docks

The story of a race riot that broke out in Glasgow, during the height of Red Clydeside militancy, when around 30 black sailors were chased out of the hiring yard by a mob of white sailors. Yet, rather than a spontaneous outburst of hatred, it was actually the culmination of nationalist and anti-migrant politics promoted within working-class organisations (such as the Independent Labour Party and the British Seafarers's Union) both before and even after the events.

An interview from the Transnational Social Strike Platform with Giuseppe D’Alesio of SI COBAS, a delegate active in the struggles taking place in the Port of Naples against arbitrary lay-offs and lack of security in the port.

This is a Marxist account of the 1951 waterfront lockout, one of the major instances of class struggle in 20th century Aotearoa/New Zealand. First published on the Redline blog: https://rdln.wordpress.com/2012/11/23/behind-the-1951-waterfront-lockout/

In 1945 a general strike involving tens of thousands of workers began with railway workers, then spread to other nationalised industries including dock and civil service workers, with workers at private firms supporting the strike and refusing to cross picket lines. Estimates of involvement range between 42,000 to 200,000 workers making it one of the largest strikes in colonial Africa up until that point.