London

London Underground strike threat wins reinstatement for unfairly sacked driver

Submitted by Steven. on Jun 24 2011 12:39

Six days of strikes on the London Underground by the RMT union have been called off after management agreed to reinstate a sacked train driver.

Strikes were originally called to demand the reinstatement of four drivers over their involvement in the previous strikes against job cuts in October 2010 (pictured).

These were called off when three workers were reinstated or re-engaged (meaning re-employed on the same pay but in a different job) and it was agreed that Arwyn Thomas would also be reinstated.

Workmates: direct action workplace organising on the London Underground

Pamphlet cover

In the late 1990s, plans to outsource track maintenance on the London Underground were being pushed through by the government. Workers at one depot responded by forming a new workplace group, both inside and outside the existing union, the RMT. This pamphlet charts the highs and lows of the Workmates collective, highlighting their successes and failures, their radically democratic organising method and their creative forms of direct action. We hope it can provide an inspiration to other workers frustrated with the limits of the existing workplace organisations.

Introduction

Italian anarchists in London, 1870-1914 - Pietro Dipaola

Submitted by Steven. on May 11 2011 14:35

A history of the Italian anarchist movement in London by Pietro Dipaola. In PDF format.

Marching for whose alternative? - Escalate Collective

An April 2011 piece by Escalate Collective on the March 26 TUC demonstration against public sector cuts.

We are not storming heaven, but being marched precariously close to the precipice. The Trade Union Congress is not our tool for emancipation – and neither can it be. Why are we being so skilfully pacified by ‘our’ institutions? We should see clearly how Brendan Barber, Ed Miliband and friends have steered us so neatly toward the cliff-edge.

WAG going London-wide

Submitted by Rob Ray on Apr 14 2011 13:24

Whitechapel Anarchist group has tended to be easily the largest and loudest local anarchist group in London in recent times and is influential within some of the movement's major assets. As such, their decision to dissolve and push a city-wide organising drive is noteworthy.

Having hung around with a few of the WAG lot in Whitechapel as a fellow North Londoner and member of the Freedom Press collective (the building is based off Whitechapel High Street) I've long been of the opinion that while I'm not personally an insurrectionist (SolFed all the way baby) a lot of the criticism that has been piled on from the movement at large underestimates the group, how thoughtfu

TUC March for the Alternative photo gallery

Submitted by Bluedog on Mar 28 2011 12:18

Pictures from the day of the Trade Union Congress-organised 'March for the Alternative' against cuts on 26 March 2011.

White Lion Free School Islington

A personal account of being a student at the White Lion Free School in Islington, London, which existed from 1972 to 1990. Its primarily to counter a negative perception given by a former teacher, who wrote a book called 'Free School: The White Lion Experience'.

I was at the White Lion Street Free School in Islington, in north London, from 1973 till 1976/7. My experience of being there is one that felt and continues to feel on the whole a positive experience. It provided what I wanted and needed as a child in the 1970s.

Wapping' 86: a photo essay - Nic Oatridge

Submitted by Steven. on Feb 8 2011 17:47

A short booklet about the 1986 Wapping dispute at News International, containing a good set of photographs.

LSE: what it is and how we fought it, 1967

Submitted by libcom on Jan 20 2011 19:06

A pamphlet detailing student activism in the 1960s at the London School of Economics, culminating in a campaign of direct action and occupations which successfully led to the reinstatement of two suspended student representatives in 1967.

Breaking glass, building solidarity?

A campaign of demonisation has started against the students who trashed Tory HQ on Wednesday, who are being portrayed as unthinking thugs. We re-publish here an article about what happened at Millbank by one of the participants.

Yesterday was glorious. It was inspiring, fun and yes, ‘anarchic.’ I spent most of it laughing and hollering into the brisk air on those sunlit streets. Scary, huh? The news reports seemed to think it was very serious.