WORLD NEWS AND POLITICS:
PAKISTAN FLOODS IN PERSPECTIVE:

The slow moving disaster in Pakistan changes its numbers every day. As I write today there are an estimated 20 million people affected. The reported death rate of 1,600 seems to have its meter stuck. The reason is that calculating those effected is simple. Simply take the pre-flood population of areas now underwater if you want a measure of the affected. Death rates are much harder to estimate in a country where the means of communication have basically been cut off in the flooded areas and huge numbers of people are on the move. The figure of 1,600 is undoubtedly far lower than the actual toll by at least an order of magnitude ie 16,000 is probably a low estimate while 160,000 is probably too high. While this is not of the same magnitude as the 1938, 1931, and 1887 floods in the Huang He (Yellow) river basin in China even the probable lower number easily earns this flood a place amongst the worst floods in history. For more info on the largest floods in history see here, here and here.

Still, this is certainly the largest recorded flood in the country of Pakistan. Members of Winnipeg's Pakistani community have been fund raising for disaster relief since the beginning. This has mostly been done through the Association of Pakistani Canadians, 348 Ross Ave., Winnipeg, MB R3E 0L4. Phone # 204-943-6928. Get in touch with them if you would like to donate. The funds raised will go via the Red Cross (forwarded to the Pakistani Red Crescent), and Human Concern International. You might also donate via these organizations. The latter is particularly interesting as they claim that 95% of funds donated go directly to relief work, something that might give some pause in the case of other charities.

All that being said there is something quite disturbing about the response or lack thereof of the international community to the Pakistani floods. Molly reproduces below one anarchist comment on this from the website of the Irish Workers' Solidarity Movement. In actial fact the glaring contrasts between the response of international governments and their spending on what they consider important is far more glaring than the following suggests. I'll speak more about this at the end of this post.
PAPAPAPAPA
Response to Pakistan floods shows barbarism of system
Date: Tue, 2010-08-17 14:31
Radio, television and newspaper reports of the recent devastating floods in Pakistan are at last beginning to refer to the sheer scale of the problems faced by the victims. Figures for the number of people affected vary widely. According to the Irish Minister of State for Overseas Development Peter Power, reported in today’s (Tuesday) Irish Times, “the United Nations estimated that 40 million people had been left homeless; that eight million of those were in urgent need of immediate food and shelter; and that the combination of rising water and humidity had made a cholera epidemic a real danger”. RTE’s website says “Aid agencies are saying that the world does not fully understand the scale of the flooding disaster ….. One fifth of the country has been hit by severe flooding, with more than 20m people affected…..The UN believes up to 3.5m children are now at risk of contracting water-borne diseases….”.

Whatever the numbers, it is clear that the devastation caused is unprecedented. Apart from the immediate short-term needs in terms of shelter, food and clean water, the Pakistani poor and working class are facing food shortages, higher food prices and increased poverty and deprivation for considerable time to come. Already the price of vegetables has increased by about 100%, sugar has gone up by over 20%, and the price of other staple foodstuffs has rocketed. Transport prices too have soared as operators exploit the desperation of those trying to flee the devastated areas.

Caught between the authoritarianism of a corrupt government which spends huge amounts annually on its military - the defence budget for 2010/11 increased by 17% to 442.2billion rupees (over 4billion Euros) – and the authoritarianism of the Taliban ‘rebels’, the ordinary people of Pakistan face a seemingly hopeless situation. Protests have broken out across the country demanding much-needed aid and support for the victims.

The United Nations Secretary General has announced its biggest ever relief effort and made an appeal for $460million (€358million). The response of the world’s governments has been pathetically slow with less than a quarter of this amount pledged.

It’s worth stopping for a moment and considering a couple of figures – Pakistani government military spending this year at €4billion will be over 10 times the total flood relief pledged by the United Nations. The Irish government meanwhile will throw €24billion (do the maths – that’s over 60 times the total flood relief pledged by the United Nations!) down the Anglo Irish Bank black hole and into the pockets of wealthy speculators.

And they tell us that capitalism works!
PAPAPAPAPA
Here are some facts that put what is happening in Pakistan and the world's response to it in perspective:
>>The article above mentions the yearly military budget for Pakistan. Right next door to this country the US military is waging what may turn out to be its longest war ever. In 2009 the USA spent $3.6 billion a month on this war. According to an article in USA Today the cost by February of this year had climbed to $6.7 billion a month, and by the end of 2010 the Afghan war will be costing $8.9 billion a month. The estimated cost in 2011 will be $9.75 billion a month. So far the USA has pledged (not delivered yet) $70 million. Take out your handy dandy calculators. That 70 million amounts to a little less than 4/5ths of one percent of what the US is presently spending per month on their operations in Pakistan's neighbour. I think this shows just how "seriously" the US takes the welfare of people in Pakistan.
>>To add injury to insult the USA has not even called at least a temporary halt to its remote controlled terrorism in Pakistan. Just last Saturday US missiles fired from a drone killed 12 people in the village of Issori in North Waziristan.
>>Meanwhile each and every US military helicopter that arrives in Pakistan is sure to get its own golden glowing press release. At the same time as its missiles were raining down on Issori last Saturday a "wonderful" total of 2 came to flood aid. On Monday this was doubled to an "astounding" total of four. I wonder how many US helicopters are in Afghanistan. Surely the US military could at least slow down on its attacks on wedding parties and other such things to divert a few more of them to Pakistan. There'll still be crowds of Afghans left over to attack later after all.
>>Finally, in perhaps the starkest light, the pledged US aid to Pakistan is almost exactly the same as another sum that was recently in the news. The 70 or 76 million dollars is about the same sum that Madonna recently paid in a divorce settlement to be able to ditch her latest husband. That says it all.

ANARCHIST PUBLICATIONS:

THE IRISH ANARCHIST REVIEW:

A new bright star in the anarchist constellation...The Irish Anarchist Review, published by the Irish Workers' Solidarity Movement. Upholding their long tradition of sensible and solid analysis the WSM has produced a winner with this one. Here's the announcement and a foretaste. You can download the full issue here.

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Announcing the WSM Irish Anarchist Review Issue 1

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Welcome to the first issue of The Irish Anarchist Review, the new political magazine from the Workers Solidarity Movement. This magazine will explore ideas and practical struggles that can teach us about building a revolutionary movement today. We decided to cease printing Red & Black Revolution, and start this project, aimed at provoking debate and discussion among anarchists and the left. For this purpose, we will be pursuing a non-sectarian approach, taking ideas from various left currents, mainstream discourse, and reflections on experiences of life and struggle. We will take, print, and discuss, anything that we find useful for our needs. We hope that readers will have a similar attitude, and will use the magazine to discuss, debate and develop ideas. We will also welcome submissions and responses to articles.

This issue is shaped by the current financial crisis, and more particularly, by the reactions of the Irish political and capitalist classes, as they pursue an aggressive strategy of cutbacks. We have seen the implosion of the building sector, the foundering of the banks upon corruption and incompetence and the failure of our foreign investment based economic model. Moreover, we have seen that the government response has been to protect the banks and builders by transferring wealth from social services, public pay and increased taxation straight into bank bailouts and NAMAland. This needs to be identified for what it is: an act of outright class warfare.

We are faced with a situation where a strong and organised response to government attacks is absolutely necessary, but is constrained by the prevailing ideology and practice of partnership. The most pressing concern for Irish radicals today is to build a labour movement that rejects the corporatist mentality and service-delivery model of ICTU and poses instead workers self-organisation as the basis for struggle. With this in mind, this and future issues will look for inspiration in revitalising class-based politics.

The weakening of Irish organised labour through the Celtic Tiger period is examined by James R's article, http://www.wsm.ie/c/unions-after-celtic-tiger and he poses some requirements for the emergence of a class movement that can deal with the threats of the present while bearing a vision of a better future. Andrew Flood looks at some of the positive http://www.wsm.ie/content/consequences-24th-november-public-sector-strike elements of recent struggles,emphasising the possibilities for self-organisation http://www.wsm.ie/c/capitalist-crisis-union-resistance-ireland and direct action made visible in the recent struggles.

We feature two articles that try to learn from the experiences of radicals internationally. Ronan McAoidh reviews the work of Swedish group, KaÌmpa Tillsammans!, http://www.wsm.ie/content/faceless-resistance which argues that affinity between workers, not just union organisation, is the basis of successful struggles. An interview with Alex Foti http://www.wsm.ie/c/mayday-interview-alex-foti explores organising tactics that try to deal with the growing trend of flexible working conditions.

The reviews also tie into this theme, assessing the development of an American working-class counter-culture http://www.wsm.ie/c/iww-revolutionary-working-class-culture and, by looking at workplace blogging, http://www.wsm.ie/c/checkout-life-tills discussing some ways in which this can be done today.

Overall, this issue attempts to learn from the current weakness of the Irish working class, and explores both the origins of this weakness and some routes towards a combative class movement, capable of disrupting the ruling class offensive on living and working conditions and posing an altogether different vision of society, and, most importantly, a way of getting there.

WORDS : DARA MCAOIDH

Articles

Reflections on the 24th November
http://www.wsm.ie/content/consequences-24th-november-public-sector-strike
On the 24th of November something extraordinary happened. Some 250,000 workers acted together in a day-long strike against the public sector wage cuts planned by the government. The vast majority of these workers had never gone on strike before, yet across almost all workplaces the strike involved 90% or more of those working.

Capitalist crisis and union resistance in Ireland
http://www.wsm.ie/c/capitalist-crisis-union-resistance-ireland
Late 2008 saw the Irish capitalist class wage a major ideological struggle against the Irish working class. They called for workers to bear the brunt of the capitalist crisis. Print media, TV and radio carried segment after segment where well-paid commentators argued that workers, in particular public sector workers, were earning too much, had overly generous pensions and that the public had unrealistic expectations of public services.

The usefulness of Faceless Resistance http://www.wsm.ie/content/faceless-resistance
Although Faceless Resistance as a concept has been discussed among radical circles in Sweden for several years, it has only recently begun to be noticed in the English speaking world, primarily due to delays in texts being translated. In this article I will look primarily at the work of Kampa Tillsammans, who developed the core ideas of Faceless Resistance, but I will also situate these ideas in their historical and social context and introduce other tendencies that have been influenced by and adapted some of the theory.

Mayday had become like a funeral - interview with Alex Foti
http://www.wsm.ie/c/mayday-interview-alex-foti
In the middle years of this decade, Alex Foti became known across activist circles for involvement in the Euromayday Parades. In a special themed issue of Green Pepper, Foti and the Chain Workers Collective sketched a very attractive understanding of the work discipline of contemporary capitalism. In their understanding, society had found itself in a situation of profound disjuncture with our working pasts - life today was defined by contingent employment rather than the traditional job for life.

The unions after the celtic tiger http://www.wsm.ie/c/unions-after-celtic-tiger
A rather strange figure is moving to centre stage in Irish politics, that of the trade unions - absent from mass struggles until recently and weakened over the decades of social partnership, they are now the only possible source of a movement that can confront attempts to transfer the cost of the recession to working people. This statement does not come with out some qualms.

Checkout: Life On The Tills http://www.wsm.ie/c/checkout-life-tills
Anna Samâ, as you might guess, is a pseudonym, the handle of a French blogger who decided to put her years behind the till to good use on a website describing the day-to- day experience of supermarket workers in all its tedious glory. In a way it's refreshing to discover that the psychology of the checkout girl / boy appears to be the same wherever you go - my own days at Centra and the like are well imprinted on the brain, but they could have been an atypical reflection of my general misanthropy, grumpiness and ill will towards the rest of the species.

Review: The IWW and The Making of a Revolutionary Working Class Counter culture
http://www.wsm.ie/c/iww-revolutionary-working-class-culture
The book can be read in a number of ways; on one hand it rescues the IWW from Stalinist critics that fashionably flounced after Russian Bolshevism; it gives insight to the politics and personalities of the union itself and rescues Hill the man. But as suggested by the subtitle, itâs Rosemont's treatment of how the IWW built a counter hegemonic working class culture that is the most interesting facet of this brick thick work.

ATM eating your hand for bills

All photos used in this publication were sourced under a Creative Commons License on Flickr.com.
The following user names are credited. Page 3, 4 and 16: Infomatique. Page 6, 12 : Antrophe. Page 7: Asid- script. Page 8 and 10 Cinocino. Page 15: pasukaru Page 14: Mlibrarianus and Laburbuja. Page 15: alam- osbasement Page 18: Artecallejoro. Page 20: Cashen. Page 21: Erikwdavis. Page 23: Bear Clause.
Frontpage illustration: helene pertl Backpage illustration: lisa crowne

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Irish Anarchist Review Facebook fan page
http://www.facebook.com/workers.solidarity

Launch of Irish Anarchist Review - audio recording of launch at Dublin anarchist bookfair
http://www.wsm.ie/c/launch-irish-anarchist-review

PDF of Issue 1 of Irish Anarchist Review 6.61 MB
http://www.wsm.ie/sites/default/files/IrishAnarachistReview1.pdf

INTERNATIONAL ANARCHIST MOVEMENT-BELFAST:

MAY DAY IN BELFAST:

May day, the real Labour Day, is fast approaching, and anarchists across the world are preparing to celebrate. I've already mentioned what will be happening in London, Ontario. From the other side of the pond here's what will be going on in Belfast, Northern Ireland. From the A-Infos site...

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Ireland, Anarchism & Mayday in Belfast:

Mayday is a time of reflecting and renewing the proud tradition of working-class resistance and commitment to social revolution. The spirit of class struggle continues to burn in all of us from the Visteon workplace occupations to the school occupations in Glasgow and beyond. As we continue to bear the brunt of job cuts, house evictions and police brutality, the powerful message of direct action and solidarity against the bosses and the state is as relevant and necessary as ever before.

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“They are the crisis, we are the solution”

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The WSM Belfast branch are calling on people to join us for the annual Mayday march on Saturday, 2nd May, organised by the Irish Congress of Trade Unions. Assemble at 12pm at York Street/Art College. Look out for the red and black banners.

Branch secretary Michael McGovern said: “Over a century after that first May Day demonstration in Chicago, where are we? We need independent working class politics. No collaboration with government and bosses. Real solidarity with fellow workers in struggle, not a blinkered sectional outlook. The Visteon workers are leading example and it is about time we do the same.”

As part of this year’s activities the Anarchist Communist Discussion Group formed by the WSM, will be hosting a talk on ‘The roots of Mayday and its relevance today.” The talk will take place on Tuesday 5th May at 7pm in the Belfast Unemployment Centre, 45/47 Donegall Street in the city centre.

The ACDG aims to create monthly informal public discussions, to debate and analyse all areas of labour and revolutionary history.

To encourage debate within the wider anarchist/libertarian movement on present areas of struggle. Action without theory is blind and often futile, but theory without action is ultimately sterile and no use to anyone.

To spread and articulate the vision of revolutionary anarchist communism.

We are open to speakers from other political and social organisations. If you have any ideas or suggestions for future meetings, please do not hesitate to get in touch with us.

Contact details:

belfastwsm@yahoo.com

07928479308

INTERNATIONAL LABOUR:

COMMUNITY STANDS BEHIND WATERFORD CRYSTAL WORKERS:

The following item is from, of all places, the Irish Sunday Business Post. It is valuable for two reasons. One is that it shows how the community of Waterford has pulled together behind the workers occupying the factory. The other thing, perhaps even more significant, is the brief mention of how the workers involved have actually been carrying on the normal business of the centre-in the absence of both management and the parasitic owners. Yes, it can be done. Workers can indeed run workplaces democratically without the "benevolent" hand of managers, either private or government. It is unfortunate that the imagination of the union involved only extends so far as to hoping for a private buy-out or, at most nationalization. The Waterford Crystal factory would be a prime candidate for a producers' co-op. It has an assured market, and its products are easily distributed without having massive funds tied up in inventory. If the government were to get involved at all it should merely be in the form of guaranteeing credit for such a venture. To say the least helping to save the Waterford plant would be far more "stimulatory" than most other government plans. By continuing to ship product and maintaining the furnaces the workers have demonstrated that they are capable and more than competent enough to run the enterprise on their own. Why not ?

Here's the article.

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Waterford on the precipice:

Sunday, February 08, 2009

By Nicola Cooke

Not one Jasper Con ran or John Rocha designed glass is out of place at the Waterford Crystal visitor centre, but protesting workers not customers now throng the centre. Camera crews hired by American director Michael Moore(Oh God!-Molly) spent some of last week recording the workers’ sit-in for a documentary on worldwide workplace protests.

The occupation at the centre, which is on the outskirts of the medieval city, began nine days ago after workers were told by receiver David Carson that manufacturing was to stop, with immediate effect. This was despite Carson being in talks with two interested parties, KPS Capital and Clarion Capital, about a takeover of troubled company Waterford Wedgwood. Workers want their redundancies rescinded before they will leave the building.

The sit-in has become a community effort, with thousands of euro already contributed to a workers’ relief fund. Bakers are supplying fresh bread on a daily basis to the Waterford staff restaurant - which has been stocked for free by local suppliers - and there are even toilet cleaning rotas.

Staff have been mild-mannered and restrained. Employees who were recently sacked have continued to work shifts to keep the plant’s furnace burning - without which glass products could not be made, and which would cost several million euro to replace if it was shut down.

‘‘We shipped thousands of euro worth of crystal to Britain today, and orders for thousands of euro more are still coming in - this business is not a sinking ship, and we are not going to let it go down that easily,” said Unite shop steward Joe Kelly, an industrial engineer who has worked for 36 years at the Kilbarry crystal plant.

‘‘Waterford Crystal is a globally recognised brand that can still make big profits, and this city and county cannot afford to lose such an icon. Directly, there are 700 jobs under threat, but indirectly there are thousands more from transport and logistics, to catering and cleaning contractors. This visitor centre had 350,000 visitors last year - the third-highest number of people to visit any such centre in Ireland last year - we can’t let a huge draw like that just slip through our fingers,” Kelly said.

The impact a closure, or partial closure, of the factory would have on general trade and business in Waterford has not been lost on any of the local business people.

Waterford Chamber of Commerce chief executive Monica Leech said that to lose Waterford Crystal would be a ‘‘huge economical and psychological blow’’ for the city, and said that its direct benefit to the local economy had been estimated at €40million by economists.

‘‘Without Waterford Crystal the general spend in the city would drop hugely. This is due to the tourism and retail spin off it provides and because so many jobs are directly and indirectly dependent on its operations. We are confident, however, it will attract a buyer,’’ she said.

‘‘I suppose what the situation highlights is Waterford’s dependence on older industries, like manufacturing, and the lack of a regional drive for research and development jobs, and industries like biopharma. WIT [Waterford Institute of Technology] is doing great work in the telecoms sector, but we really need a university here - and all that attracts.”

Harvey Travel owner Seán Power said in a good year his subsidiary, Waterford Cruise Developments, handled 4,000 to 5,000 cruise customers and their only reason for docking in the south-east was ‘‘to see its jewel -Waterford Crystal’’.

‘‘Cruise passengers spend an average of five to seven times more than independent travellers. It is Waterford Crystal’s exclusive brand name that ensures it is included in the itineraries of these cruises, cruises where most of the passengers are wealthy Americans,” he said.

Paul McDaid, managing director of Tower Hotel Group - which has two hotels in Waterford - said he had contracts with CIE Tours and Globus for tourist groups six days a week from April to October. This averages around 50 people per night.

‘‘In terms of room rates, this alone is worth €500,000 to me annually, and that is not taking account of what these people spend in the bar. Without Waterford Crystal I do not think there would be tour groups coming here - we don’t have attractions like Kilkenny Castle or the Rock of Cashel here. I would imagine family run businesses could survive if the plant were to go, but there’s no doubt it would be the death knell for some hotels, restaurants and shops if it is not taken over,” he said.

The French owner of up market bistro La Boheme concurred with this view. Eric Theme, who opened his restaurant two and a half years ago, said a number of nearby premises were already shutting as a result of the recession.

‘‘For some of our customers their main reason for visiting Waterford is to see the home of the crystal. I am from Brittany and knew about Waterford Crystal when I was a child. It is world-famous,” he said.

Tom Cunningham, a local developer and Waterford city councillor, said a multi-agency group had been set up almost a year ago when a number of redundancies were announced.

Since then, he said the group had been pooling ideas and coming up with initiatives to help the city survive.

‘‘There is a local effort to deal with this situation in the best way possible, but it is vital that the manufacturing of the glassware - which is a hugely skilled job - continues in Waterford, and that the visitor centre remains open.

‘‘The loss of this to Waterford would be equivalent to the Guinness brewery and storehouse closing down in Dublin - it’s the heart of the city and county,” he said.

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The Waterford workers have gathered support and interest from far and wide. Here's the statement of support from the Irish platformist group the Workers' Solidarity Movement. Also a link to an interview with Joe Kelly of Unite, the union that represents the Waterford workers.

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Support workers occupying Waterford Glass:

The message is clear.

Workers have been occupying the Waterford Glass factory in Kilbarry for five days now after the receiver was unable to borrow further funds to keep the plant operating. Yesterday as 150 workers continued the occupation members of the Cork WSM visited the plant and interviewed Joe Kelly, the chairman of the Crystal Unite branch. The Cork branch later issued a statement in support of the occupation.

The closure threatens not only the 700 jobs at and around the plant but if it had proceeded as planned by the receiver would have threatened their redundancy payments. Many workers have already discovered there is not the money in the company pension fund to cover their pensions. Last October the fund was 111 million euro in the red, a situation that can only have got worse since. Although one of the bids for the plant, that of Clarion Capital, would see some jobs being saved there is a danger these would be at greatly reduced pay and conditions. The author of the other bid, KPS, seems only interested in the "group’s intellectual property assets, which would include its brand names, product designs and manufacturing processes".
Statement by Cork WSM in support of Waterford Glass Occupation
The Waterford Glass workers have taken a stand. At a time when 'talks' and more 'talks' are leading to huge concessions for us workers - be that in the private sector or in the public sector - they have said enough! On Friday, very publicly and with determination, the reacted to the threats and lies of the receiver appointed by Waterford Wedgewood, and seized the plant and offices at Kilbarry in Waterford city. The Workers Solidarity Movement salutes their stand and offers then full solidarity and support.

In the last while there has been an unprecedented assault on our living standards. Huge numbers of us have been put out of jobs or put on short time; we have been told bluntly 'Take a pay cut or your job is gone'. Our union leadership has reacted to this with offers of talks and with appeals for calm. While doing this they have leaned over backwards to meet the demands of the bosses and the Government. Against this scenario, the Waterford Glass workers have said NO MORE. The time for talking with your hands tied behind your back are over! Workers did not create this crisis and they sure aren't going to pay the huge price that is being asked to solve it!

The WSM is mindful of the reality that the Waterford Glass workers in Kilbarry are in very difficult situation. Their jobs are on the line and a blatant attempt has been made to rob them of not just of these jobs but also of any outstanding monies that are due to them. It is very clear also that the future for huge numbers of workers and their families are on the line here. This is an example of where solidarity can count and can make all the difference. It is crucial now that we build and show as much support as we can for the action of these workers. It is also vital that rank and file workers mobilise to help extend this action. We urge the following as a priority:

· Send message of support to the workers at Kilbarry F:
+353-(0)51-332716
· Organise collections and send a delegation to visit the occupation
· Organise a solidarity protest where you live.
· Raise the issue in your union or college.

Interview with Joe Kelly, Chairman of UNITE in Waterford Crystal
Members of the Cork branch of the Workers Solidarity Movement travelled to Waterford to offer solidarity support to the occupying workers. While there we took the opportunity to do an interview, asking the kind of questions that fellow workers and readers of Indymedia might be interested in, and also took some photos.
Download the MP3 file here: http://www.indymedia.ie/attachments/feb2009/wsm_waterford_crystal.mp3

INTERNATIONAL LABOUR-BELFAST, NORTHERN IRELAND:

PICKET IN SUPPORT OF SACKED SUBWAY RESTAURANT WORKER:

Last Friday various union and anarchist groups held a picket at a Subway Restaurant outlet in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Here's the story from the British Libcom site.

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Northern Ireland: Subway picket in Belfast in support of sacked Polish worker:

Organise!*(http://www.afed.org.uk -Molly) WSM*(http://www.wsm.ie -Molly), trade unions and various political activists picketed a Subway restaurant in Belfast today in support of sacked Polish worker Natalia Szymanska. The protest at the Subway restaurant on Great Victoria Street in central Belfast was, despite the poor weather, attended by around 60-70 people, during what should have been the fast-food outlet's busy lunch-hour, all showing their solidarity with Natalia. Passers-by and customers were informed of the nature of the protest and urged not to support Subway until Natalia was reinstated and reimbursed for the earnings lost as a result of her sacking.Natalia was sacked while 5 months pregnant following a spurious claim that she had breached Subway's health & safety policy.

The case echos that of a female Slovakian worker in Belfast, Dasa Kacova, earlier this year. In the Kacova case, Organise! and WSM took part in pickets of the restaurant, Delaney's, from which Dasa was sacked. Following the successful 'shut-down' of the restaurant during pickets, and an hour of negotiations, Delaney's management agreed to all of the worker's demands to reinstate Dasa immediately, reimburse her for loss of earnings, pay her outstanding holiday entitlement and to treat all workers fairly. Dasa did not wish to return to work under in Delaneys and agreed to a full financial settlement.

In the Szymanska case, the Migrant Workers Unit of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU) had appealed Natalia's dismissal, but according to ICTU "the hearing was not conducted fairly by Subway and they upheld the decision...It is unacceptable in this day and age that employers can still mistreat and discriminate workers in this way...The Irish Congress of Trade Unions will expose and challenge the mistreatment of workers and in particular the pregnant migrant workers who are the most vulnerable in our society."

The demands made by the protest today were to:

* immediately reinstate the pregnant worker,

* reimburse her for loss of earnings,

* compensate her for the injury to feeling,

* treat all workers fairly.

Police arrived after 30 mins of demonstrating to ask protesters to stop obstructing the doorway, and accused picketers, who remained peaceful throughout the hour-long lunchtime protest, of being 'intimidating'. The police presence in the doorway subsequently managed to do a pretty good job of obstructing the entrance anyway.

The protesters have vowed to return to further protests at Subway and another picket has been called for 12.30 on Wednesday 15th October

.http://libcom.org/news/subway-picket-belfast-support-sacked-worker-10102008

ANARCHIST MAGAZINES:

RED AND BLACK REVOLUTION 14 NOW AVAILABLE ONLINE:

Red and Black Revolution is the theoretical journal of the Irish Workers Solidarity Movement. Their latest issue, # 14, is now available in a downloadable pdf format. Here's the announcement and a brief summary of some of the articles.

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Red and Black Revolution 14
The Spring 2008 issue online, with links below. The pdf is available here

Articles:

“No Justice, Just Us” Interview with Larry Wheelock, brother of Terence, who was killed in police custody.

Financial Weapons of Mass Destruction The first part of a series of articles investigating the capitalist financial markets from a critical perspective. This article looks at the financial markets, particularly focusing on the mechanics of some of the instruments that have led to a momentous transformation of the workings of global financial markets in the most recent decades.

How free can you be if you can’t even control your own body? Ireland still has one of the most regressive anti-choice regimes in Europe. Alan MacSimóin looks back at twenty five years of pro-choice struggle and anarchist involvement in it.

Book Review: “Sweatshop Warriors: Immigrant Gregor Kerr reviews Miriam Ching Yoon Louie's Sweatshop Warriors: Immigrant Women Workers Take On The Global Factory.

INTERNATIONAL ANARCHIST MOVEMENT:
THE WORKERS' SOLIDARITY MOVEMENT-IRELAND:
As is usual when the wife and I travel we try and drop in on the local anarchists, if this is at all possible. Here in Ireland we had the privilege of meeting with and socializing with some of the members of the WSM in Dublin. Here are some preliminary impressions.
1)As in most countries the anarchist movement here is small, smaller in fact than what I expected it to be viewing its activities from the perspective of Canada. This small size is belied by the considerable influence it has through the activities and organizational principles of the WSM. The WSM itself is small, but, if I was to try and "stage it up" to a country the size of Canada, it would mean that we had somewhere between 350 and 410 well organized and dedicated anarchists who were actually active in matters that meant something to ordinary people, not just "fashionistas" more content with a "scene" than with building something relevant to what anarchism actually strives for. We have no such numbers in Canada, and it is a pity. There are certainly thousands, perhaps over 10,000 "anarchists" in Canada, but they are chronically disorganized, and especially as we live right next door to the fulminating heart of all that is crazy in the world, the USA, many are not just unconcerned with "public outreach" but actually do all they can to drive as wide a wedge as possible between anarchism and "the public". Ireland seems mercifully free of this sort of foolishness, or maybe that's just the impression of a brief visitor.
2)Unlike say Spain and Greece, but like most other countries that we have visited, including our own, an ordinary person could easily arrive, stay for years, and never come in contact with anything that might say there was indeed an anarchist movement here in Ireland. But the comparison is unfair. Something like "Infoshops" give a slight visibility (I understand there is one here in Cork that we hope to visit before we leave) as well as in Galway. Brief mini-riots at gatherings of the international ruling class also, despite the illusions of the participants, give even less "visibility". Ordinary people are far less likely to pay any attention to such things than they are to the most minor sporting event. They simply don't touch the average person's concerns and anyways, you always know who will win the game in the end. Police 2200; Black Bloc 0.
But where this is unfair is that the WSM is involved in activities that actually matter and have long term effects on people's lives. Whether these be the unions, community struggles or whatever they are neither flashy "protests" staged more for 10 seconds of TV time nor building a cozy little in group. The WSM was one of the major forces behind the recent rejection of the 'Lisbon Treaty' for instance, and they have long term activity in the campaign to legalize abortion here in Ireland- something that actually matters , unlike say bullshitting about "ending civilization" as is so popular in the USA.
This sort of "visibility" here is indeed more profound than in places such as Canada (even though we're not exactly outstanding there either) where there is a more prominent "scene".
3)One of the most pithy comments that I have heard from a local anarchist here relates to the lack of a long term anarchist tradition in Ireland. It's probable that we "started" earlier in Canada than they did here, especially as anarchist groups were already "well" established when I first became active circa about 1971. Still, as the guy said, (or a paraphrase of it), "when you start from nothing you can build something better because you are building from the ground up". The WSM is incredibly active in popular campaigns here and have a correspondingly larger influence than we do back in Canada. It all goes to show what a difference organization means.
4)I guess I'd better take the time to point the reader to the WSM's website, http://www.wsm.ie , though I emphasize that the WSM is hardly the internet equivalent of a "paper organization". Go there to learn more about their activities.
5)Having seen them at action here in their homeland I can see why their "traveling apostles"to the USA and Canada have been so inspiring of anarchist organization on the North American continent. Unlike many other anarchist or libertarian outfits in NA, some of which I might approve of and some of which I despise, the WSM is not a one man show (or three "theorist" show). The skills that are developed by proper organization are widely diffused amongst the members of their groups, and they are well equipped to develop them elsewhere, even in brief visits.
6)The wife and I had the privilege of sitting in one one of the WSM's meetings as observers. The contrast to far too many "anarchist" meetings in NA is stark. As the wife put it, "they stuck to the point". This was even when matters came up that obviously couldn't be resolved in the time allotted. Tabling the matter was resorted to. The meeting began on time and ended on time. There was a clear agenda.There was a chair who facilitated discussion. It was orderly. They even voted on matters. No bullshit about letting the person with the biggest mouth and the strongest bladder dominate by "consensus" or any other cultish "process" that makes too many meetings in NA such an unendurable pain. The horrible struggle to reinvent the wheel via navel gazing about "process" wasn't visible there. There is a way to make meetings democratic , fair and as productive as possible. It is the "rules of order", Robert's and otherwise, that have been worked out through generations and as just as applicable to anarchist groups as they are to gardening clubs. Not that they have to be slavishly adhered to, but they are a practical model to follow. In the voting there was quite often dissent, and the minority was allowed to exist. This is an important point as consensus and other forms of cultism are actually much more oppressive than the supposed rules of order that they hope to replace by something "better". They attempt to force agreement where no such thing exists by social pressure.
7)Finally, before I close for the evening, I'd like to thank the WSM for the hospitality that they extended to us. This is especially notable as I have been on record for years as merely a "sympathizer" of what has come to be known as "platformism", and my differences have been made very plain. The WSM has 8 points of agreement that you can find at their website. They are certainly not the rigid ideologues that their "anarchist" opponents try to picture them as.
But, of course, I knew that already. It's nice, however, to see it confirmed in front of my own eyes. As to the opponents of such outfits as the WSM on my own continent, well all that I can say is that telling a lie is certainly more of a necessity to someone like a "post-leftist" or a "primitivist" than having a bowel movement is. It's more like having a drink of water. They may be able to get by on one shit a day, but, like water consumption, they usually have to tell several lies a day just to keep their spirits up. Here the spirits are kept up by actually doing something practical.
More on the WSM and anarchism in Ireland later. Time to sign off.
Molly.

ANARCHIST MAGAZINES:

WORKERS' SOLIDARITY 104 NOW AVAILABLE:

Workers Solidarity is the eponymous publication of the Irish Workers' Solidarity Movement. The WSM is a platformist group that has had great success in taking the ideas of anarchism to the ordinary person in their country. The latest issue (#104/July/August 2008) is now available. You can download a printable copy at their website. Here's the details.

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Workers Solidarity 104

JULY-AUGUST 2008:
The triumph of greed over need

Time for profit restraint

Our bodies, our choice

Scrap the 11+

It's official: fighting war criminals not a crime

Thinking about anarchism: Why class matters

Solidarity on Cork docks

HSE Board have vested interest in running down the health service

Lisbon: A class act

The triumph of greed over need15 years of bumper profits for construction bosses; social housing shortage and heavy mortgages for everybody else

Time for profit restraintWorking people in the Irish Republic have been hearing a lot from the representatives of their exploiters lately about the need for us to exercise ‘pay restraint’ and to ‘moderate our demands’ in these difficult times.

Our bodies, our choiceGoverning parties in the six counties oppose right to choose

Scrap the 11+The ongoing debate about how school pupils should transfer from primary to post-primary school in Northern Ireland raises fundamental questions about the type of society we want to live in.

It's official: fighting war criminals not a crimeRaytheon 9 acquitted

Thinking about anarchism: Why class matters Many figures in the economic and political elite argue that we now live in a classless society.Why then do anarchists argue that only the working class has the power to create a free and equal society?

Solidarity on Cork docksDockers strike wins cash for unpaid sailors. Interview with SIPTU member.

HSE Board have vested interest in running down the health service Would you put people with a financial interest in running down the public health service in charge of our hospitals?

Lisbon: A class actThe results of this referendum show a vote split along class lines that has not been seen so clearly since the founding of the Republic.

That's capitalism

ANARCHIST MOVEMENT:

MAYDAY 2008: AN ANARCHIST COMMUNIST STATEMENT:

The following is a joint statement on the part of three platformist organizations, the Italian Federazione dei Comunisti Anarchici, the Irish Workers' Solidarity Movement, and the South African Zabalaza Anarchist Communist Front on the occasion of Mayday 2008.

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May Day 2008
Towards a new international movement of the exploited,

Against neo-liberalism, against war, against hunger and poverty,

For peace, food and housing for all, for safe and secure jobs,

Towards the libertarian alternative!

A harsh reaction has been unleashed by States around the world against the cycle of social, labour and political struggles which have been carried on by the movements of opposition to neo-liberalism since the late 20th century, with a consequent general worsening of living conditions for millions of proletarians who are increasingly enslaved by capitalist exploitation.

In every country, the primacy of finance as the motor of the economy, with its lethal rules based on interest rate increases, credit clampdowns and social dumping, is provoking a grave crisis. Its results can be seen in millions of families falling further into debt and impoverishment and losing their homes and their economic security. The workforce is being concentrated into more intensive and highly flexibilized units of exploitation in order to strengthen supply and competition in macro-economic areas (EU enlargement, the re-launch of Mercosur and ASEAN, the WTO crisis, etc.). The concentration of production into monopolies on an international basis (motor industry, energy, telecommunications, agro-chemical/pharmaceuticals, etc.) is destroying social wealth and jobs and producing a food crisis without precedent. Economic development is tending to create a neuron-like network of privileged sites and related corridors of capital and raw materials around which public and private investment can coagulate, thereby impoverishing the large areas in between. And the background to all this is the state of endemic war generated by the USA for control over the system of imperialist dependencies, the increasing use of militarism and nationalism (and all its religious and ethnic varieties) in order to control/de-stabilize an area which goes from the Middle East throughout Asia and Africa and to destroy the autonomy of the exploited classes by forcing them to side with a particular State, religion or elite to whom they entrust their present and future destiny of exploitation.

In this difficult situation, the social, labour and political struggles of the proletariat in every country are seeking to resist the various forms of capitalist exploitation and the harsh repression that the States have unleashed, making it increasingly evident that today we need to:
*ensure the total independence of all mass struggles and movements from all political and economic institutions (no State, government or market has any interest in fighting neo-liberalism);
*demand peace, so that it can the cradle for the re-emergence of civil society and allow the development of struggles for the emancipation of today's downtrodden classes;
*work to rebuild the autonomy and the role of the exploited classes, the defence and reconstruction of their free and independent organizations, as a condition and indispensable factor in the struggles against neo-liberalism and war in every country of the world.

Anarchist Communist and Libertarian Communist organizations support, promote and assist every initiative aimed at rebuilding a large international movement
*against neo-liberalism, denouncing the crimes of exploitation and bringing solidarity to proletarian organizations and local movements fighting against local or foreign bourgeois aggression;
*against war, demanding ceasefires, demilitarization and disarming by every State and ethnic or religious elite, who are united in their contempt for the lives of proletarians;

a great international movement whose heart and whose base lie in the grassroots social, labour, cultural, political and anti-militarist organizations, and also in their ability to federalize the struggles that develop, on a national and international level.
To that end, we support:
*the horizontal creation of networks, coalitions and forums inspired by the practice of self-organization, self-management and direct action, which represent the collective capacity for acting against the contradictions and violence of neo-liberalism and develop the greatest possible international solidarity;
*all efforts to contribute to the development of the international class-struggle anarchist movement, by supporting its political networks and its capacity for social insertion in the struggles and struggle fronts in support of popular power, so that we can spread the anarchist communist project and put the libertarian alternative into practice.
Federazione dei Comunisti Anarchici (Italy)

Workers Solidarity Movement (Ireland)

Zabalaza Anarchist Communist Front (South Africa)

BELFAST NORTHERN IRELAND

DIRECT ACTION GETS THE GOODS:

Here's a reprint of a news item that has been making the rounds on the "anarchosphere" recently. The WSM is an Irish platformist group and Organize! is an anarchist federation in that country. See our Links section for their contact info. The article...

Solidarity is Strength! ---- Belfast WSM, along with members of Organise!, trade union activists and other left groups as well as workers from Delaney's itself, took part in successful pickets outside Delaney's restaurant on Thursday and Saturday. ---- The picket was organised by the Belfast Congress of Trade Unions after a young Slovakian woman, Dasa Kacova, was sacked on the spot from Delaney’s restaurant in Belfast city centre in January for asking why she had to take her jumper off at work. ---- After initially refusing to meet with the migrant worker or her trade union officials to justify the dismissal, and despite repeated threats made by the owner Laurence Delaney to those on the picket line on Saturday, he finally caved into the demands for a reimbursement her for loss of earnings and for outstanding holiday entitlement and even offered her job back but was refused. Belfast WSM will continue to build a culture of resistance and solidarity in the workplace against the exploitation of all workers.Who said direct action doesn’t work?

BUILDING A POPULAR ANARCHISM:

As previously reported here in August people from the Irish Workers' Solidarity Movement, now resident in Ontario are holding meetings across that province to further the goal of creating a truly popular anarchist movement there(see this story on Anarkismo.net). Previous meetings have been held in Toronto, Hamilton, Sudbury and Ottawa. Two new meetings are coming up soon:

WATERLOO:

Monday, September 24th

7 PM

Wilfred Laurier University

Arts Building

Room 2C17

LONDON ONTARIO

Sunday, September 23rd

5 PM

held at private residence contact roadwindsor@riseup.net for details of the venue