strikes

The History of a Riot: Class, Popular Protest and Violence in Early Colonial Nelson

Submitted by Jared on Jan 28 2020 22:38

Petitions, public meetings, strikes, go-slows, violence and armed revolt. Nelson, New Zealand in 1843 was said to be 'in a state little short of anarchy'. In this paper, Jared Davidson argues that the self-activity of the Nelson labourers and their wives had a significant impact on the development of Nelson, drawing on traditions of popular protest, class power and the gendered labour of making shift. The agricultural backgrounds of many of the emigrants and the conflicts of the English countryside – including but not limited to the Swing Riots of 1830/31 – played a role in structuring the gang-men’s response to their situation.

Fighting Macron’s pension reform means relaunching the wider fight for higher wages everywhere - Mouvement Communiste

Big crowd with banners

A leaflet distributed during the recent strikes and demonstartions against new pension reforms in France.

The Self-Organised Struggle of Liverpool Couriers Highlights the Difficulties of Organising in the 'Gig Economy'

Submitted by Internationalis... on Dec 3 2019 09:24

Deliveroo was founded in 2013 by Will Shu, an investment banker, and Greg Orlowski, a software developer. It was a simple idea whereby customers place food orders through an app or on the website, and couriers, with the app on their mobile phones, deliver the food from the restaurant to the customer. However, like any technology (no matter how life changing) utilised under capitalism, in practice Deliveroo means exploitation for the workers on whose labour the success of the company depends.

France: Following the SNCF Mechanics' Struggle, The Fight in the Hospitals Shows the Way

Submitted by Internationalis... on Nov 27 2019 19:19

In spring 2019, a crisis on an unprecedented scale was sparked in French hospitals. The emergency services went on strike in massive numbers. Barely three months from its beginnings on 18 March, in the Saint-Antoine Hospital in Paris, it had spread to around a hundred establishments all across France by July. The movement will not stop spreading as long as the situation remains untenable. In September, the number of emergency services on strike was 239, or more than half of all services. This mobilisation has not died down and even rose to 267 services on strike in mid-October.

Precarity and the 'Gig Economy'

Submitted by Internationalis... on Nov 11 2019 14:03

The translation of the Theses on Precarity and the ‘Gig Economy’ that follows, appeared in Mutiny/Mutinerie, the bilingual agitation sheet of our comrades in Klasbatalo, the Canadian affiliate of the Internationalist Communist Tendency. Here we just want to make a few observations to add to Klasbatalo’s correct summary of the situation of the workforce in this sector, as a contribution to further analysis and discussion.

Burgerville Fast Food Workers Walk Off Job, Launch Strike

Submitted by R Totale on Oct 24 2019 20:52

Members of the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW) union at the fast food chain Burgerville have gone on strike in Portland, Oregon. This report first appeared on It's Going Down.

Major disruption at three University of London universities bracing for successive weeks of strike action

Submitted by R Totale on Oct 20 2019 09:29

This October, workers at the University of Greenwich’s café, who are outsourced to BaxterStorey, have voted unanimously to take repeat strike action, whilst two other University of London universities — St. George’s and the University of East London (UEL) — are also braced for similar action. The strikes are organised by the United Voices of the World (UVW) trade union, which is simultaneously organising strikes of entirely migrant workers at the Ministry of Justice, St. Mary's hospital, the Royal Parks and ITV offices.

“This is overdue”: Interview with a striking General Motors worker

Submitted by R Totale on Sep 19 2019 16:45
Striking GM workers rally in front of the Lexington Avenue plant in Rochester, N

As General Motors reaped $8.1 billion in profit and paid its CEO $22 million, nearly 50,000 GM workers have been on strike since Monday. While workers gave major concessions during the previous recession the company is digging in it’s heels over wages and has even cut off healthcare plans for workers. Marianne Garneau of Organizing Work interviewed Lynn, a rank-and-file UAW and Black Rose/Rosa Negra member, on strike at a components plant in Rochester.

Question of Forces: Interview on Community College Labor Struggle in Philadelphia

Anarchists in Philadelphia conducted an interview with a teacher at a community college following a successful contract fight. This interview was first published by It's Going Down.

Class Struggle in China

Submitted by Internationalis... on Sep 6 2019 13:26

The role of China in the imperialist pecking order has been covered many times on our website (leftcom.org). Here we deal with China’s evolution from a largely agrarian society to an industrial powerhouse which has also created the world’s largest working class – and what comes with that is, of course, simmering class conflict.