Anarcho-Syndicalism

Submitted by FS98 on June 23, 2016

I understand that anarcho-syndicalists advocate worker ownership of the means of production. What exactly would this look like though? How would these worker managed business type orginizations come about? How would people organize to achieve this?

Craftwork

7 years 9 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by Craftwork on June 23, 2016

If we are to successfully abandon the old centres of struggle, it will require a simultaneous movement towards the creation of new modes of life. What's the point of occupying the factories - like car factories for example - where production must be stopped anyway? The cry goes up: "Occupy the factories and manage them ourselves!" So all the prisoners of the system are supposed to take over their prisons and begin the self-management of their own imprisonment.
Jacques Camatte, 'Against Domestication'

https://www.marxists.org/archive/camatte/agdom.htm

Sike

7 years 9 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by Sike on June 23, 2016

FS98

I understand that anarcho-syndicalists advocate worker ownership of the means of production. What exactly would this look like though? How would these worker managed business type orginizations come about? How would people organize to achieve this?

Anarcho-syndicalists propose that it would be organized through federated revolutionary worker controlled unions. Keep in mind that most anarcho-syndicalists are also anarchist-communists who propose that the means of production be administered by a federated working-class society based upon the material needs of that society rather then upon a business or market model of production.

Sike

7 years 9 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by Sike on June 25, 2016

Double post.

FS98

7 years 9 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by FS98 on June 23, 2016

Sike

federated revolutionary worker controlled unions.

How exactly would these work? Is there anywhere to get a quick summary of this? Also, how do anarcho-syndicalists anarcho-communists think that a gift economy can be achieved through workers self management?

Maclane Horton

7 years 9 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by Maclane Horton on June 24, 2016

You have to start from somewhere else and prepare the ground. Once the old system is cleared away production can be organised on co-operative principles.

For clearing away the old system you might try a topic in the Regions section ( the section after the General section we are in right now.)

The topic is under Ireland and its title is Leprechaun et Son Bonnet Vert. Ignore the French bits and read the English part. It is written with Ireland in mind so it has some stuff on the euro and the EU which don't apply now to England.

Sike

7 years 9 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by Sike on June 25, 2016

This pamphlet by the CNT in Spain provides a relatively quick summary of the function and structure of an anarcho-syndicalist union. Especially the chapter, Part One: The Goals and Structure of the CNT. There are other writings in the Libcom library that provide a summary of the structure and function of anarcho-syndicalist unions as well so it might pay to look there. Also, if I remember correctly, Murray Bookchin's book on the Spanish Anarchists includes a graph detailing the structure of the CNT at during it's height in the 1930s.

As for a "gift-economy" I think that what anarcho-syndicalists who are also communists propose is actually an economy planned democratically by the grassroots of federated workers organizations more then a pure gift-economy. I could be wrong, though.

Sike

7 years 9 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by Sike on June 25, 2016

FS98, just logged on and happened by chance to notice this correspondence course on anarcho-syndicalism by SolFed in the Featured article section. I've not read it but it does seems like it may be useful.