Sweden
Various protests from Cambodia to Malaysia, and Sweden.
Here are some links to articles on various protests that have taken place recently in Cambodia, Malaysia, Hong Kong, China and a strike by Vietnamese workers in Sweden.
Villagers in Cambodia have sent representatives to the government baring a petition asking for action over land grabs, which are becoming more common. 80% of the population live in rural areas, and there is no safety net, but as over 90% of land has no legal title (mostly destroyed under the Khmer Rouge) it is easy for companies, the rich and powerful etc. to simply take land.
Wildcat strike in Stockholm
Workers in the warehouse for the Swedish state’s alcohol monopoly have started a wildcat strike in response to management attempts to replace the workforce with short term workers.
Management has been trying for a long time to replace the workers with casualised workers on short term contracts, but now they are using the recession as an excuse for laying off workers, while they continue to hire agency staff.
Gothenburg school pupils strike against job cuts
400 pupils at Sjumilaskolan in Gothenburg suburb Biskopsgården have been on a week long strike since angry parents got the message that half the staff was to be sacked due to the economic crisis and estimates of falling pupil numbers.
The teacher union´s (Lärarförbundet) representative Stratos Ayassotelis says incredibly enough that the teachers do not support the strike and that they´ve been spending the day calling parents encouraging them to send their kids to school claiming that school attending is compulsory in Sweden.
More job cuts announced, more to come
As the economic recession restates its international nature, further job losses are to be announced in Jamaica and Ireland, while Swedish unemployment rate rises 14% in one month and the International Labour Organisation predicts 7.2 million workers to be made redundant in Asia in 2009.
Cider maker Bulmers is to make 120 people redundant, seven of them in Northern Ireland. The company's plant in County Tipperary will lose 103 posts, while 11 jobs will be cut in Dublin. Aidan Murphy of parent company C&C, said the cuts, made through voluntary redundancies, was needed to "safeguard the viability of the company".
Self-activity, strategy and class power
In this short text Kim Müller writes about why Kämpa Tillsammans see the workplace struggles as central and their strategic view on faceless resistance and self-activity.
Seven long years
No peace in the class war
Article by Swedish group Kämpa Tillsammans on class composition in Sweden and the syndicalst 'register method'.
Revolutionary perspectives today: society is a factory
Illegal immigrants win unpaid wages in Stockholm
The syndicalist SAC union in Sweden has been campaigning for fair wages for illegal immigrants in the last few months, resulting in thousands of pounds in unpaid wages being paid to migrant workers.
The increasing organisation of illegal immigrants within the syndicalist union SAC have lead to more and more blockades to force the payment of unpaid wages, mainly from employment agencies in the restaurant, cleaning, hotel and building industry. Millions Kronor in unpaid wages have been have been won by the SAC.
Lernia Correctional Facility: a story from a Swedish unemployment programme
A short 'militant investigation' about struggles at a Swedish unemployment programme. by Kim Müller, Kämpa tillsammans!
I have spent about two years in different unemployment programmes in a mid-size Swedish town and this is my story about that experience. For most of the time I was training to become a cook in the Lernia programme (nicknamed "Lernia Correctional Facility" by its inmates).
"Possibilities are found in the struggle outside the unions" - Interview with Kämpa tillsammans
Interview with Swedish communist group Kämpa tillsammans about "faceless resistance" and workplace organisation.
M: What is Kämpa tillsammans?
KT: We call ourselves a writing collective, where we have discussions together and a collective signature. What we are occupied with is class struggle theory.
M: What made you start the group?
Berner, Rudolf, 1907-1977
A short biography of Swedish anarchist Rudolf Berner, active in Spain and in underground work in Nazi Germany.
Berner, Rudolf (Rube) AKA Frank Tireur
Born on 14 July 1907 in Skövde (West Sweden), Rudolf Berner grew up in a small farmer and working-class family of many children. He attended school and learned painting and crafts.
