Class struggle anarchism: A punk on the picket line, 1985

Over the last few years thatcher has been picking off her opposition one by one. The NUM was the last defiant union and now it too has been (temporarily) defeated. Recently, the people who went to Stonehenge gotta taste of what the miners saw daily in ’84. If there was one lesson learnt during the strike it was that if we really want to change this world, then the anarchists, punks, hippies, apoliticos, unemployed etc, are going to have to play a much more important role in the struggle of the workers, and vice versa.

Obviously it’s not that easy. During the miners strike, we had so-called anarchists saying they weren’t going to support them ’cos there all ‘sexist’, ‘macho’, ‘labourites’ and meat eaters. Fucking hippies. The reason that some of them are of the above description, is because no-one has been bothered to tell them different. Sitting on the sidelines moaning is never gonna change anything. Whilst supporting the miners we’ve had to go through really embarrassing situations where we’ve argued with them about how shit the labour party is, why we don’t vote, why we don’t eat meat, why we don’t read porn, why we didn’t stand up for the welsh national anthem etc. Only through experiences like this will we understand their values and they understand ours. Probably the best thing the greenham wimmin did was to go to a picket line and support the miners and the miners wives. Now, because of acts like that a lot of miners, and especially miners wives are interested and becoming active in ‘peace groups’ etc. The miners themselves, showed real comradeship by giving the battered people of Stonehenge money and food.

Sometimes however, the labour bureaucrats and shop stewards purposely try to stop strikes from spreading, and stop the community, unemployed etc, from getting involved. I experienced this sort of hassle recently when I went to a picket line in Bristol, where 100 workers had just been sacked for taking strike action against low pay. I lived on the opposite side of town so it took me ages to walk there. When I arrived at the picket I spoke to the workers, who after the initial surprise as to why a ‘punk’ was supporting them, were really friendly. I had gone there on behalf of a few of us who had supported the miners. When I said we could print them some leaflets and support them financially through gigs etc, and on the picket line, they said I’d better ask the shop steward, who was – surprise, surprise – in the pub (on behalf of the workers, of course). When the prick eventually arrived, he was extremely rude and told me the workers didn’t need no help from ‘outsiders’, or ‘politicos’. I was dismissed.

Looking back I shouldn’t have bothered talking to him but gone ahead with our plans as long as the workers didn’t mind. People who stop support of strikes and stop them from spreading, therefore lessening the chances of a strike succeeding are scabs and should be treated accordingly.

Anyway there are lots of ways of supporting workers in their struggle against the boss class (be they union or management) in a non-patronising manner, without having to resort to paper selling. If I was on strike, bitter and broke, I would definitely not appreciate some little spotty faced brat hassling me for 40p. Literature should be free to strikers, unless they actually want to, of course.

The best way to find out about strikes in your area is to read the local press which nearly always reports strikes/and or ‘troubles’ in industry. Remember that even the smallest strikes should be supported. Don’t just wait for the NUM to go out again. Try and collect some money before you go, with which to give them. When you get there don’t give them a party political broadcast, let them do the talking. Find out what they want and what they need. If you can get cheap printing done, ask them if they’d like to write a leaflet on why they’re on strike. This is a good way to combat the lies that will appear in the capitalist press during the strike.

Spraying/flyposting are also good propaganda tactics. Get people around you aware of what’s going on. Try and get other groups involved in the strike. If the strikers need money, which they probably will do very quickly, try and organize gigs to raise money. If there are no venues try a squatted gig for a night, with a 50p/£1 admission. Anything is better than nothing. Get the strikers to go to the gigs even if they loathe the music. A night out is a good way of talking politics without lecturing.

Obviously participation on the picket line is good but other methods of direct action should be encouraged. Find out who the bosses are, who the scabs are, where they all live, etc. They will have nice houses, nice cars and nice bodies they don’t want sabotaged, if you know what I mean. Use your imagination. With the scabs try and find out who are the real hard line political scabs and pay attention to them. Try and fuck up machinery vital for work.

Remember, the po-lice and press are, at all times, your enemy. If they were decent people, they’d have given in their jobs years ago. Treat them badly. If the press print lies about the strike, which they probably will, retribution must be the number one priority. Nearly all radio stations, newspaper offices etc, have large, expensive windows; use your imagination. Let them know why your doing it. The police are your vilest enemies. Never, ever get into deals with them, don’t even talk to them.

The Direct Action Movement have a lot of information on strike action etc. They can be contacted at the following : DIRECT ACTION c/o BOX DAM 59 cookridge St, Leeds 2.