unemployment
News and articles about work, policy and workers' struggles among the unemployed, unpaid workers and house workers, pensioners and welfare claimants.
Reactions of the American proletariat during the 1929 crisis
With many commentators stating that the 2008 recession is the world's worst since the great Depression, Prol-position analyses the 1929 recession, its effect on workers in the US and how they responded.
In 1930-33, the situation of the American proletariat declined sharply. While not putting capitalist domination on the line, the proletariat was far from apathetic during that period. This text intends merely to summarize the various forms and phases of resistance by the American proletariat to its deteriorating conditions of reproduction.
Mass rebellion in South Africa
In South Africa the state is being confronted by an eruption of self organised popular protest on a scale not seen since the 1980s. This article, from the mainstream press there, gives a much better overview than the articles in the British press that miss the politics of the rebellion.
Burning message to the state in the fire of poor’s rebellion
Richard Pithouse
Record rise in UK unemployment total
UK unemployment rose by a record 281,000 to 2.38 million in the three months to May, the Office for National Statistics has said. The jobless rate increased to 7.6%, the highest in more than 10 years.
The number of people claiming unemployment benefit increased by 23,800 in June to 1.56 million, which was less than analysts had forecast. Unemployment among young people has been especially acute, as firms cut jobs to reduce costs in the downturn.
The politics of protest - Red and Black Notes
Red and Black Notes analysis on OCAP and Canadian unions against the Tory government.
When Conservative Premier Mike Harris was elected in 1995, trade unions and their supporters chanted "Hey Mike, Hey Mike, What do you think of a General Strike?" Harris wryly commented that there was no need for a general strike. He knew what the unions could do, but more importantly he knew what they would do. Nothing.
Anti-poverty in Ontario - Red and Black Notes
The Ontario Coalition Against Poverty (OCAP) is one of the best known anti-poverty organizations in Ontario. It has acquired a reputation for militant direct action tactics on such issues as affordable housing, welfare, homelessness, and immigrant and refugee rights. In a political climate where powerful politicians and vested interests wish the poor would just quietly die, OCAP has proven to be a vocal critic.
In 1989 three Ontario cities, Windsor, Ottawa and Sudbury, held marches against poverty which converged in Toronto. After the marches it was decided to create a provincial body in order to try and raise the issue of poverty in the face of indifference from politicians. OCAP was the result. While OCAP does have organisational affiliates across the province, the group is based in Toronto.
58,000 mass incidents in China in first quarter as unrest grows to largest ever recorded
There were 58,000 “mass incidents”, the Chinese state's euphemism for strikes, street protests, roadblocks and other forms of mass protests, in China in the first three months of this year.
Chinaworker.info reports the monitoring agencies in Hong Kong, and cites the pace of job losses and migrants being forced to return home as the main causes. The figure covers protests which involved 25 or more people.
The report said that if this trend continues, then 2009 would break all previous records with over 230,000 'mass incidents', compared to 120,000 in 2008 and 90,000 in 2006.
Athens Airport: death, redundacies, corruption and the pretext of economic crisis
This is an Athens Indymedia article translated roughly by http://clandestinenglish.wordpress.com/
J&P-ΑΒΑΞ Α.Ε. business group operating at the Eleftherios Venizelos Airport has sacked 42 people[b], both Greek and immigrants, who had been employed by the company in cleaning services. They were dismissed with summary procedures on the pretext of the economic crisis, of course. They all had completed three years at the job and were all anticipating the increase of wages that the law foresees.
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".
Reports on crisis: England - Wildcat
Wildcat asked people in several countries to write down observations about social effects of the crisis. The following is a report from London, written in November 2008 with an update at the end.
"The real crisis-effects are only just starting..."
1. What are the social effects of the crisis in your region?
Work release scheme proposed for French prisons
The creaking prison system in France unveils a new post-release labour scheme.
Under the terms of the "Les Clés de l’avenir" agreement signed earlier this year prisoners can have their sentences reduced if they pass a selection process and are found work with one of the partnership firms. The following four areas will be open to prisoners: catering, cleaning, building and logistics.
