Western Europe
The Lessons of the “March Action”
The Lessons of the “March Action”-Gorter’s Last Letter to Lenin
Dear Comrade Lenin:
When we last parted in November of 1920, your last words on our quite divergent ideas concerning revolutionary tactics in Western Europe were to the effect that neither your opinions nor mine had been sufficiently tested: that experience would soon prove which of the two is correct.
We were in complete agreement on that.
France: Strikers paralyse Paris region
Transport workers brought most of Paris and the Ile de France region to a halt today, they were joined at demonstrations by other workers and strikers.
The one-day strike was originally called by the main rail unions in protest at the end of 'special regimes' for pensions.
France: medical interns strike over conditions
Interns across the country have gone on strike demanding that the government withdraw new laws on their freedom of movement.
15000 interns nationwide demonstrated on Friday to further publicise their strike. In Paris 1000 interns blocked traffic at the Place de la Bastille and held a symbolic jog under the banner "American jogging for an american health service" In Strasbourg and Lyon they gave blood. Protests were held in all major cities.
Germany: train drivers strike over pay
Workers in the GDL union went on strike on Friday after refusing a pay offer.
In the first German rail strike since 1992, 8000 drivers from the smallest rail union went on strike between 6 and 9am. Deutsche Bahn, the german rail company, had previously obtained a court order preventing workers from striking on national or freight services.
France: another suicide by Renault worker
This death was the fourth suicide in a year by a worker at the Guyancourt technocentre site.
The company immediately sought to distance itself from the suicide, firstly by claiming that the man in question had been on sick leave since September 6 and secondly by claiming that his workplace was only administratively a part of the site which has seen three other workers take their own lives in the last year.
France: Wimetal workers vote for strike action against factory closure
Workers at the exhaust factory in Wissembourg voted to begin a strike action on Friday.
The company announced to workers that between now and the end of the year production would be wound down and all 181 workers at the site made redundant. Workers called a general meeting and voted for strike action. They voted at a second meeting on Monday morning to continue the action.
Belgium: Techspace Aero workers launch strike
The workers voted on Monday morning to launch strike action demanding assurances over jobs.
The 122 workers are currently employed by the maintenance of military engines division of Techspace Aero, at Herstal. The US manufacturer Pratt & Withney has just bought the division and workers want assurances over their jobs. 75% of the workforce have been with the company for 20 years or more.
Order Prevails in Berlin - Rosa Luxemburg
Written just after the defeat of German Revolution and hours before she and other leaders of the struggle would be arrested and killed by the Friekorps. It details the ebb and flow of recent class struggles and is the last known work of Rosa Luxemburg.
"Order prevails in Warsaw!" declared Minister Sebastiani to the Paris Chamber of Deputies in 1831, when after having stormed the suburb of Praga, Paskevich’s marauding troops invaded the Polish capital to begin their butchery of the rebels.
A Call to the Workers of the World - Rosa Luxemburg
Rosa Luxemburg's call to the international working class to support the 1918 German Revolution by taking up arms against their own ruling classes. Originally published in Die Rote Fahne (The Red Flag), November 25, 1918
PROLETARIANS! Men and Women of Labor! Comrades!
The Beginning - Rosa Luxemburg
Rosa Luxemburg's essay at the outbreak of the 1918 German Revolution.
The revolution has begun. What is called for now is not jubilation at was has been accomplished, not triumph over the beaten foe, but the strictest self-criticism and iron concentration of energy in order to continue the work we have begun. For our accomplishments are small and the foe has not been beaten.
