All in a day’s work: life and labor in the day labor industry
An article by Everett Martinez about the day labor industry in the construction trades.
Whether it means the arduous toil of building a house or the technical knowhow required to unclog a home septic system, “day labor” is the catch-all term for an industry defined by its instability, unreliability and illegality for those who work in it.
The lump: an heretical analysis - Dave Lamb
Submitted by Steven. on Feb 16 2014 16:03
1974 pamphlet by Solidarity criticising the standard left and union response to "the lump": the paying of building workers by lump sums for a job instead of union rates on national terms and conditions. Deeply controversial at the time, it criticised the slogan "Defend the unions, smash the lump!" and pointed out that the building unions agreeing to enforce a government pay freeze in "national interest" bore much responsibility for the development.
Solidarity for workers' full control #06
Issue of South London Solidarity from 21 September, 1969, with articles about struggles in construction engineering at Kingsnorth, Northfleet, Fawley and more.
Workers building Samsung factory riot in Vietnam
Submitted by Jim Clarke on Jan 9 2014 14:53
Thousands of construction workers building a Samsung's factory in Vietnam's northern Thai Nguyen province clashed with security guards on Thursday, leaving 13 people injured, four critically.
Between 3-4,000 of the 10,000 workers building the factory went on the rampage, burning containers used by security forces and destroying cars and motorcycles after security guards beat a worker unconscious.
Meet my mates, the bastards
Submitted by plasmatelly on Nov 5 2013 23:22
Fancy a challenge? Try keeping your politics intact whilst working with ordinary, apolitical workmates to build an unofficial union. Apolitical workplace organisers have it easy! If, like me, you hold dear a set of political beliefs that can only be fully realised once state and capital are no more, organising with your workmates may prove the most frustrating way of spending your precious time.
I've been here often before; working outside and around established unions, without unions and in the face of unions. I'm an anarcho-syndicalist, though this can all go out the window sometimes when faced with occasional bouts of nearly overwhelming mean spiritedness from my workmates.
The common struggle: the firefighters show the way!
Submitted by plasmatelly on Oct 3 2013 15:49
Following the first fire brigade strike of 2013 over proposed pension changes, a short look at how injury and incapacity unites all manual workers.
Who's watching whose back?
Solidarity for workers' power #2.12
Issue of Solidarity for workers' power containing a Building Stewards Committee of London statement in favour of higher wages, commentry on the 1963 Public Order Act and more.
A look at training, apprenticeships and de-skilling in the construction and engineering industries
Submitted by plasmatelly on Sep 15 2013 18:39
As the scramble for work inside the engineering and construction industries continues, finding experienced, skilled workers is proving a problem for employers.
The past 10 years has seen an explosion in the growth of training centres offering shortcut paths to re-skilling in the engineering and building industries. Industry bodies representing their commercial membership have colluded in lowering the previous expectation of having served an apprenticeship; the result seeing a dramatic lowering of standards and an increase in available labour.
Kier staff ballot for strike action
Submitted by plasmatelly on Aug 9 2013 10:10
Kier building maintenance workers are balloting for strike following the construction giant's plan to delay paying its workforce.
The massive takeover of May Gurney - an acquisition of another 6,000 workers - is rumoured to have the normally cash rich company scratching about for pound coins down the back of the sofa.
Building workers pay deal - Solidarity
Submitted by Steven. on Aug 5 2013 23:26
Pamphlet #2 published by Solidarity (north west) written by the editorial board of "Rank and File", a militant construction workers' paper. Published in 1970 it analysed and attacked the pay deal between the unions and employers.
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