Earlier this month I attended the Swedish Anarcho-Syndicalist Youth Federation (SUF) Federal Conference in Malmö as an observer from North London Solidarity Federation. This is the 23rd conference and in the 20 year anniversary of the group.
20 years ago the SUF formed in inpiration from the Central Organisation of the Workers of Sweden (SAC), the Swedish syndicalist union which left the IWA in dispute during the 50's. SUF was previously the official youth membership group of the SAC and today the two still work closely together. In Malmö, a small city in the South of Sweden, they share an HQ which allows the SUF local access to various resources and archives as well as a meeting space and office.
Due to unforeseen circumstances, including one of the key organisers and speakers having been taken seriously ill, we have had to reduce the conference to just Saturday 5th January 2013. Apologies for any inconvenience this may cause.
IWA-AIT 90th anniversary conference
Hosted by South London Solidarity Federation
Final programme
12:00 – 13:15 IWA - 90’s years of ideas & practice
For 90 years the IWA has been at the forefront of the struggle against capital and the state, a SolFed member with decades of experience as an workplace militant and long time IWA affiliate introduces the theory and practice behind anarcho-syndicalism.
Members of the anarcho-syndicalist CNT union and CGT union have gone on indefinite strike and occupied their workplace at the IMESAPI lighting plant in Granollers, Catalunya, Spain, demanding an end to the redundancy package which would see four of the 21 workers let go.
The workers – now 23 days into their strike – are responsible for maintaining the street lights throughout the small Catalan town, and therefore are of critical importance to the town council. IMESAPI itself is a part of the huge ACS conglomerate owned by Florentino Pérez, the multibillionaire engineering tycoon known internationally as the owner of Real Madrid FC.
Asociación Internacional de los Trabajadores, Conferencia del 90 aniversario. 5-6 enero de 2013, Londres.
Los trabajadores revolucionarios de todo el mundo se reunirán en Londres durante dos días a comienzos de enero del 2013 para conmemorar el 90 º aniversario de la fundación de la Asociación Internacional de los Trabajadores - basada en los principios del sindicalismo revolucionario, que significó la aparición del anarcosindicalismo en el movimiento obrero mundial.
Reflections by ASI-IWA, our Serbian sister section, at the occasion of their tenth anniversary.
In previous ten years ASI has intensively supported the organizing of revolutionary libertarian workers' movement. Apart from direct participation in workers' and student strikes and protests, we are regularly publishing our weekly bulletin “Direktna akcija” (Direct Action) and sustain active publishing activities. This year, as it has for the past eight years, our publishing-research body — Center for Libertarian Studies (CLS) will be participating in The Belgrade Bookfare with the intention to make the theory and history of the workers' movement accessible to people, as well as to confront commercialization of culture, and support spreading and strengthening of progressive thought and radical social critique.
Sat, 15/09/2012 (All day) to Mon, 17/09/2012 (All day)
Fax and Phone Blockade In Support of Domino's Delivery Drivers Australia Monday 17th September
Domino's delivery drivers in Australia have received a 19% pay cut to their wages this year. Domino's Australia made $105 million in profits last year. There is no need for a paycut.
I am Mazen ******, a Syrian anarchist . I want to inform you about the difficult humanitarian situation in my country, Syria ; due to the brutal oppression of the regime against the revolting masses. A group of young Syrian anarchists and anti – authoritarians from Aleppo – Syria, contacted me asking for urgent help. Their community is in urgent need for everything : medical drugs , tents , children milk , etc; almost everything. We hope that you can help them to alleviate the sufferings of Syrians in these difficult days.
Our Spanish sister section decided to call a 24-hour general strike for March 29, against the Labor Reform, the cuts, and the assaults on the working class. The CNT rejects any kind of negotiation over the rights conquered by the working class and demands the repeal of the Labor Reform. The strike call extends the call that has already been made for Galicia and the Basque Country. This call will be formalized in the coming days.
Article by Vadim Damier at the occasion of the 140th anniversary of the Federalist International Workingmen´s Association
The “first” International Workingmen´s Association was founded in 1864 through the initiative of workers themselves but also with some participation of “politicians”. Organizationally, it was built as an association of workers´ unions. According to the Statutes, there was no centralism. The workers of the same profession or area formed a section, all sections of any country formed a federation, and every country federation sent delegates to the General Council. This Council was purely a coordinating body - it could not issue any decrees, instructions, etc. It was to analyze disputes and misunderstandings between the sections. All sections and federations maintained their autonomy.
ADECCO is the largest employment agency in the world. Beside profiting on precarity and casualisation, ADECCO and other employment agencies are fast becoming the go-to source for scabs and strikebreakers. Case in point: At the Asea Brown Boveri factory in Cordoba, Spain workers have struck over pay and conditions.
