Rob Ray
Articles by East Anglia-based anarcho-syndicalist, journalist, ginger and editor of Freedom newspaper, Rob Ray.
North of the border: a look at anarchism in Scotland
Rob Ray interviews Declan of the Alba Anarchist Federation and Nick Durie of Praxis Glasgow in this 2008 feature for Freedom newspaper.
Scotland has had a strong tradition of class struggle. Are there many links between today’s younger and older radicals?
Democratic Russia has little cause for optimism
In this interview originally published in Freedom in 2008, Rob Ray talks to Vadim, a Russian anarchist, about the state of the country in that year.
Rob Ray: What is the economic situation in Russia at the moment?
Cost of living pay increase struggles interview, 2008
An interview between Freedom newspaper and Steven Johns, libcom editor, local government worker and UNISON convenor analysing the UK pay disputes of 2008.
This year's big public sector pay disputes seemed to be gearing up for a fight, then fizzled out. What happened?
The eight hour day in 2008
In this feature, published by Freedom Press for Mayday 2008, Rob Ray investigates how the campaign for the eight hour day has progressed since the times of the Haymarket Martyrs.
Entire families of Chirala saree makers in India work 12-14 hours a day for their take-home pay of just over £50 a month.
Charitable giving
An investigation in a national newspaper has found that charitable donations have been in free-fall as the number of donors crumbles due to the credit crunch. The general response has been to urge the great and the good to open their hearts, and their pockets to save the day. How quaint, to believe that in the face of capital loss people will band together in solidarity to help out the weak...
"It's a nice idea but it'll never work." That's the killer sentence which is thrown at anarchists time and again by people trying to justify capitalism. Yet year after year, these same people either rely on, or probably give time/money to, a vast network of aid organisations which aim to put a bandage on the worst excesses of their favoured 'ism'.
Tanzania miners: digging their own graves
A new report into the mining industry in Tanzania has exposed endemic corruption, displacement of the poor, environmental destruction and deteriorating working conditions in the poverty-stricken country as international corporations clean up.
The Bomani report found that two companies in particular, Canadian group Barrick and the South African firm AngloGold Ashanti, which between them hold the vast majority of the mining rights and operating facilities in Africa, have been systematically cutting local communities out of the deicision-making process, manipulating state and national politics and mistreating workers as they haul in huge
Regeneration, but not for miners
Funding for the coalfields has been lauded by the government as a stunning transformation of old mining communities through free-market activity allied with government nous. But buried in amongst the back-slapping are figures which show the ex-miners themselves have been left in the cold while the wealthy profit around them
Despite massive investment in mining communities damaged by Thatcher’s victory in 1984 and with winding down of coal mining in the 1990s, the money has gone not to local workers but to regeneration groups and businesses, according to a new report.
Greece: Fears of murderous night after 'accidental death' report
More riots across Greece look likely tonight after it emerged that the coroner may record a verdict of accidental death over the shooting in the chest of 15-year-old Alexis Grigoropoulos – and militants fear that a reported mobilisation of fascist paramilitaries could mean more deaths.
It is yet to be officially confirmed, but a ballistics report has reportedly concluded that the fatal shot ricocheted off something before hitting Alexis. However trust in the police is low at this point, and such a conclusion will only serve to convince many that the police are closing ranks around their own, potentially sparking more anger.
Why is anarchism always 'self-described'
Reading through some of the coverage of the greek riots which have been happening, I couldn't help but notice the words 'self-described anarchists' cropping up a lot.
The picture is of Jeff 'self-decribed anarchist' Monson, a well-known professional fighter with, you may note, a red and black star on his chest, just over his heart.
Benefits could be suspended for jobless
Jobless people should "spend nine to five" looking for work or doing community service, or face losing their benefits according to a new government-commissioned report.
This would add to recent proposals to end secure tenancies for the long-term unemployed unless they can prove they have been job-hunting.
