Boring from within the unions

I think you're confused. "Boring from within" means the strategy of capturing leadership positions in the unions.

e. t. a.: Good musical taste though!

The WSM are Fosterites!

Four groups that advocate neither a "boring from within" nor an "outside and against" strategy:

WSM, "The Trade Unions"
Zabalaza, "Trade Unions and Revolution"
FdCA, "Motion on Union Intervention"
NEFAC, "Workplace Position Paper"

See also http://workersolidarity.org/ and click about WSA. Although our "Where We Stand" document is currently being re-written, our long established flexible strategies still remain.

Firstly, French anarchists started the CGT, they didn't convert it. It later went over to Stalinism and social democracy: http://libcom.org/history/1895-1921-the-cgt-france

Secondly, I don't think anyone thinks the first bit is possible, even if there were lots of anarchists. The WSM does advocate things like reforming and "democratising" mainstream unions, which is part of a "boring from within" strategy. But I don't think any anarchists would call their strategy that. I think attempting to reform the unions - the failed task of trot groups for decades - is utterly bankrupt.

One related archive of a workplace group: http://libcom.org/tags/communication-workers-group

Chatting on Libcom has convinced me you can be boring from the outside too.

the cgt in the syndicalist phase before WWI - was a "union confederation or centre" - the majority of its membership were in unions termed reformists - lacking any revolutionary perspective and pursuit of direct action to improve workers conditions - only a minority would fit a "syndicalist definition " but the way the cgt was organised these sections which had a smallish membership but numerous and so predominating in the voting at congresses - to elect syndicalists/anarchists known as revolutionaries to various postions in the national organisation
- the syndicalist strategy appears to have been for syndicalist officials and cgt committees eg for 8 hour day, anti-militarist, etc to agitate and push for campaigns to draw "conservative/reformist" affiliates into militant action and help out the agitation and network of syndicalist groupings on the job - and the creation of syndicalist cgt affiliates
see issues of Browder/Foster's the "syndicalist" reprinted by greenwood press for articles about this strategy in the CGT in its syndicalist phase
- the ASN is involved in this type of classic syndicalist strategy see relevant articles on our web site www.rebelworker.org
- the election of officials can play a certain role in creating a more favourable climate for syndicalist activity at the base - more scope for direct action in its various forms , holding regular workers assemblies - and also we have to take our heads out of the clouds - and see where the worker is at - these days due to the extreme harshness of the employer offensive - they normally won't attend any meetings - however in the context of say union rep and other elections they will make the big effort
- also the issue is "what militants are doing on the job" - re activism not what they call themselves - or whether they are members of political parties - they often develop a very antibureaucratic/pro direct action perspective from their struggles against the union bureaucracy/the bosses
- also for syndicalist today - given the fewness of syndicalists today- the strategic issue is ever more important - focusing in industries and associated unions which take big actions and so help raise morale generally within the workers movement - and so help out syndicalist networking and agitation in these sectors and counter the employer offensive - the push for privatisation ( the asn has been very much involved in this activity in public transport in NSW) - and so eventually mass syndicalist industrial unionism can emerge WHICH BECOME AN EXPANDING MOVEMENT - WIPING OUT THE BASE OF ORTHODOX PRO-CORPORATE UNIONISM DISREGARDING IR RESTRICTIONS ON INDSUTRIAL ACTION BECAUSE THEY HAVE THE INDUSTRIAL STRENGH AND RAISED WORKERS MORALE TO DO SO- TOTALLY DIFFERENT TO THE ACTIVITY OF THE CONTEMPORARY IWW WITH ITS TINY INCREMENTAL GROWTH AND ENTANGLEMENT IN INDUSTRIAL LAW AND CONTRACTS
- of course if you are just copying the leftist sects - opportunistically doing things and lost in the hothouse of identity politics/political correctness alientating most militant workers who come in contact - you can't pursue this crucial strategic organising and you don't have the scientific climate/stimulus to debate and research for it to develop conceptually
mark

Mark I think you have some worthwhile stuff to say, and I think the ASN seems pretty cool. Can I suggest that you 1) Capitalize the beginning of sentences, and 2) put space between paragraphs?

Like this? That will make it much easier to read what you say.

Well I think "boring from within" implies an orientation towards unions, whether its capturing the leadership of "syndicalizing" the union, rather than towards workers more generally (inside or outside of a particular union). In that sense i'm not sure that the ASN are doing "boring from within".

The situation in South Africa, and other African countries, is very different to Europe and North America and perhaps there are still possibilities of changing existing unions there. See for example this article from Zabalaza.

For as far back as I can remember, this was always the insult thrown at us for wanting to have both an inside the mainstream unions and outside strategy. Even the question of whether or not to stand for a elected shop steward, health & safety rep. or local exec. member was criticised by some as being having leninist "boring from within" overtones.

Closet leninist.

the asn long term aim is certainly the formation of an mass industrial union confederation on syndicalist lines as part of the classic syndicalist approach of assisting the effectiveness of direct action and preparing workers for control of industry. In terms of the overthrow of capitalism (which is somewhat a way off!) we would be looking at the formation of a "workers/community councils" confederation model drawing in all working class and middle class sectors and open to all regardless of union or political party membership.
However, asn workplace publications are open to both union and non-union member involvement on the job and such publications have a lot of outside the job help and have the involvement of people who are not employed eg unemployed, pensioners, etc, also a certain layer of workers being disillusioned with the bureaucratic unions - cease union membership - which I think is unwise in the Australian context - such workers often have "simplistic notions" about how to set up non bureaucratic unions and are unaware of the complexities - but they are welcome to get inolved in the papers and the associated network -
- in regard to "official leninist" industrial activity in australia - from my observations there is very little of it today- these groups mainly focus on campus and globalisation/anti-war etc stuff - such groups lose touch with activity in this sphere and couldn't cope with the increasing hostile environment
- in the transport front here in sydney- the actual worker members of some of these groups who are still active often get drawn into the sparks orbit
-certainly due to the harsh industrial actions and progress of the employer offensive etc, the continuity of workplace grass roots dissidence is very much tied up with outside the job organisation - but the workers on the job who use the paper and other facilities to assist them in the class struggle and have control of its content within reason - its a purely voluntary association and they are very aware of need of massive sustained assistance in the existing hostile conditions - this has nothing to do with vanguardism
mark

I think that this is a global phenomenon. I think that it is mostly to do with the low levels of class struggle, and the terrible years of the nineties. No, that class struggle seems to be re-emerging again on an international level, I think that we will also see the re-emergence of leftist groups in the workplace. They will turn towards the working class.

It will be interesting to see which ones will be able to make the transition. In my opinion the SWP won't be able to do it, and the CWI, which seems a lot more radical outside the UK may be more successful.

Devrim