INTERNATIONAL POLITICS- GREECE:

ANARCHIST STATEMENT ON THE EVENTS IN GREECE:

The following item comes from the Anarkismo site and is the collective statement of 5 platformist organizations from various countries on the events in Greece. Special thanks to the Porkupine Blog where I first saw this item. It has since been reprinted widely. More on the events in Greece later.

The Greek crisis continues to make news every single day, particularly because it raises the spectre of 'sovereign default' on the part of other European countries such as Portugal, Spain, Italy , Ireland and even Great Britain. Such an event would be beyond the capacity of the EC (or the world for that matter) to patch up, and could easily lead to the end of the EU with all the unknown consequences of same, let alone its effect outside of Europe. While other events such as the Icelandic volcano and the Gulf of Mexico oil spill have contributed to nervousness in world markets there is little doubt that the events in Greece are the major influence on recent market volatility.

Is there a reason to be nervous ? Certainly if one simply takes the potential for sovereign default as 'Financial Crisis Version 2.1' there is indeed. A domino cascade of sovereign defaults would be basically unstoppable and would provoke a far greater crisis than the one we are gradually emerging from. Is there reason for the ruling class to be nervous and their opponents to be hopeful about an effective opposition emerging from the present crisis ? Personally I doubt it. On our sister blog Molly's Polls I gave (sneakily) several reasons about why a revolution in Greece is improbable. I stand by these items no matter how dramatic present events may seem.

It may be hard for some amongst the crazier fringes of anarchism in the USA to understand the difference between revolution and mindless rebellion, but most other people in the world ( including pretty well all responsible anarchists outside of the primitivist, post leftist cult)understand it very well. In revolution you don't firebomb banks and run like hell. You take over the building, destroy the records of debts and turn the building to good use whatever that may be. Perhaps the bank workers try and devise new accounting systems for a new society. can you begin to comprehend how far away from such an eventuality Greece is ?

Events in Greece have hardly progressed beyond what I personally envisioned as the "maximum extent of rebellion". That is "rebellion" not revolution or even a prelude to the latter. Why do I say this ? Let's take some well accepted "necessities" that define a pre-revolutionary state.

1)The ruling class can no longer operate in its usual fashion. This condition at least is fulfilled in Greece. Bankruptcy is bankruptcy. This does not, however, mean that the plan (read conspiracy) of the EU and the IMF cannot at least salvage something for the local Greek ruling class and, more importantly, international finance that holds Greek debt. It is entirely within the realm of possibility that the bailout plan can work albeit with all the victimization of ordinary people that the following statement points out.

2)The ruling class is divided. You have to search pretty thoroughly to find evidence of this. Yes, the main conservative opposition party in Greece voted against the austerity measures, but this is an obvious rhetorical devise on their part, and I have a hard time believing that anyone takes their "opposition" seriously. They, after all, laid the basis for the present crisis by their fraudulent national accounting, and I'm pretty sure that the average Greek is more than sufficiently aware of this just as the rest of the world is. When the vote came up in the Greek Parliament only three socialist PASOK deputies voted with their conscience against the austerity measures. Try to understand that in most modern societies the "left" is very much just another aspect of the ruling class (most obviously in the USA ). If there will be a division amongst the Greek ruling class it will appear first amongst the so-called 'socialists". There is little evidence of such desertion to the "other side" at this time. Perhaps the vast, vast, vast majority of "socialist" bureaucrats are making very rational calculations about the general mood in Greece today. ot perhaps you'd like to believe ultraleft groupuscles instead.

3)The population can no longer live in the present conditions. Actually in Greece the population is rebelling against a set of circumstances that has yet to be implemented. For the vast majority of the people who have come out into the streets the issue is not their present conditions but rather what they will be in the future if the government's policies are implemented. It's a basically conservative response (nothing wrong with that by the way), but the population is still very far from being driven against the wall by an unendurable situation. The people in other countries have been the unfortunate subjects of even more brutal readjustments and revolution has not been the results, even if, as in the case of Argentina great advances in terms of libertarian ways of organization have happened. The Greek people can love with what the ruling class is planning for them, however vicious it may be, and I think they are likely to realize this and not toss caution to the winds in the end.

4)The opposition is united, at least in terms of getting rid of the present regime. This is where the present Greek situation is most deficient in terms of the preconditions for revolution. As I mentioned before the general reasons for the present protests are not to remove a regime but rather to keep a certain system of benefits in place. No doubt the more clear sighted of the anarchists (excluding the insurrectionists who have no program beyond- more violence ) have a vague idea of a society that is different from our present one, but it has hardly been expressed at least in "mass terms" beyond vague generalities. No doubt the Coalition of the Radical Left also have vague proposals for an alternative society (with all the corrupting and futile statism that such a party can muster ). In such a vague cloud the conservative aspects of the movement come to the fore...as they actually have if one examines the numbers in the news from Greece dispassionately without revolutionary illusions. Here you will see a horrible and obvious fact. the various factions of the Greek left not only, in the majority, don't want an alternative society but they abhor each other with a deep passion. Various union centrals make great efforts to stay separate from others in their demonstrations. I am speaking here of the major players in the present Greek drama, not the separation of all of them from the anarchists. To say the least this is not the way to proceed.

5)Finally a "revolution" as opposed to a revolt presupposes a vision of society ie a goal that is sufficiently diffused amongst the general population such that they see it as both worthwhile and possible. Sometimes these goals can be pretty limited ie the end of communist rule in eastern Europe. When a clear alternative, however, is not present it is the responsibility of "revolutionaries" to present such alternatives over the course of how many decades they may take to seek into popular consciousness. The most common goal of the present Greek rebellion is not a new and different society, as I have mentioned above. It is merely a defensive action against an "adjustment" that will remove benefits from ordinary Greeks. Good luck to them, even if I think the effort is doomed.

In any case here is a perfectly rational statement from various international anarchist groups in support of Greek workers. I agree with its statements of fact and its call to action even if I am very much a pessimist as to the conclusion of this struggle.
Solidarity with the Greek workers' struggle!
Statement on the Greek crisis

Greece is a test case for the social dismantling that awaits us all. This policy is being enacted by all the institutional parties, by every government and by all of globalised capitalism's institutions. There is only one way to hold back this policy of barbaric capitalism: popular direct action, to widen the strike movement and increase the number of demonstrations all across Europe.
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SOLIDARITY WITH THE GREEK WORKERS' STRUGGLE!

The Greek working class is angry, and with good reason, with the attempt to load responsibility for the bankruptcy of the Greek State onto their shoulders. We maintain instead that it is the international financial institutions and the European Union who are responsible. The financial institutions have plunged the world, and Greece in particular, into an economic and social crisis of historical proportions, forcing countries into debt, and now these same institutions are complaining that certain States risk not being able to repay their debts. We denounce this hypocrisy and say that even if Greece - and all the other countries - can repay the debt, they should not do so: it is up to those responsible for the crisis - the financial institutions, not the - to pay for the damage caused by this crisis. The Greek workers are right to refuse to pay back their country's debt. We refuse to pay for their crisis!

Instead, let us shift the capitalists into the firing line: Greek capital generates some of the biggest profit margins in Europe due to its investments in the poorer Balkan countries, the absence of social protections, collective guarantees and a minimum wage for Greek workers, not to mention the country's gigantic black economy in labour and an even greater exploitation of immigrant work. Greek capital is also very lightly taxed, due to the weakness of the State (with regard to the rich) and major corruption which permits fraud and tax evasion on a massive scale. So it is equally up to Greek capitalists to pay for this crisis.

We also denounce the attitude of the European Union. The EU was presented to us as a supposed guarantee of peace and solidarity between the peoples, but now it is showing its true face - that of acting as an unconditional prop for neoliberalism, in a complete denial of the notion of democracy. As soon as an economy becomes mired in difficulties, all pretence of solidarity evaporates. So we see Greece being scolded and accused of laxity, with insulting language bordering on racism. The "Europe which protects us" that liberals and social-democrats extolled at the time of the scandalous forced adoption of the Lisbon Treaty (particularly in France and Ireland) now seems a long way away.

As far as actual protection goes, the EU and the financial institutions have combined their efforts to frog-march Greece towards the forced dismantling of public services, through austerity plans that recall the "Structural Adjustment Plans" of the IMF: the non-replacement of staff, wage freezes, privatisations and VAT increases. Today the EU is demanding that the retirement age be moved back to 67, not only in Greece but also in other countries, and is also threatening to dismantle the social welfare system. In this way they are opening new markets for investors, while guaranteeing the assets of rich investors, to the detriment of the basic interests of the working class. It is a Europe of the ruling class, and one which we must all work together to oppose.

This is why we call for participation throughout Europe in solidarity initiatives with the Greek working class and with future victims of the onslaught of the banks.

Against the values of greed and rapacity that the European Union is based on, let us respond with class solidarity! Greece is a test case for the social dismantling that awaits us all. This policy is being enacted by all the institutional parties, from out-and-out bourgeois to liberals and social democrats, by every government and by all of globalised capitalism's institutions. There is only one way to hold back this policy of barbaric capitalism: popular direct action, to widen the strike movement and increase the number of demonstrations all across Europe.
Solidarity with the Greek workers' struggle!


Alternative Libertaire (France)
Workers Solidarity Movement (Ireland)
Federazione dei Comunisti Anarchici (Italy)
Organisation Socialiste Libertaire (Switzerland)
Zabalaza Anarchist Communist Front (South Africa)

CANADIAN LABOUR- ONTARIO:

BOYCOTT SEARS:

On April 1 2010 (no foolin') Sears Canada locked out almost 500 employees at their distribution warehouse in Vaughan Ontario. This was in response to the employees, represented by United Steel Workers Local 9537, refusal to accept across the board cutbacks in both wages and benefits. Since then Local 9537 has garnered support form numerous other labour organizations in Canada and has called for a boycott of Sears to put pressure on the company to deal reasonably. They have a Facebook page for the boycott that you can check out for ongoing information. On April 27 the Canadian Labour Congress (CLC) called for endorsement of the boycott. The Sears workers and their supporters want you to boycott Sears until this dispute is resolved and to spread the word as much as possible. You might also want to write Sears management about the matter. Here's a list of Sears executives.

The following is a list of email addresses of corporate executives and the corporate head office address of Sears Canada Inc.:

**Dene L. Rogers, President and Chief Executive Officer - drogers@sears.ca
**Allen Ravas, Senior Vice-President and Chief Financial Officer - aravas@sears.ca
**Tim Flemming, Senior Vice-President, Corporate Procurement and Supply Chain - tflemmi@sears.ca
**Dennis Singh, Senior Vice-President, Retail Stores - dsingh@sears.ca
**Vincent Power, Corporate Communications - vpower@sears.ca

Sears Canada Inc.
290 Yonge St., Suite 700
Toronto, Ontario
M5B 2C3

ABORIGINAL AFFAIRS:

TWENTY YEARS SINCE OKA:

It's been 20 years since the 'Oka Crisis' where the Canadian army was called in to supress an occuption of native lands in and around the town of Oka. The occupiers had previously forced the Sureté de Québec (the Québec provincial police) to withdraw from the area. Where does the struggle for native self government stand today 20 years after this event ? As part of the Montréal Festival of Anarchy speakers from the various first nations involved will be holding a public meeting next Wednesday May 12. Here's the details.

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20 Years Since Oka: Kanienkehaka Communities in Resistance
Informational Meeting
Date: Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Time: 7:00pm - 10:00pm
Location: de Sève Cinema
Street: 1400 de Maisonneuve Ouest
City/Town: Montreal, QC
View Map

Description.[français ci-dessous]

20 Years Since Oka: Kanienkehaka Communities in Resistance
with speakers from Kanehsatake, Kahnawake, Akwesasne, Tyendinaga & Six Nations

WEDNESDAY, MAY 12, 7pm
de Sève Cinema, 1400 de Maisonneuve Ouest
(métro Guy-Concordia)

Free. Wheelchair accessible.
Presentations in English with whisper translation available into French.
If you need childcare, please contact 514-848-7583 48 hours in advance.
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Speakers include:

-> RUBY MONTOUR: Ruby is a member of the Six Nations of the Grand River, Mohawk nation, Turtle Clan. She faces a multi-million dollar lawsuit for her actions to reclaim her land and stop illegal development that annexes un-ceded Indigenous territory.

-> SHAWN BRANT: Shawn is a member of the Tyendinaga Mohawk Community, active in the defense of the land and rights of his people, for which he has been targeted for arrest and prison, as well as a lawsuit by CN Rail.

-> JOE DEOM: Joe is a member of the Bear Clan and a member of the Longhouse in Kahnawake. He was a negotiator on behalf of Mohawks during the events of 1990.

-> CLIFTON ARIHWAKEHTE: Clifton is a member of the Kanehsatake Mohawk Community and a participant in the events of 1990.

[Speaker from Akwesasne to be confirmed shortly.]
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Twenty years ago this July, the people of Kanehsatake and Kahnawake rose up in defense of their ancestral lands, facing off against government officials, the police, and the Canadian Army. Kanienkehaka (Mohawk) communities have been on the forefront of resistance to colonialism in Canada. The events at Kanehsatake and Kahnawake were a crucial landmark in the history of Indigenous resistance to colonialism, and in the assertion of Indigenous self-determination.

This event brings together community members from Kanehsatake, Kahnawake, Akwesasne, Tyendinaga and Six Nations. The panelists will reflect together about the impact of the events of 1990 as well as current struggles for justice in their communities.

Presented by the Indigenous Solidarity Committee & No One Is Illegal-Montréal.
Part of the Festival of Anarchy during the month of May in Montreal.
Co-sponsored by the Quebec Public Interest Research Groups (QPIRG) at Concordia & McGill.
The Indigenous Solidarity Committee is a working group of QPIRG Concordia.

INFO:
indigenoussolidaritymontreal@gmail.com
514-848-7583


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20 ans après Oka : les communautés Kanienkehaka en résistance
Avec des conférenciers de Kanehsatake, Kahnawake, Akwesasne, Tyendinaga et de Six Nations.

MERCREDI, 12 MAI, 19h
Cinéma de Sève, 1400 de Maisonneuve Ouest
(métro Guy-Concordia)

Accessible aux chaises roulantes. Gratuit.
Présentations en anglais avec traduction chuchotée vers le français.
Si vous avez besoin d’un service de garde, svp contactez-nous 48h avant l’événement au 514-848-7583.
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Les conférenciers incluent :

-> RUBY MONTOUR : Ruby est membre du Clan de la Tortue de la nation Mohawk du territoire des Six Nations. Elle fait face à une poursuite de plusieurs millions de dollars suite à ses actions de réclamation de sa terre et de blocage d’un développement illégal annexant un territoire autochtone non cédé.

-> SHAWN BRANT : Shawn est un membre de la communauté Mohawk de Tyendinaga. Il est actif dans la défense du territoire et des droits de son peuple, raisons pour lesquelles il a été arrêté et incarcéré ainsi que poursuit par CN Rail.

-> JOE DEOM : Joe est un membre du Clan de l’Ours et de la Maison longue de Kahnawake. Il a agi en tant que négociateur pour les Mohawks lors des événements de 1990.

-> CLIFTON ARIHWAKEHTE : Clifton est un membre de la communauté Mohawk de Kanehsatake et un participant aux événements de 1990.

[Un conférencier d’Akwesasne sera confirmé sous peu.]
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Il y a aura 20 ans ce mois de juillet, les peuples de Kanehsatake et de Kahnawake se soulevaient pour défendre leurs territoires ancestraux, affrontant ainsi les fonctionnaires, la police et l’armée canadienne. Les communautés Kanienkehaka (Mohawk) ont été au front de la résistance contre le colonialisme au Canada. Les événements de Kanehsatake et de Kahnawake furent des jalons cruciaux dans l’histoire de la résistance autochtone au colonialisme et de l’affirmation de l’autodétermination autochtone.

Cet événement rassemblera des membres des communautés de Kanehsatake, Kahnawake, Akwesasne, Tyendinaga et de Six Nations. Les panélistes réfléchiront collectivement sur les impacts des événements de 1990 ainsi que sur les luttes actuelles de leurs communautés.

Présenté par le Comité de Solidarité Autochtone et Personne n’est illégal – Montréal.
Cet événement s’inscrit dans le Festival de l’anarchie tenu au mois de mai à Montréal.
Endossé par le Groupes de recherche d'intérêt publique (GRIP) à Concordia et à McGill.
Le Comité de Solidarité Autochtone est un groupe de travail du GRIP à Concordia.

INFO :
indigenoussolidaritymontreal@gmail.com
514-848-7583

PUBLICATIONS ANARCHISTES:

CAUSE COMMUNE #28:

Numero 28 de 'Cause Commune' de l'UCL du Québec est maintenant disponible sur le web. Voice l'avis de Voix De Fait. /Number 28 of Cause Commune from the UCL of Québec is available on the web. Here`s the news from Voix De Faits.

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Cause commune no 28

Le numéro 28 de Cause commune, le journal de l'Union communiste libertaire (UCL), est maintenant disponible sur le web.

3500 exemplaires papier de ce journal sont distribués gratuitement par des militantes et des militants libertaires, membres ou non de l’organisation. Cause commune se veut un tremplin pour les idées anarchistes, en appui aux mouvements de résistance contre les patrons, les proprios et leurs alliés au gouvernement. Vous pouvez soumettre un texte ou nous faire part de vos commentaires en écrivant à journal@causecommune.net. Si le journal vous plaît et que vous voulez aider à le diffuser dans votre milieu, contactez le collectif de l’UCL le plus près de chez-vous (voir la liste sur http://www.causecommune.net).


Au sommaire du numéro 28:


Budget antisocial - Il faut faire reculer le gouvernement!

L’anarchie de A à Z - X comme... XXX

Il y a 40 ans en Italie, l'automne chaud de 1969

Camarade Michel Chartrand

Livre : Les Jacobins Noirs - Toussaint Louverture et la révolution de Saint-Domingue

Un monarque élu au Saguenay

Sur les lignes...

Du côté des patrons...

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Cause commune no 28

No. 28 of Common Cause, the journal of the Libertarian Communist Union (UCL), is now available on the web.

3500 paper copies of this newspaper are distributed free by militant activists and libertarians, members of the organization or not. Common Cause wants to be a springboard for anarchist ideas, in support of resistance movements against the bosses, owners and their allies in government. You can submit a text or send us your comments by writing to journal@causecommune.net . If you like the newspaper and want to help distribute in your community, contact the group at UCL nearest you (see list on http://www.causecommune.net ).

Contents of No. 28:


Antisocial Budget - We need to make the Government back off!

Anarchy A to Z - X as ... XXX

40 years ago in Italy, the hot autumn of 1969

Comrade Michel Chartrand

Book: The Black Jacobins - Toussaint L'Ouverture and the San Domingo Revolution

An elected monarch in Saguenay

On the lines ...

On the part of the bosses ...

ANARCHIST PUBLICATIONS:

ANARCHIST VOICES MAGAZINE:

Molly doesn't hold to strict ideological lines in terms of her politics, no matter what it may seem to be from the majority of the posts at this blog. Am I an individualist with collectivist sympathies ? Or am I rather a collectivist with individualist sympathies ? It depends on the day. Personally I think this is wisdom as anarchism should not restrict itself to either any particular issue, mode of action or 'end goal' in terms of economics. So...here's another publication I like, this one from the individualist side of the the anarchist community. Anarchist Voices Magazine has brought out their first online edition. Check it out. Authors include Larry Gambone, Richard Livermore, Peter Good, Richard Griffen, Colin Johnson, Chris Butler, Steve Booth and Padi Phillips. Also, as blasts from the past Michael E. Coughlin and Colin Ward. Good for opening minds. Look to the above link for what it's all about, how to subscribe and a link to the pdf of the latest issue.

CANADIAN LABOUR-MANITOBA:

MANITOBA WORKERS AGAINST THE WAGE FREEZE:

Here in Manitoba the provincial NDP government has recently announced a wage freeze for the public sector. The ostensible rationale of this policy is that in a "recovery period" from the recent recession/depression government spending will have to be curtailed both in order to recover from a deficit position and to act as a brake on inflationary pressures. All of this, of course, depends upon some pretty 'ify' projections concerning the speed of recovery, inflationary pressures and how much provincial policy can influence the latter-if at all. It also depends on what is probably a "worst case" scenario in terms of government revenue (which depends not just on the rate of recovery but also on its qualitative aspects). What is not "ify" is that the government has determined to set their wage freeze in stone rather than await the unknown future.

During times when the "health" of our managerial economy demands that ordinary workers sacrifice it is very often the social democrats such as our provincial NDP (or even more obviously the "socialist" government of Greece) who lead the lambs to the slaughter. Unfortunately public memory is short, and ordinary workers often give their support to such parties because the alternatives seem worse.

No doubt they are ! This is not, however, an argument against a policy of distancing the unions and other working class organizations from such social democratic parties---if for no other reason than to hold a threat over the head of the parties. It is even less of a reason for people not to look into non-statist, cooperative ways of achieving social goals, ways that depend less on government and more on popular initiative. Even should there never be a society free of bosses, both public and private, this Independence would serve ordinary people well. This latest attack on public service workers in Manitoba is best situated in the long historical tradition of thousands of such attacks on ordinary people by social democrats in power.

Here's the story from the CBC about how the Manitoba Government Employees Union (MGEU) is planning a public relations campaign against the wage freeze.

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Wage freeze sparks MGEU ad campaign

CBC News
The MGEU's ads feature profiles from people like Ryan Espy, a correctional officer who works with youth at a provincial jail. (MGEU) The union representing more than 32,000 public-sector employees in Manitoba has embarked on a campaign to win public support in the wake of an announced wage freeze by the government.

On Monday, the Manitoba Government Employees Union (MGEU) launched TV advertisements under the title of Your Province, Your Services.

The ads introduce the public to civil servants who do everything from test water quality to guarding offenders in provincial jails. Currently, the union has produced five such profiles for the ads.

MGEU spokeswoman Lois Wales suggested it's important the general public realize that wage freezes will have an impact on the provincial economy and the services people receive.

"If you're cutting back on the public service's spending power, then you're stalling out the whole recovery of the recession," Wales said.

"Because the private sector is just starting to come back, people need to have money to spend to keep that economy going, and that's what our members expect," she said.

Freeze part of long-term plan
The government announced in its recently tabled 2010 budget that it would incur heavy deficits for five years before returning to surplus.

A two-year wage freeze for government employees was announced as a cost-cutting measure.

Finance Minister Rosann Wowchuk has defended the wage freeze, saying the government could have laid off workers and cut programs in order to balance the budget, but instead decided to go ahead with deficits to preserve front-line programs such as health care.

The wage freezes would be rolled out as collective agreements expire, Wowchuk previously said.


Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/manitoba/story/2010/05/03/man-wage-freeze-mgeu-ads.html#ixzz0mzFQhrqK

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Now here's the story from the horse's mouth so to speak. Here's the MGEU on their campaign.

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Campaign Highlights Importance of Public Sector Workers
To highlight the importance of Manitoba’s public sector employees, the MGEU is launching a public campaign to remind Manitobans just how critical public services are, especially during tough economic times.

“Too often, when economic times are tough, talk turns to cuts to public services. But at what cost?” asks MGEU President Peter Olfert. “Right now many departments are struggling with unacceptably high vacancy rates. We need to start talking about what’s at stake here.”

Two ads will be running on local television stations throughout the month of May, aiming to remind Manitobans that a strong public service is key to keeping our province going and growing.

“These are the men and women who get us through the tough times, whether its flood protection, or making sure kids are safe when their families are in crisis,” said Olfert. “And now is not the time to scrimp on our safety standards, whether it’s making sure our water is free of e-coli, or striving to keep young offenders from returning to gang life.”

Olfert pointed out that while most Manitobans know public sector workers are there to protect our quality of life, they may not consider their role in keeping our economy as stable as possible.

“Take the current workforce shortages in certified trades,” Olfert said. “We’ve currently got Aboriginal Apprenticeship Coordinators throughout the province working to get young Aboriginal Manitobans into apprenticed trades like carpentry and plumbing. If the government needs to make up for cash shortfalls, are public programs like these really what we want to take the hit? When the private sector is struggling, we need the public sector to help make sure we don’t stall altogether.”

The Provincial government is currently at the bargaining table with over 14,000 public service employees. So far, the Province has essentially said accept an across-the-board wage freeze or there will be cuts such as reduced work weeks or lay-offs.

As you may have already noticed on our website, the MGEU is profiling the many different jobs of provincial public sector workers – highlighting what they do and how it affects Manitobans. Over the next few months, the union will continue to feature different members every week who are the faces behind Manitoba's civil service.

“Let’s remember: a public sector wage freeze would mean significantly less buying power for thousands and thousands of middle class families across our province,” Olfert said. “And cuts would mean the loss of critical services that most Manitobans take for granted.”

Watch Ad #1
Your Province Your Services Ad schedule

Read Profiles of Civil Service Members

ANARCHIST PUBLICATIONS:

IDEAS AND ACTION:

The American Workers' Solidarity Alliance is an anarcho-syndicalist group that has existed since the early 1980s. They are pleased to launch an online version of their magazine 'Ideas and Action'. Here's the promo. Well worth taking a look.

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W.S.A. Launches on-line ideas & action Journal
Workers Solidarity Alliance Press Release - May 1st 2010
We are proud to announce the launch of our online version of ideas & action, the journal of Workers Solidarity Alliance (W.S.A.)

It is our desire to make ideas & action a vibrant forum for insight and analysis from a class struggle anarchist point of view. Since we all learn from each other’s arguments and experiences, we hope ideas & action will contribute to raising the understanding of the movement as a whole and aid in developing a collective approach towards the struggles of our class. We invite broad participation in the project. The journal will publish original articles in clear and accessible language tackling basic issues, such as the struggles of social and economic classes, how to organize, strategies for social change, the nature of the state, advocacy for self-managed solidarity unionism, for workers self-management and libertarian socialism as an objective, the nature of structural racism and gender inequality, socialized health care and other basic working class issues.

Our History

Ideas & Action was created in July, 1981 as an independent anarcho-syndicalist semi-annual print magazine. After Workers Solidarity Alliance was founded in November, 1984, ideas & action became the magazine of WSA (with issue #5), and continuing through the publication of issue #17 in 1997.

Who We Are

Ideas & Action is the publication of Workers Solidarity Alliance, an anti-capitalist, anti-authoritarian organization of activists who believe that working people can build a new society and a better world based on the principles of solidarity and self-management. For a much more in depth look at our politics and ideas, please read Where We Stand.

We can be found at http://ideasandaction.info/

Please contact us at info(at)workersolidarity.org .

We welcome unsolicited submissions. Please review our Editorial Policy before submitting.

Workers Solidarity Alliance
May Day 2010

INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS-COLOMBIA:

FREE CARMELO AGAMEZ:

The South American country of Colombia is one of the most dangerous places on Earth to be either a trade unionist or a human rights activist. While the US government is on record as tying further aid to an improvement in human rights the Colombian government continues to use bogus charges as a political weapon against its opponents. One of these opponents is Carmelo Agamez. The Human Rights First group is campaigning for his release and the end of US aid until the Colombian government cases its frame-ups. Here's the story and petition.

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Stand Up for Colombian Human Rights Activists:

Urge the State Department to Enforce Conditions in U.S. Aid to Colombia
Colombian human rights activists are routinely targeted by prosecutors using trumped-up charges to stigmatize and silence them. Read more about defenders in Colombia.

Human Rights First documented these abuses in a report last year--and we've seen progress: dozens of activists have been released and Congress passed an appropriations law that put a condition on U.S. aid requiring the Colombian government not to persecute human rights defenders.

Colombia is not holding up on its end of the bargain.

Sign our petition to the State Department asking that it enforce U.S. conditions to aid–-and protect human rights activists unjustly detained or harassed.
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THE PETITION:

Please go to this link to send the following petition to the US State Department.

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We are concerned about the Colombian government’s treatment of human rights activists--particularly the unjust detention of Carmelo Agamez--which violates the new condition on U.S. foreign aid to Colombia that requires the Colombian government to respect the rights of activists. We urge you to encourage the Colombian Prosecutor General to close the baseless prosecution of Agamez.

Agamez has spent over one year in jail in Sincelejo, based on the testimony of witnesses he helped put in jail. He has still not faced trial. He is being detained on charges of conspiring with paramilitaries--charges which are implausible given that he has spent his career exposing links between paramilitary leaders and corrupt local politicians. In 2006 he was even included in a paramilitary "death list" and received numerous death threats. Prosecutors in the case will not even say when Agamez supposedly met with paramilitaries, denying him the ability to provide an alibi and infringing on his due process rights.

Colombian officials agree that his prosecution is problematic. Last year, the Superior Tribunal of Sucre found that the prosecutor violated Agamez's rights by failing to inform him promptly of the charges against him. The Attorney General also issued a resolution in which he ordered a criminal investigation of the prosecutor, Rodolfo Martinez Mendoza, for alleged corruption in connection with his baseless prosecution of Agamez. Mendoza is currently in prison. Despite high level governmental recognition of numerous violations of his rights, to date Agamez remains in prison without any scheduled trial. His case is one of the many examples of a state policy of harassment designed to silence the voices of Colombian civil society.

Agamez's treatment by the Colombian state breaches the condition contained in section 7046(b)(1)(B)(iv) the 2010 Foreign Operations Appropriations Law, which requires the Colombian government to respect the rights of human rights defenders. According to the law, a proportion of US aid to Colombia shall be released only if:

“The Government of Colombia is respecting the rights of human rights defenders, journalists, trade unionists, political opposition and religious leaders, and indigenous and Afro-Colombian communities, and the Colombian Armed Forces are implementing procedures to distinguish between civilians, including displaced persons, and combatants in their operations.”

Through its foreign assistance laws, the U.S. should encourage the Colombian government to end its judicial persecution of human rights defenders. The baseless prosecution and unjust detention of Carmelo Agamez is clear evidence that the Colombian government is not respecting the rights of defenders and demonstrates that section 7046(b)(1)(B)(iv) is being violated.

Until the government of Colombia takes concrete action to end the baseless prosecution of human rights defenders, I urge you not to certify that Colombia is meeting the human rights standards required by U.S. appropriations law. I also urge you to encourage the Colombian Prosecutor General to grant Agamez’s request to close the criminal investigation against him.

Thank you for your attention in this urgent matter.

LOCAL EVENTS- WINNIPEG

STARBUCKS UNION SPEAKER:

Coming up next Saturday May 8 a representative of the IWW's Starbucks Union will be speaking at the downtown library. The Starbucks Union has been fighting for years to unionize the workers on whose backs the trendy Starbucks chain is built. Come out and hear all about it. Here's the details.

SUSUSUSUSUSUSUSU
Starbucks Workers Union Speaking Tour
Type: Informational Meeting
Date: Saturday, May 8, 2010
Time: 2:30pm - 4:30pm
Location: 2nd Floor Millenium Library (Anhang Room) - 251 Donald Street, Winnipeg MB

Description.

Come out and learn more about the experiences of Starbucks workers across North America who are organizing unions in their workplaces. Erik Forman of the Twin Cities General Membership Branch of the Industrial Workers of the World and Starbucks Workers Union will be speaking.
This public event is FREE but donations towards the SWU are greatly appreciated.

ANARCHIST PUBLICATIONS:

ANNOUNCING 'ESPECIFISTA':

As anarchism grows more and more popular across the world the desire to have a more coherent and effectively organized movement grows as well. Here's more evidence of the latter from the Amanecer group in California who are bring out a new journal 'Especifista'. Here's the announcement from the Anarkismo website.

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ESPECIFISTA #1 is out!

A publication by Amanecer
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Amanecer: For a Popular Anarchism is proud to present the first issue of its publication - Especifista.


Especifista is a sporadic publication by Amanecer: For a Popular Anarchism. Especifista aims to start a conversation with those involved in different struggles, be in the community, in labor or any other, about the roots of society’s ills, the possibility of fundamental change and how we can achieve it.

Especifista is a publication by anarchists, that is to say, people who believe that society should be organized in a manner that provides for all based on their needs, and where the power and decisions flow from the bottom up, in a real democratic way.

We selected the name Especifista because it best describes our political perspective.

Especifismo is a practice of anarchism originated in South America, and first theorized by the Federacción Anarquista Uruguaya in the 1950’s.

With other parallels in the anarchist movement, it is based on the idea the anarchists should primarily be involved in the struggles of the people, not to control them but to preserve their democratic and radical character. This is called social insertion, and comes from the belief that popular movements are not only the hands of revolution, they are also its brain.

Anarchists should organize into their own, specifically anarchist organization to theorize and strategize about their involvement in the social movements and to learn from them.

The organization of anarchists should also be a voice for the principles of solidarity, democracy and anti-capitalism in the popular movements.

With Especifista, we aim to add to the voices that continue to promote these principles inside social movements.

For contact, please e-mail us at especifista@gmail.com

Related Link: http://especifista.wordpress.com/

AMERICAN LABOUR- KENTUCKY:
TWO MORE DEATHS IN AMERICAN MINES:

Following hard on the heels of the massive mining tragedy in West Virginia two more miners have recently died at their workplace in the state of Kentucky. Here's the story from the AFL-CIO Blog.

WDWDWDWDWDWDWD

Two Dead in Kentucky Mine with Record of Roof Support Problems
by Mike Hall
The bodies of two coal miners killed in a roof fall at a western Kentucky mine have been recovered and removed from the mine. The two have been identified as Justin Travis, 27, and Michael Carter, 28. The roof collapsed late Wednesday night.

The nonunion Dotki Mine, about 150 miles west of Louisville, is owned by Alliance Coal Co. According to the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) records, the roof at the mine collapsed 19 times in the year before Wednesday’s incident, resulting in 13 injuries. MSHA has cited the mine 11 times this year for violations pertaining to roof support.

State inspectors also cited the mine for roof support problems, including placing roof bolts too far apart, according to the Associated Press. Roof bolts are metal rods drilled into overhead rock layers to help prevent the roof from falling.


Tony Oppegard, a former MSHA staffer and longtime mine safety lawyer in Kentucky, told Bloomberg Businessweek:

Roof falls are the No. 1 killer of coal miners. When you have a lot of roof violations, it is very troubling.

Last week, Businessweek reported Dotiki had the seventh highest number of significant and substantial safety violations—321—since January 2009, according to a list of the top 20 coal mines with high numbers of safety violations.

The New York Times reports Alliance Coal’s vice president of operations is Kenneth A. Murray, a former district manager for the Mine Safety and Health Administration in eastern Kentucky who led the investigation of a January 2006 fire that killed two men at Massey Energy Co.’s Aracoma mine in West Virginia.

Wednesday’s fatal roof collapse follows the April 5 explosion at Massey Energy’s Upper Big Branch Mine where 29 West Virginia coal miners were killed. On April 22, a 28-year-old coal miner died at the Pocahontas Mine in West Virginia.

ANARCHIST HISTORY:
MAYDAY:






Another May Day has come and gone, but the struggle lives on. May Day actually has anarchist origins. Here's a post from last year, one that bears repeating, on the anarchist origins of this day.
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INTERNATIONAL ANARCHIST MOVEMENT:
RECOVERING MAY DAY FOR THE ANARCHISTS:
Throughout the various May Day posts in this and in other years Molly has often mentioned the intimate connection between the labour festival of May Day and anarchism-and also how many other varieties of "socialists" attempt to downplay this connection. Molly has her own view about these 'socialists" and how their "socialism" is far too often a mere "covering story" for the ambitions of a new managerial ruling class. Not that anarchists are all Simon pure either, but the all too frequent faults of anarchism throughout its history are usually far removed from the twisted ambitions of a would be ruling class.
Anyways, there are numerous screeds on the internet about the anarchist origins of May Day. Here's a recent one from the Anarchist Writers' Blog, one that in Molly's opinion is one of the best. A tip of the Canadian tuque to the boy from Glasgow(I think) for this one.
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Reclaim May Day: An anarchist history:

— Anarcho
May 1st is a day of special significance for the labour movement. While it has been hijacked in the past by the Stalinist bureaucracy in the Soviet Union and elsewhere, the labour movement festival of May Day is a day of world-wide solidarity. A time to remember past struggles and demonstrate our hope for a better future. A day to remember that an injury to one is an injury to all.

The history of Mayday is closely linked with the anarchist movement and the struggles of working people for a better world. Indeed, it originated with the execution of four anarchists in Chicago in 1886 for organising workers in the fight for the eight-hour day. Thus May Day is a product of "anarchy in action" -- of the struggle of working people using direct action in labour unions to change the world ("Anarchism . . . originated in everyday struggles" -- Kropotkin)

It began in the 1880s in the USA. In 1884, the Federation of Organised Trades and Labor Unions of the United States and Canada (created in 1881, it changed its name in 1886 to the American Federation of Labor) passed a resolution which asserted that "eight hours shall constitute a legal day's work from and after May 1, 1886, and that we recommend to labour organisations throughout this district that they so direct their laws as to conform to this resolution." A call for strikes on May 1st, 1886 was made in support of this demand.

In Chicago the anarchists were the main force in the union movement, and partially as a result of their presence, the unions translated this call into strikes on May 1st. The anarchists thought that the eight hour day could only be won through direct action and solidarity. They considered that struggles for reforms, like the eight hour day, were not enough in themselves. They viewed them as only one battle in an ongoing class war that would only end by social revolution and the creation of a free society. It was with these ideas that they organised and fought.

In Chicago alone, 400 000 workers went out and the threat of strike action ensured that more than 45 000 were granted a shorter working day without striking. On May 3, 1886, police fired into a crowd of pickets at the McCormick Harvester Machine Company, killing at least one striker, seriously wounding five or six others, and injuring an undetermined number. Anarchists called for a mass meeting the next day in Haymarket Square to protest the brutality. According to the Mayor, "nothing had occurred yet, or looked likely to occur to require interference." However, as the meeting was breaking up a column of 180 police arrived and ordered the meeting to end. At this moment a bomb was thrown into the police ranks, who opened fire on the crowd. How many civilians were wounded or killed by the police was never exactly ascertained.

A reign of terror swept over Chicago. Meeting halls, union offices, printing shops and private homes were raided (usually without warrants). Such raids into working-class areas allowed the police to round up all known anarchists and other socialists. Many suspects were beaten up and some bribed. "Make the raids first and look up the law afterwards" was the public statement of J. Grinnell, the States Attorney, when a question was raised about search warrants.

Eight anarchists were put on trial for accessory to murder. No pretence was made that any of the accused had carried out or even planned the bomb. Instead the jury were told "Law is on trial. Anarchy is on trial. These men have been selected, picked out by the Grand Jury, and indicted because they were leaders. They are no more guilty than the thousands who follow them. Gentlemen of the jury; convict these men, make examples of them, hang them and you save our institutions, our society." The jury was selected by a special bailiff, nominated by the State's Attorney and was composed of businessmen and the relative of one of the cops killed. The defence was not allowed to present evidence that the special bailiff had publicly claimed "I am managing this case and I know what I am about. These fellows are going to be hanged as certain as death." Not surprisingly, the accused were convicted. Seven were sentenced to death, one to 15 years' imprisonment.

An international campaign resulted in two of the death sentences being commuted to life, but the worldwide protest did not stop the US state. Of the remaining five, one (Louis Lingg) cheated the executioner and killed himself on the eve of the execution. The remaining four (Albert Parsons, August Spies, George Engel and Adolph Fischer) were hanged on November 11th 1887. They are known in Labour history as the Haymarket Martyrs. Between 150,000 and 500,000 lined the route taken by the funeral cortege and between 10,000 to 25,000 were estimated to have watched the burial.

In 1889, the American delegation attending the International Socialist congress in Paris proposed that May 1st be adopted as a workers' holiday. This was to commemorate working class struggle and the "Martyrdom of the Chicago Eight". Since then Mayday has became a day for international solidarity. In 1893, the new Governor of Illinois made official what the working class in Chicago and across the world knew all along and pardoned the Martyrs because of their obvious innocence and because "the trail was not fair".

The authorities had believed at the time of the trial that such persecution would break the back of the labour movement. They were wrong. In the words of August Spies when he addressed the court after he had been sentenced to die:

"If you think that by hanging us you can stamp out the labour movement . . . the movement from which the downtrodden millions, the millions who toil in misery and want, expect salvation -- if this is your opinion, then hang us! Here you will tread on a spark, but there and there, behind you -- and in front of you, and everywhere, flames blaze up. It is a subterranean fire. You cannot put it out."

At the time and in the years to come, this defiance of the state and capitalism was to win thousands to anarchism, particularly in the US itself. Since the Haymarket event, anarchists have celebrated May Day (on the 1st of May -- the reformist unions and labour parties moved its marches to the first Sunday of the month). We do so to show our solidarity with other working class people across the world, to celebrate past and present struggles, to show our power and remind the ruling class of their vulnerability. As Nestor Makhno put it:

"That day those American workers attempted, by organising themselves, to give expression to their protest against the iniquitous order of the State and Capital of the propertied . . .

"The workers of Chicago . . . had gathered to resolve, in common, the problems of their lives and their struggles. . .

"Today too . . . the toilers . . . regard the first of May as the occasion of a get-together when they will concern themselves with their own affairs and consider the matter of their emancipation."

Anarchists stay true to the origins of May Day and celebrate its birth in the direct action of the oppressed. Oppression and exploitation breed resistance and, for anarchists, May Day is an international symbol of that resistance and power -- a power expressed in the last words of August Spies, chiseled in stone on the monument to the Haymarket martyrs in Waldheim Cemetery in Chicago:

"The day will come when our silence will be more powerful than the voices you are throttling today."




To understand why the state and business class were so determined to hang the Chicago Anarchists, it is necessary to realise they were considered the "leaders" of a massive radical union movement. In 1884, the Chicago Anarchists produced the world's first daily anarchist newspaper, the Chicagoer Arbeiter-Zeitung. This was written, read, owned and published by the German immigrant working class movement. The combined circulation of this daily plus a weekly (Vorbote) and a Sunday edition (Fackel) more than doubled, from 13,000 per issues in 1880 to 26,980 in 1886. Anarchist weekly papers existed for other ethnic groups as well (one English, one Bohemian and one Scandinavian). As Martyr Oscar Neebe clearly argued, "these are the crimes I have committed: I organised trade unions. I was for reduction of the hours of labour, and the education of the labouring man, and the re-establishment of 'Die Arbeiter Zeitung', the workingmen' paper."





Anarchists were very active in the Central Labour Union (which included the eleven largest unions in the city) and aimed to make it, in the words of Albert Parsons (one of the Martyrs), "the embryonic group of the future 'free society.'" The anarchists were also part of the International Working People's Association (also called the "Black International") which had representatives from 26 cities at its founding convention. The I.W.P.A. soon made headway among trade unions, especially in the mid-west and its ideas of direct action of the rank and file and of trade unions serving as the instrument of the working class for the complete destruction of capitalism and the nucleus for the formation of a new society became known as the "Chicago Idea" (an idea which later inspired the Industrial Workers of the World which was founded in Chicago in 1905).





This idea was expressed in the manifesto issued at the I.W.P.A.'s Pittsburgh Congress of 1883:
**"First -- Destruction of the existing class rule, by all means, i.e. by energetic, relentless, revolutionary and international action.
**"Second -- Establishment of a free society based upon co-operative organisation of production.
**"Third -- Free exchange of equivalent products by and between the productive organisations without commerce and profit-mongery.
**"Fourth -- Organisation of education on a secular, scientific and equal basis for both sexes.
**"Fifth -- Equal rights for all without distinction to sex or race.
**"Sixth -- Regulation of all public affairs by free contracts between autonomous (independent) communes and associations, resting on a federalistic basis."





In addition to their union organising, the Chicago anarchist movement also organised social societies, picnics, lectures, dances, libraries and a host of other activities. These all helped to forge a distinctly working-class revolutionary culture in the heart of the "American Dream." The threat to the ruling class and their system was too great to allow it to continue (particularly with memories of the vast uprising of labour in 1877 still fresh. As in 1886, that revolt was also meet by state violence). Hence the repression, kangaroo court, and the state murder of those the state and capitalist class considered "leaders" of the movement.





The Chicago anarchists, like all anarchists, were applying their ideas to the class struggle. They were forming unions organised and animated with the libertarian spirit. They saw that anarchism was not a utopian dream but rather a means of action -- of (to use Bakunin's words) "creating not only the ideas, but also the facts of the future itself" by means of direct action, solidarity and organising from the bottom up. That was why they were effective and why the state framed and murdered them.





On the 115th anniversary of the first May Day, we must apply our anarchist ideas to everyday life and the class struggle, inside and outside industry, in order to make anarchism a possibility. As Kropotkin put it, "anarchism was born among the people; and it will continue to be full of life and creative power only as long as it remains a thing of the people."





Reclaim the anarchist spirit of May Day. Make everyday an International Day of solidarity and direct action!
"I say to you: 'I despise you. I despise your order; your laws, your force-propped authority.' HANG ME FOR IT!"
Louis Lingg

"The existing economic system has placed on the markets for sale man's natural rights . . . A freeman is not for sale or for hire"
Albert Parsons

"You may pronounce the sentence upon me, honourable judge, but let the world know that in A.D. 1886, in the State of Illinois, eight men were sentenced to death because they believed in a better future; because they had not lost their faith in the ultimate victory of liberty and justice!"
August Spies

"every anarchist is a socialist but every socialist is not necessarily an anarchist . . . the communistic anarchists demand the abolition of political authority, the state . . . we advocate the communistic or co-operative methods of production."
Adolph Fischer

LOCAL EVENTS- WINNIPEG:
THE A-ZONE TELETHON:






As has been previously mentioned on this blog the 'A-Zone Telethon' is now up and running with live video from the fundraiser. You can access the streaming video from the website above or you can donate by credit card by phone at 1-204-942-6994. You can also send a cheque to Winnipeg Parecon Worker Council, Old Market Autonomous Zone Co-op, 2D-91 Albert St., Winnipeg, Manitoba, R3B 1G5.


The fundraiser is to raise the down payment for purchase of the premises at 91 Albert St. to be owned and operated as a co-op by the tenants---over a dozen different groups. The A-Zone has long provided a centre for the libertarian left in Winnipeg, and hopefully the purchase will make this centre even more solid and reliable. W



What follows is the appeal from the A-Zone. I'm sorry that I can't upload the video. It's beyond my computer skills to link to a live webcast. I am also to lazy and pressed for time to copy all the numerous !!! links in what follows onto this post. In other words go to the A-Zone link for lots more info than I can provide here.
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“BUILDING THE A-ZONE CO-OP”
24-HOUR FUNDRAISER LIVE VIDEO FEED
The A-Zone fundraising telethon will last from 3pm Saturday May 1st, until 3pm Sunday May 1st. You may be able to see an embedded player below:



You can also watch or listen these ways:

•Ogg video, or Ogg video playlist (suggested player, VLC, there are others too) You can also use the embedded player here
•MP3 audio, or MP3 playlist(Chances are you already have an MP3 player, but check out VLC if you need one)You can also use the embedded player here
•livestream.com flash video (Requires Adobe Flash Player)
The livestream.com video feed also has an Internet Relay Chat (IRC) channel superimposed on top of it. You can join #azone on freenode (irc.freenode.net ) and give shout outs that will appear in the video. If you’re lucky, you may even be able to go strait to that channel by following this hyperlink, but most folks will probably need to configure an IRC client. (Note that freenode does not work with the web to IRC service Mibbit, which Firefox may send you too). You can also use this IRC to web interface.

The A-Zone needs your support! We are embarking on a 4-month international fundraising campaign to raise the funds needed for the down payment. Donations of any amount are gratefully welcome. In-kind donations are also welcome.

Ready to donate? Cheques can be made out to “Winnipeg Parecon Worker Council”, and sent to the address and post box listed below. Please put our name in the notes section of the cheque.

Address:
Old Market Autonomous Zone Co-op
2D - 91 Albert Street
Winnipeg, Manitoba
R3B 1G5
Events

24-hour May Day International Fundraising Telethon, May 1-2

We are holding a 24-Hour A-Zone International Fundraising Telethon, May 1 – 2, presented in conjunction with Winnipeg’s 2010 May Works Festival. The telethon will begin at 3 pm of the 1st and continue until the next day with non-stop live and virtual entertainment by local comedians, performance artists, musicians and poets at Mondragon on the A-Zone’s main floor. The event will conclude with a special Sunday brunch fundraiser. Streamed live, here, at a-zone.org.

Contact us

For further information about the A-Zone Co-op Project or the fundraising campaign, please contact us at azonefundcom@gmail.com .

INTERNATIONAL LABOUR- SOUTH AFRICA:

VICTORY FOR SOUTH AFRICAN MUNICIPAL WORKERS:

After a week long general strike municipal workers in South Africa gained a victory as the association of municipalities has agreed to a standard job evaluation across the country. The victory was won because instead of trying to bargain individually the workers launched the general strike across the country, preventing the local authorities from picking them off one a group at a time. A lesson to be learned here ? Here's a report of what happened from the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE).

SASASASASASASASA

Victory for South African Municipal workers
The South African Municipal Workers’ Union (SAMWU) has concluded a seven day general strike. The call to action was due to the employer’s refusal to implement a standard wage system. For seven days SAMWU members remained on the streets for fair wages while the union negotiations team bargained intensely with the South African local government association (SALGA).

“The success of the seven day national strike to ensure that all municipal workers are paid fairly is a great accomplishment,” said CUPE National President Paul Moist. South African municipalities had been able to exploit workers by paying below the correct wage level. As a result of the mass action SAMWU members now have an agreement on wage curves starting 1 July 2010.

Key issues that gave rise to the strike were: SALGA’s refusal to introduce a job evaluation system that will grade all jobs in the sector. The absence of this system allowed individual municipalities to arbitrarily grade jobs and assign their own salary to that job. This led to massive abuse and favouritism. Although SALGA was willing to introduce a job evaluation system it was only prepared to pay at half of the market rates for jobs such as nurses, plumbers, electricians, engineers and technicians. This underpayment of staff led to a loss of skills from the sector as workers seek better paid jobs elsewhere.

Following seven days of general strike action, SALGA conceded to the union’s demands. “CUPE is impressed with the action SAMWU members have taken to stand up for a fair wage system and to push SALGA to use their resources to fund public service delivery for the communities they serve,” added Moist.