer look Summer 2009 a closer look Seeing Sense in the Age of Stupid alienation, power and the case for social tranformation

N VIRTUALLY EVERY SPHERE OF OUR MODERN LIVES, WE many people once they are locked Under corporate authoritarianism, the psychological traits are systematically alienated, or separated, from into a subordinate position in a deemed most desirable for average citizens to possess each other by powerful forces. These forces per- structure of authority. are efficiency, conformity, emotional detachment, insensi- vade our work, leisure, cultural and social rela- I These experiments, both of them tivity, and unquestioning obedience to authority – traits tionships. On a micro level, the prevalence of prob- successfully replicated with almost that allow people to survive and even prosper in the com- lems such as crime, anti-social behaviour and the identical outcomes, provide a snap- pany hierarchy. And of course, for non-average citizens breakdown of community are all symptomatic of shot of how power predisposes (i.e. bosses) authoritarian traits are needed, the most impor- this. On the macro level, this alienation manifests humans to behave in ways that are tant being the ability and willingness to dominate others. itself in acts of war, poverty, imperialism and envi- malevolent, degrading and cruel towards others. Little surprise An Anarchist FAQ, www.anarchistfaq.org ronmental decimation. Although mainstream opinion then, that abuse is endemic in a usually paints all these problems as separate and dis- world where unequal relationships tinct, they are all inextricably linked to capitalism and structures are the norm. Over and hierarchical power. Throughout the course of the centuries, dictators, warlords history, these mutually dependent entities have rein- and religious zealots have all used the “dehumanisation of power” to forced each other in the interests of powerful elites. their bloodthirsty advantage. But By doing so, they have cynically negated our collec- behind their megalomania lies tive intellectual, moral and human qualities. another sinister motivating force. This force is material greed, a force In a world so divided by overbear- A shocked Zimbardo observed: even more controversial than that underpins capitalist society. ing nation states, monolithic corpo- Within what was a surprisingly short Zimbardo’s. The study, conducted at rations and religious sectarianism, period of time, we witnessed ... normal, Yale University, revealed that some the big corporate takeover there’s a pressing question that healthy American college students 65% of volunteers recruited for a begs to be asked: what’s to be done? fractionate into a group of prison learning experiment (so they In 1984 the release of methyl iso- guards who seemed to derive pleasure believed), were prepared to admin- cyanate at (US corporation) Union power = alienation = abuse from insulting, threatening, humili- ister a fatal electrical shock to pun- Carbide’s Bhopal plant in India ating and dehumanising …. Prison- ish a victim on instruction from a resulted in the deaths of 18,000 In the wake of the Holocaust and er participation in the social reality white coated experimenter. When locals and workers in the worst dis- the Vietnam war, the driving forces which the guards had structured for confronted by the severity of their aster of its kind. However, any cor- behind acts of mass social barbar- them lent increasing validity to it actions afterwards, many of those porate admission of liability for the ism became the subject of intense and, as the prisoners became resign- who had administered an apparent- disaster was doggedly sidestepped scrutiny for psychologists. Two ed to their treatment ... many acted ly fatal shock resorted to blaming at all costs in spite of repeated groundbreaking studies from that in ways to justify their fate ..., adopt- the victim for their stupidity. warnings of an impending catastro- period, Zimbardo’s prison experi- ing attitudes and behaviour which phe beforehand. To this day, many ment and Milgram’s study into obe- helped to sanction their victimisa- As Milgram noted: of the disaster’s surviving victims dience, confirmed the alienating tion. Most dramatic and distressing The essence of obedience consists in remain uncompensated. Dow effects of power, on both those exer- ... was the ease with which sadistic the fact that a person comes to view Chemical, who bought up Union cising it and those subjugated by it. behaviour could be elicited in indi- themselves as the instrument for car- Carbide in 2001, also refuse to viduals who were not sadistic types rying out another person’s wishes, accept any responsibility for clean- In the Stanford prison experiment, …. The inherently pathological char- and he therefore no longer regards ing up the 5,000 tons of toxic waste researcher Philip Zimbardo ran- acteristics of the prison situation … himself as responsible for his actions left behind by the leak. domly divided a group of student were a sufficient condition to pro- …. Unable to defy the authority of the volunteers into prisoners and duce aberrant, anti-social behaviour. experimenter, they attribute all re- We should not be surprised. The prison guards, roles which were ful- The use of power was self-aggran- sponsibility to him. It is the old story paramountcy of shareholder filled in a makeshift prison. The dising and self-perpetuating. of “just doing one’s duty” that was authority and market survival com- volunteers fell quickly into role and heard countless times at Nuremburg. pel corporations to single mindedly their behaviour became so serious- Stanley Milgram’s examination of But it would be wrong to think of pursue profit above all else. The ly distorted that it was necessary to the role of obedience as “the dispo- this as a thin alibi concocted for the “externalisation” of the human and terminate the experiment prema- sitional cement that binds men to occasion. Rather it is a fundamen- environmental costs of business turely. systems of authority” was perhaps tal mode of thinking for a great activity are forever ratio- >>> 30 31 Direct Action www.direct-action.org.uk Summer 2009 a closer look nalised on this basis and the diffu- it is difficult to protect oneself from the slow death sion of any sense of individual caused by consumer culture. Human beings are every responsibility is effortlessly ingrain- ed in the corporate mindset. (See J. day and in numerous ways psychologically, socially, and Balkan, The Corporation, 2004.) spiritually assaulted by a culture which creates increas- ing material expectations; devalues human connected- As corporate capitalism has metas- ness; socialises people to be self-absorbed; obliterates tasised globally – 1,000 corporations self-reliance; alienates people from normal human emo- now account for some 80% of world trade – trends reveal growing levels tions; and sells false hope that creates more pain. of inequality, resource wars, pollu- B. E. Levine, tion and the surging rape of the Fundamentalist Consumerism and an Insane Society natural world. While a handful of billionaires bask in untold riches, millions go hungry. This isn’t due to that we are calculatingly manipu- Consensus trance is internalised by lack of resources – there’s more than lated into what Marx described as a us all to such a degree that we also enough food to go round. Global state of “false consciousness”. unconsciously become its agents. arms expenditure eclipses aid budg- Parents, for example, initiate their ets. The polar ice caps melt and still Powerful forces – family, school, TV, offspring into the rules and taboos governments fail to act decisively to advertising, parliament, the mili- of dominant culture, according to combat climate change. These are tary – fulfil a role which was once the instructions impressed upon no chance or random occurrences; the preserve of organised religion; them by their parents, teachers and they are all the direct result of the i.e. they construct a reality that the mass media. corporate capitalist takeover – protects and furthers our rulers’ power, profit and market forces con- interests. Unwitting slaves to work One aspect of today’s consensus joined in perfect (dis)harmony. and to the consumer dream, we are trance is consumer culture, a cul- ture wherein the trivial Today, the corporation is the pri- and banal take on pro- mary form of economic life. Some found importance. We transnational corporations are now are daily bombarded and larger and more powerful than many seduced by the artifice of nation states. As a matter of course celebrity, designer label they pursue their expansionist inter- fashion, soap operas, ests by funding political campaigns commercialised enter- and aggressively lobbying politi- tainment and the belief cians, politicians who, it seems, all that if we don’t own the too readily exchange a seat in par- latest “must have” liament for a seat in the corporate gizmo, or our football boardroom. With the securing of team doesn’t win, our political support, the corporate week will be ruined. agenda is thus given an appearance of legitimacy and consent. carefully conditioned to accept our The same pedagogy dupes us into (subordinate) place in the grand thinking that at election time we consensus trance social factory of profit. Ultimately, have real choice and that politi- we are taught to accept society, val- cians who, of course, have our best So why do so many people passively ues and behaviour as they are, not interests at heart, aren’t really accept the creeping corporate as they could or should be. lying, conniving slime balls, pan- takeover? Why do they fail to see dering to the whims of big busi- the interconnection between the This is achieved by replicating the ness. Amongst other lies in the fab- many crises which afflict us? Brute capitalist power infrastructure of ricated patchwork of untruths we force alone is evidently not a suffi- society through the dominant are subjected to, consensus trance cient explanation for our compli- superstructure of relationships, told us there were weapons of mass ance. One more credible theory is ideas and beliefs. The experimental destruction in Iraq and that we are psychologist, all middle class now. Most people are half awake, half dreaming, Charles T. Tart, and are unaware that most of what they even goes so far On an interpersonal basis, capital- hold to be true and self evident is illusion as to argue that ist consensus trance brings out the this conditioning produced by the suggestive influence of worst in us. A paradigmatic obses- renders us in a sion with power, wealth and status the social world in which they live. state of hypnosis is relentlessly drilled into us to Erich Fromm or “consensus legitimise the privileges of those trance”. on top. Aggressive dog-eat-dog indi- 32 Direct Action www.solfed.org.uk Summer 2009 a closer look vidualism is all traces them all back to common pervasive. sources. These sources are market Community break- forces, organised religion and hier- down and a whole archical power. For us, the only log- host of problems, ical solution therefore, lies in their from gang violence complete removal through progres- to alcoholism, are sive . all symptomatic of this. Growing emo- Revolution is a process, a process tional problems that can be started now by our con- and social disloca- scious intervention in every aspect tion directly corre- of social life that has been colonis- late with the ethos ed by profit and power. By our every- of consumerism. day defiance, thinking and experi- (see O. James, encing life beyond the false con- Affluenza, 2006 and sciousness imprinted by religion, The Selfish Capitalist, 2007.) gion and corporate capitalism are patriarchy and corporate trance different means of achieving the “reality”, we can truly begin to This is what the situationists same objective – keeping the rediscover ourselves and reaffirm described as the “poverty of every- “haves” in power over the “have our sense of interconnectedness. day life”, a poverty that goes way nots”. Needless to say, when this beyond the mere material. mind control breaks down and the The logical realisation of our col- masses rebel, the full force of the lective individuation is not some religious terror state kicks in to restore “order”. cheap self-indulgent mystical escapism, but a real, profound and As western corporate coca-colonisa- destroy power, not people lasting social transformation. This tion has stamped its uniform brand transformation will ultimately pave across the globe, some marginalised Fifty four years ago, Erich Fromm‘s the way for a new social order, a populations have sought refuge in prescient musings on the state of social order that relies not on robot- another form of trance reality – humanity went like this: ism, force or mass deception for its religious fundamentalism. But reli- survival, but one founded on gen- Man (sic) today is confronted with gious fundamentalism, whether of uine liberty, equality and unity. the most fundamental choice; not the Zionist, Christian or Islamic This change is only achievable with between capitalism and commu- variety, has proved to be just as strong collective organisation, nism, but that between robotism (of divisive and intolerant as capital- international solidarity and posi- both capitalist and communist vari- ism of those who are unwilling to tive social action. ety), or humanistic communitarian submit to its doctrines. The lega- socialism. Most facts seem to indi- cies of the most resurgent form of Our goal, to save ourselves and our cate he is choosing robotism and fundamentalism, Islamism, are the planet, is to create an ecologically that means in the long run insanity terrorist abominations of 9/11 and sustainable global society organ- and destruction. But all these facts 7/7, the execution of homosexuals, ised without hierarchical power, are not strong enough to destroy honour killings, the flogging of based on mutual aid and voluntary faith in man’s reason, good will and rape victims, the persecution of cooperation – from each according sanity. As long as we can think of non-believers and so on. to ability to each according to need. other alternatives we are not lost. For some people, the predatory In a world that is crying out for A unified and coherent explanation instincts of corporate capitalism change, we simply cannot afford to of the material, ecological and and its imperialist incursions are accept anything less. social crises facing us today, erroneously explained away, not in economic or political terms, but in religious or racial ones. Nonethe- No change of government or system of government, no less, as many critics have noted, the programme of reforms however “radical” can significant- rulers of many Islamic states enjoy ly better our situation. Only the overthrow of capitalism – decadent riches and fruitful busi- the system of state and exchange economy which exists ness relations with western rulers, obliterating dissent and holding in every country in the world – will end the social divi- their repressed populations in dire sion and alienation, the exploitation and oppression that poverty as they do so. Economic make up our lives. Only then will it be possible to power interests evidently transcend achieve a genuine community, without racial, sexual or national and religious boundaries. class division or exploitation. Workers Playtime The mind control of organised reli- 33 Direct Action www.direct-action.org.uk Summer 2009 SF literature A Short History of Anarcho- Principles of Syndicalism in Britain Revolutionary Unionism SF Booklets from its origins in prices include UK post & packing; (continued from page 2) the mid 19th cen- cheques payable to “Direct Action”; 4 tury up to SF in . Revolutionary unionism is opposed contact [email protected] or the present day to all organisational tendencies inspired 07 984 675 281 for bulk prices by the centralism of state and church, £0.50 because these can only serve to prolong new An Introduction to the survival of the state and authority Anarcho-Syndicalism and to systematically stifle the spirit of The Economics of Freedom initiative and independence of thought. a brief outline of the the economy of the Centralism is the artificial organisation alternative to the future will be shaped that subjects the so-called lower classes problems of capital- by the people there at to those who claim to be superior, and ism and the elitism the time but, rather that leaves in the hands of the few the of party builders than fall back on ab- affairs of the whole community, the £1.00 stract principles & con- individual being turned into a robot with controlled gestures and move- Building a Revolutionary Union cepts, this is a model (not a ments. In the centralised organisation, straightjacket) of how it could work for Education Workers society’s good is subordinated to the £2.50 interests of the few, variety is replaced an introduction to by uniformity and personal responsibil- the Education ity is replaced by rigid discipline. Workers’ Network Consequently, revolutionary unionism £0.50 bases its social vision on a broad feder- alist organisation; i.e, an organisation The Bolsheviks organised from the bottom up, the unit- and Workers by Maurice ing of all forces in the defence of com- Brinton mon ideas and interests. Control 5. Revolutionary unionism rejects all exposing the Out of the Frying Pan - a criti- parliamentary activity and all collabo- Leninist 'history' cal look at works councils £1.50 ration with legislative bodies because it of the strug- Anarcho-Syndicalism in knows that even the freest voting sys- gle for con- Puerto Real - from shipyard resistance to tem cannot bring about the disappear- trol of direct democracy and community control £1.00 ance of the clear contradictions at the Russia’s workplaces in 1917-21 and Health & Safety at Work - an anarcho-syn- core of present day society and because providing a backbone to understand- dicalist approach £1.50 the parliamentary system has only one ing why the Revolution failed goal: to lend a pretence of legitimacy to Skills for Action: Writing and Talking - the reign of falsehood and social injus- £3.00 notes on effective communication £1.00 tice. A History of Anarcho-Syndicalism - charting the development of 6. Revolutionary unionism rejects all anarcho-syndicalist principles and practice in 24 booklets grouped into 4 political and national frontiers, which blocks - download free from www.solfed.org.uk or order hard copies: are arbitrarily created, and declares that so-called nationalism is just the religion single units £1.00 each; block of 6 units £5.00 each; all 24 units £18.00 of the modern state, behind which are Block 1 - Intro: Origins Block 3 - International Organisa- concealed the material interests of the of Capitalism * Britain: tion * British Anarcho-Syndicalism propertied classes. Revolutionary The Radical Period * * Spain (4 units): Build-up to unionism recognises only economic dif- The 1st International * Revolution * Culture, Education, ferences, whether regional or national, France: Early Revolu- Women & Sexuality * Revolution that produce hierarchies, privileges and tionary Unions * Revo- & Civil War * The Collectives every kind of oppression (because of race, sex and any false or real differ- lutionary Syndicalism in Block 4 Britain: The Era of Britain & Ireland (2 units) ence), and in the spirit of solidarity Reform * Britain: Decline of claims the right to self-determination Block 2 - Mexico: Colonialism & Social Democracy * Global Anarcho- for all economic groups. Revolution * USA: The Wobblies * Syndicalism * Freedom, Oppression 7. For the identical reason, revolution- Anarcho-Syndicalism in Argentina * & Rebellion * Morality, Culture & ary unionism fights against militarism Sweden: 1889-1939 * Russia: 1850- Tactics * The Spirit of Anarcho- and war. Revolutionary unionism advo- 1930 (2 units) Syndicalism cates anti-war propaganda and the replacement of standing armies, which are only the instruments of counter-rev- olution at the service of capitalism, by back issues: workers’ militias which, during the rev- olution, will be controlled by the work- 1 to 4 issues £1 each ers’ unions; it demands, as well, the boycott and embargo of all raw materi- 5 to 9 issues 80p each als and products necessary to war, with 10 or more issues 70p each the exception of a country where the workers are in the midst of social revo- 34 Direct Action www.solfed.org.uk Summer 2009 contacts lution, in which case we should help them defend the revolution. Finally, revolutionary unionism advocates the SolFed-IWA contacts preventive and revolutionary general National contact point: International Workers’ Association: strike as a means of opposing war and militarism. PO Box 29, South West DO, Poštanski Pretinac 6, 11077 Beograd, 8 Manchester, M15 5HW; Serbia; +38 (0)1 63 26 37 75; . Revolutionary unionism recognises 07 984 675 281; [email protected]; [email protected]; the need for production which does not damage the environment, and www.solfed.org.uk. www.iwa-ait.org. which seeks to minimise the use of Northampton: Blackcurrent Centre, finite resources, and wherever possible |locals 24 St Michael Avenue, Northampton, to use sustainable alternatives. It iden- Brighton: c/o National contact point; NN1 4JQ; [email protected]. tifies the drive for profit, rather than ignorance, as the root of the present [email protected]. North London: PO Box 1681, London, environmental crisis. Capitalist pro- Edinburgh: 17 West Montgomery Pl., N8 7LE; [email protected]. duction must always seek to minimise Edinburgh, EH7 5HA; 07 896 621 313; Preston: PO Box 469, Preston, PR1 8XF; costs in pursuit of an ever-increasing [email protected]. 07 707 256 682; [email protected] rate of profit in order to exist, and can- : PO Box 17773, London, not protect the environment. In partic- Liverpool: c/o News From Nowhere, South London ular, the world debt crisis has acceler- 96 Bold Street, Liverpool, L1 4HY; SE8 4WX; 07 956 446 162; southlondonsf@ ated the drive towards cash crops at [email protected]. solfed.org.uk; southlondonsf.org.uk. the expense of subsistence farming. Manchester: PO Box 29, SWDO, Man- South West: c/o National contact This is responsible for rainforest chester, M15 5HW; 07 984 675 281; point; [email protected]. destruction, famine and disease. The fight to save the planet and the fight to [email protected]; mail list: West Yorkshire: PO Box 75, Hebden destroy capitalism must go hand in [email protected]. Bridge, HX7 8WB; [email protected]. hand or both will fail. Milton Keynes: c/o Northampton SF 9 . Revolutionary unionism asserts |other local contacts Scarborough: c/o West Yorkshire SF itself to be a supporter of the method Bolton: c/o Manchester SF of direct action, and aids and encour- Sheffield: c/o West Yorkshire SF ages all struggles that are not in con- Coventry / W. Mids: c/o Northampton SF Hertfordshire: PO Box 493, St tradiction to its own goals. Its methods Ipswich & Suffolk: c/o N. London SF Albans, AL1 5TW of struggle are: strikes, boycotts, sabo- tage, etc. Direct action reaches its Western Approaches: freesheet from deepest expression in the general |other contacts & info South West SF. strike, which should also be, from the Catalyst (freesheet): c/o S London SF; point of view of revolutionary union- ‘A History of Anarcho-Syndicalism’: ism, the prelude to the social revolu- [email protected]. 24 pamphlets downloadable free from tion. Education Workers’ Network: c/o www.selfed.org.uk. 10. While revolutionary unionism is Liverpool SF; [email protected]; SolFed Industrial Strategy / The opposed to all organised violence www.ewn.org.uk; [email protected]. Stuff Your Boss Does Not Want You regardless of the kind of government, Health & Care Workers Initiative: To Know: leaflets available online at it realises that there will be extremely c/o Northampton SolFed. www.solfed.org.uk; bundles from SF violence clashes during the decisive struggles between the capitalism of Kowtowtonone: freesheet from West national contact point for free / dona- today and the free communism of Yorkshire SF. tion. tomorrow. Consequently, it recognises as valid that violence that may be used |friends & neighbours as a means of defence against the vio- The Leveller / Organise!: anarchist / lent methods used by the ruling class- 56a : books, music, library, syndicalist news & views; 50p from es during the struggles that lead up to archive, social / meeting space; 56a 9-11 Lombard St., Belfast, BT1 1RB; the revolutionary populace expropriat- Crampton St, London, SE17 3AE; open [email protected] ing the lands and means of produc- Thur 2-8, Fri 3-7, Sat 2-6. www.libcom.org: anarchist news & tion. As this expropriation can only be carried out and brought to a successful AK Press: anarchist publisher / distro; resources conclusion by the direct intervention PO Box 12766, Edinburgh, EH8 9YE; London Coalition Against Poverty: of the workers’ revolutionary economic 0131 555 265; [email protected]; [email protected] organisations, defence of the revolu- www.akuk.com. [email protected]; tion must also be the task of these eco- Freedom: anarchist fortnightly; 84b 07 932 241 737. nomic organisations and not of a mili- tary or quasi-military body developing Whitechapel High St, London, E1 7QX; National Shop Stewards Network: independently of them. www.freedompress.org.uk. http://www.shopstewards.net. 11. Only in the economic and revolu- Kate Sharpley Library: full catalogue - Resistance: Anarchist Federation tionary organisations of the working BM Hurricane, London, WC1N 3XX; freesheet; c/o 84b Whitechapel High class are there forces capable of bring- www.katesharpleylibrary.net. St, London, E1 7QX; www.afed.org.uk. ing about its liberation and the neces- Left Luggage: non-aligned discussion ToxCat: exposing polluters, pollution & sary creative energy for the reorganisa- tion of society on the basis of libertari- site for working class self-organisation; cover ups – £2 PO Box 29, Ellesmere an communism. www.theleftluggage.wordpress.com. Port, CH66 3TX. 35