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2. Jan/Feb 2007—Number 8 AGAINST WAGE-LABOUR 1 AGAINST WAGE-LABOUR Communism is for us not a state of affairs which is to be established, an ideal to which reality [will] have to adjust itself. We call communism the real movement which abolishes the present state of things. The conditions of this movement re- sult from the premises now in existence. New Planet (1921), by Konstantin Yuon. (German Ideology)* Issue 8 2007 Editorial Committee: Nancy LaPlante, Naser Editorial: Every human worker matters………………………………2 Paydar, Omid Zareian, 1. Mohsen Hakimi: Socialism as Movement versus Socialism as Mohsen Hakimi, Farhad Rahimi Theory ……………………………………………………………..5 2. Nancy LaPlante: The Story of One Worker is a Story for all Workers…………………………………………………………...10 3. Naser Paydar: Bolshevism and the October Revolution........15 4. Nancy LaPlante: China Blue..................................................23 5. The Internationalist Perspective: Our Only Power: Solidari- ty!...........................................................................................25 6. Omid Zareian: Pushing Back with OCAP...............................26 7. Futureoftheunion: Workers Speak Out Against Sacking At WWW.AGAINSTWAGE.COM Ford Australia.........................................................................27 [email protected] 8. Sign This Petition...................................................................29 9. Anti-Wage-Labour Collective Activists: Letter to OCAP.........30 2. Jan/Feb 2007—Number 8 AGAINST WAGE-LABOUR 2 Editorial EVERY HUMAN WORKER MAT- tion. From workers comes a natu- abolishing ‘wage-slavery’. Bolshe- TERS ral struggle to make more money, vism only changed the name of the because it is the money, or wages, governing body to ‘Communism’, Nancy LaPlante that permit us to have more free- with the goal of socialism being a Wherever we are in the world there doms within the capitalist monetary ‘utopia’. A large-scale presence of are workers in countless industries system. Any political aim coming workers such as what was existing working to earn a living. From eve- from outside of workers with slo- in Russia in the early 1900’s for the ry group of workers to each and gans such as those of ‘freedom’, establishment of socialism against every individual worker there is the ruling tsars, should have a story of a human being and been focusing on the goal of their environment, their situa- establishing councils. The so- tion. The significance of wor- cialism of working from outside king on people’s lives is enor- of the workers, such as that mous. There is a song that I upheld by ‘professional recall as a child titled “Birth, revolutionaries’ or ‘left School, Work, Death”. We are sectarians’, i.e. what the all born into the world of inequa- Bolsheviks and Lenin suppor- lities. Class inequality becomes ted, contrasts with socialism our defining features. Many being an existing, living move- people self-identify according to ment. This contrast is descri- their jobs. As living beings we bed and analyzed in Mohsen need food and shelter and are Hakimi’s article – ”Socialism as social creatures. We must eat Movement Versus Socialism as and therefore in order to have Theory. While one concept of food we either grow it, or in socialism sprouts from theory, most cases, buy it. To have or ‘democracy’, or ‘equality’, cannot the second germinates from the do, we must have money and to truly meet the profound needs of soil of worker’s feet and hearts, have money we must earn wages, workers. This is one of the funda- praxis. The living struggle by wor- which is to wage-slave. From this mental mistakes of The October kers and for workers is active in the activity, we toil to earn a living. Our Revolution and is described in world today. That is, socialism is nature is to be free of the chains of great detail in this issue’s article of alive and well in many frontiers working. This freedom is economic Bolshevism and the October Revo- around the world. Several articles in nature, and dictated by politics. lution by Naser Paydar. This very within this issue, elucidate just It is fundamental that this is an eco- significant historical revolution is some of the struggles, and their nomic status first, therefore any important as a basis for learning connections to each other. We as political group or stance, which en- both the mistakes and the succes- workers may not be able to relate ters from above or outside of ‘the ses, and as frequently mentioned to many other human beings’ working condition’ is not sufficient in all issues of Against the Wage languages or cultures, or customs, to provide for workers. labour, is the requirement to have a however, we can all easily relate to Workers are the root of the solu- main goal of a socialist council of another human who works to earn 2. Jan/Feb 2007—Number 8 AGAINST WAGE-LABOUR 3 Editorial wages to survive and enjoy this Worker-activists are struggling to as outlined in another article within brief life that we were born into. mobilize workers and fight back this issue, takes direct action also against injustices such as menial in its own backyard. In this particu- Around the world there are nume- wages, poor working conditions, lar instance, OCAP uses direct ac- rous strikes and rallies by workers insufficient housing and social as- tion to take housing, squat an that are happening daily. Ex- sistance rates – some activists ha- abandoned home. It is incredible amples in this issue include Ford ving the goal to ultimately end that in such a wealthy society, ho- Australia firing workers and relying wage-slavery and build the society mes sit empty, while thousands of on the easily recruited contract, bit by bit through worker councils. people beg for decent, affordable temporary workers. The beauty of In Iran, there are four activists fa- housing. While we are forced to this for the capitalists is that it crea- cing jail time for the simple, yet im- work and struggle within the capita- tes a division, even a hierarchy, portant, act of celebrating Mayday, list system with reformist demands, among workers. Workers may end the international worker’s day. we also do not care about capita- up fighting each other to survive, These worker-activists are organi- lism in that we must often step out- after all, each and every one of us zing workers and being severely side of its own agenda and show matters. Similarly, there is a leaflet punished from every human that we know it is a severely- that Belgium Volkswagen workers beings’ right to organize. A petition skewed system of favoritism based distributed at a rally, outlining the is currently being signed on the on economics. We don’t care nature of capitalism and how it Ontario Coalition Against Poverty’s about this, and therefore will use works – through lay-offs of wor- (OCAP) website www.ocap.ca to direct action to take housing, to kers, to the use of trade unions, show international solidarity for the- take food, to strike and rally as hu- which are key pawns in this nasty se worker-activists. We do not ap- mans trying to live a dignified life. game of capitalism, where the la- peal to the rich governments rather bour of one individual worker can Two other examples of individual to draw attention to these struggles be replaced by another. The auto workers reveal their attempts for a and demonstrate support from one industry is a key industry that dignified full life. ‘China Blue’ is a worker on one side of our huge comes to the forefront of many documentary film review about a world to another worker on the smaller worker struggles as it has young worker in China wage- other side of the earth. OCAP, a attained a level of importance in slaving in order to help her peasant militant anti-poverty organization capitalism. Unfortunately, as capi- family in rural China. For a wes- based out of Toronto, Canada is talism is increasingly a global sys- tern worker, the brutality of the wor- demonstrating the importance of tem with fewer and fewer state pro- king conditions is obvious, but what solidarity and speaking out against tections, workers from within and is also important to grasp is that we the injustices of capitalism by hos- from outside of different states are have this connection to each other. ting this petition – in response to pitted against each other. Capita- That when we provide our labour this petition there is a note of lism is an ever-evolving system, force for our boss, this can be thanks from the worker-activists. growing, and ultimately always har- straightforwardly replaced by This is a basic activity of solidarity ming human beings who work for another human being’s labour for- by OCAP and deeply appreciated someone else. ce. As much as we have connec- and recognized by worker-activists tions to each other, there are intra- There is always hope to end this with similar goals in Iran. OCAP, class divisions. Workers in China abominable serious condition. 2. Jan/Feb 2007—Number 8 AGAINST WAGE-LABOUR 4 Editorial work very long hours without bene- in Belgium, Australia or wherever, Argentina, Mexico, China, many of fits or job security, which are developing however, the wor- and using worker kers in North Ame- councils for true wor- rica come a close ker activity and cont- second in terms of rol. The councils use security as the ba- consensus decision- ses of many com- making where collec- panies move to tively, each worker states which permit co-operates and has cheaper labour a voice to control costs and therefore production and distri- higher profits. Si- bution of their goods milarly due to the or services. What is economic dispari- crucial is maintaining ties between sta- a goal of ending tes, millions of wor- wage-slavery.
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