Posted by Fiona
on October 31, 2009, 1:35 pm, in reply to "Re: I'm All Right Jack!"
The Industrial Workers of the World, "Wobblies" accepts workers, as long as they are not in 'hire and fire' management positions and those who are unemployed and retired. They organise in non-union workplaces too. They have in the recent past assisted Starbucks workers set up their own barista union for example.
Information on the British section here:
iww.org.uk
Their views on strikebreaking are condemnatory, however anyone who is desperate enough to accept a scabbing offer because of unemployment and consequent hardship, would be considered sympathetically I think. Not their actions but because of the fact that the way the world is run, pitting worker and non-worker against one another to the ultimate advantage of capitalism, is itself at the back of much of the low wage hardship and unemployment misery out there. Ultimately the idea is to do away altogether with wage slavery and to promote self-management rather than smoothing relations between bosses and workers, which is the way of reformist unions, includng the CWU.
Fiona
There is power in the union!
Fiona
--Previous Message--
: I think I said earlier, I'm not in any unions.
: Neither, in case you're wondering, am I an
: employer.
:
: So, no, I've not been to a union meeting
: lately. Are you telling me they *are* doing
: stuff to improve the lot of the unemployed,
: and make sure they're comfortable enough not
: to take work when it conflicts with union
: interests? If so, that's interesting. I
: would like to hear more, if you're able to
: offer it.
:
: You say:'Is that any wonder?'
:
: Well, no it doesn't surprise me, if that's
: what you mean. When terminology such as scab
: (and other derogatory terms designed to be
: spat)exist and are encouraged, the threat of
: violence is never all that far off. Despite
: Stevo's assertions that all that stuff was
: left back in the eighties, you can tell just
: by imploring people to spare a thought of
: compassion for the circumstances behind the
: strike-breaker's decision to work, that this
: attitude is not all that far in the past.
: I'd argue that its unlikely to be in the
: past at all, at least in sentiment.
:
: That is scary stuff. It makes me wonder how,
: on the one hand, we can be here concerned
: for the well being of people oppressed by
: our governments, and concerned about people
: suffering (and you know, all that buddhist
: compassion stuff) and on the other hand, act
: very aggressive to people who don't exercise
: solidarity with unions, but, are
: nevertheless still oppressed.
:
: It seems a fairly narrow set of protocols
: for compassion, really.
:
: 'If you don't annoy me, or disagree with me,
: or get in my way, I'll care about your
: well-being'.
:
: No doubt, this is *exactly* how our elite
: think. It doesn't make for happy thoughts
: about the state of the left, when you
: consider how similiar, with little pushes,
: both sides appear to be.
:
: cheers,
:
: Derek
:
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