Clandestine syndicalism

Submitted by yeksmesh on May 10, 2013

Does anyone know of any publication regarding workplace struggles in conditions of clandestinity, preferably in cases such as occupations, particularly in Europe during world 2 under nazi occupation.

Entdinglichung

10 years 10 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by Entdinglichung on May 10, 2013

only in German: Walter Uhlmann: Metallarbeiter im antifaschistischen Widerstand, written 1983 by a member of a rank and file committee in the engineering industry in Berlin 1933-37 who also belonged to the "Brandlerite" KPD-O

there should definitely be some stuff in English about the February strike 1941 in the Netherlands and about the strikewave in Italy in spring 1943

Entdinglichung

10 years 10 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by Entdinglichung on May 10, 2013

there is some stuff in Allan Merson's Communist Resistance in Nazi Germany about the reorganized factory cells of the KPD after 1939 in cities like Berlin and Hamburg, whose focus was on a) low-level sabotage of war production e.g through working slow, producing bad quality, absenteism and b) helping forced labourers to survive

Harrison

10 years 10 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by Harrison on May 11, 2013

Under this article people have posted some links with reference to workplace struggles
http://libcom.org/history/1918-1937-anarchist-activity-in-nazi-germany

(The article itself looks like historical revisionism for the sake of claiming anarchists played a greater role than they actually did...)

Karetelnik

10 years 10 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by Karetelnik on May 11, 2013

there should definitely be some stuff in English about the February strike 1941 in the Netherlands

Most detailed account in English here.

yeksmesh

10 years 10 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by yeksmesh on May 11, 2013

@Karetelnik, I also speak dutch, so don't hesitate to post accounts that aren't in English.

Entdinglichung

10 years 10 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by Entdinglichung on May 11, 2013

and there's of course the study by Dieter Nelles on the German ITF resistance groups: Widerstand und internationale Solidarität. Die Internationale Transportarbeiter-Föderation (ITF) im Widerstand gegen den Nationalsozialismus

Entdinglichung

10 years 10 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by Entdinglichung on May 14, 2013

there are two recent publications (havent read them so far) about the Einheitsverband der Metallarbeiter Berlins (EVMB, Unity Association of Metal Workers Berlin), originally set up as a front of the KPD which became more and more independent 1933, it had around 1000 members in illegal cells 1933 and was one of the few unions which was able to initiate shop floor struggles after the stabilisation of the Nazi regime in spring 1933, many of its structures were already crushed by the Gestapo in late 1933/early 1934 but some cells carried on unto 1936, some of its members played a role in the above mentioned reorganization of communist factory cells during the war, the KPD completely dropped the EVMB when they adopted the popular front line and dissolved their "red unions" 1934/35.

generally, the engineering industry in Berlin was (together with the docks and shipyards in Hamburg and the merchant navy) one of the areas of German society, where support for the illegal workers organisations remained strongest after 1933, accounts can e.g. be found in the autobiographies of Heinz Brandt (critical KPD member in that period) and Henry Jacoby (was a member of the independent Trotskyist group around Kurt Landau in that period and also close to Otto Rühle)

a general study about illegal structures of (mostly of social democratic "free") unions is „Arbeit im kleinsten Zirkel“. Gewerkschaften im Widerstand gegen den Nationalsozialismus (1993) by Willy Buschak

Entdinglichung

6 years 3 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by Entdinglichung on December 13, 2017

another study published a few years ago by local historian Stefan Stracke shed some light on the Wuppertaler Gewerkschaftsprozesse (Wuppertal union trials), KPD members had been able to organise more than 1000 workers (among them not only KPD and RGO members and sympathizers but also social democratic, catholic and independent workers and even some former Nazis) into clandestine factory cells in the city of Wuppertal which were even able to two conduct two small strikes and a few protests, the network was smashed in early 1935 with at least 1200, probably up to 1900 workers arrested, dozens of them were murdered by the Nazis ... Wuppertal (up to 1929 Elberfeld and Barmen) was during the early 1920ies also a stronghold of the FAUD, don't know if former or present members of it played a role in the clandestine union cells

syndicalist

6 years 3 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by syndicalist on December 13, 2017

1943 - France:

International Revolutionary Syndicalist Federation
https://libcom.org/tags/international-revolutionary-syndicalist-federation

Entdinglichung

6 years 3 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by Entdinglichung on December 13, 2017

syndicalist

1943 - France:

International Revolutionary Syndicalist Federation
https://libcom.org/tags/international-revolutionary-syndicalist-federation

any information about their entrenchment in factories?

syndicalist

6 years 3 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by syndicalist on December 13, 2017

Right quick. I do not know a whole more than what I read in Dave Barry's "French Abarchist Movement". The IRSF was seemingly a propaganda group composed of French and exiled Spanish CNT comrades in and around Toulouse