WSF (1996): “The Spanish Revolution (1936- 7): A New World In Their Hearts”

From Workers Solidarity, magazine of the Workers Solidarity Federation, volume 2, number 2, third quarter 1996. Complete PDF is here

REMEMBER THE REVOLUTION
The 19th of July marked the 60th Anniversary of the Spanish Revolution. For a brief time, capitalism and the State was replaced by solidarity, mutual aid, and respect for others. Workers and peasants, who were deeply influenced by anarchist ideas, ran society collectively and gained control over their lives, industry and land. A central part of the revolution was the struggle against a fascist attempt to take over Spain.

We must remember both the magnificent triumphs and tragedies of the Spanish revolution and attempt to learn from our comrades mistakes.

WORKERS AND PEASANTS ORGANISE
Anarchist- Syndicalist ideas had deep roots among Spanish peasants and workers. In 1911, a massive revolutionary trade union federation, Continue reading “WSF (1996): “The Spanish Revolution (1936- 7): A New World In Their Hearts””

WSF (1996): “International Anarchist/Syndicalist News”

From Workers Solidarity, magazine of the Workers Solidarity Federation, volume 2, number 2, third quarter 1996. Complete PDF is here

Anarchist Students Jailed in Greece:

(From: Workers’ Solidarity Movement/ Ireland).

More than 100 Greek students, self- described Anarchists, have been given prison sentences ranging from 4- 40 months by the courts. This followed a three day occupation of the Athens Polytechnic in November 1995. More than 2000 protesters took refuge in the Polytechnic following clashes with the police on November 17, the anniversary of a bloody student uprising against the 1967- 1974 military dictatorship.

The media attempted to portray the occupation Continue reading “WSF (1996): “International Anarchist/Syndicalist News””

WSF (1996): “Don’t Wait For The Government! The Poor Must Take Back The Land”

From Workers Solidarity, magazine of the Workers Solidarity Federation, volume 2, number 2, third quarter 1996. Complete PDF is here

The land question will be the site of massive struggle in the future. Since 1652, the colonial and apartheid governments have dispossessed the indigenous people of the land in favour of rich White farmers.

WAR AGAINST THE POOR
Today 60 000 mainly white farmers own about 87% of all land. But 68% of the rural population (mainly African and Coloured working- class people) live in extreme poverty. Labour control is extremely violent and unions rare. Unemployment is very high, as machines are used to replace workers.

In the bantustans, the chiefs control access to land and use this power to extract labour and taxes from working and poor people. They use their connections with the government to enrich themselves and enforce their rule. Women are denied access to land on the grounds of so-called tradition.

Whatever the role of the chiefs may have been in pre- colonial times, it is clear that they spent the twentieth century as allies of the racist capitalist state. The actions of these so- called “Bantu Authorities” are well known in the reserves.

Heavy use of chemicals on the “White” farms, and land shortages in the reserves, have led to massive environmental degradation. This worsens the conditions of the workers and the poor.

CAN THE RDP DELIVER?
The ANC- led government’s land reform policy is totally inadequate for the task at hand. Continue reading “WSF (1996): “Don’t Wait For The Government! The Poor Must Take Back The Land””

WSF (1996): “Manifesto Of The Workers Solidarity Federation” From Workers Solidarity, magazine of the Workers Solidarity Federation, volume 2, number 2, third quarter 1996. Complete PDF is here DOWN WITH CAPITALISM, THE STATE AND ALL OPPRESSION! Capitalism and the State are the main cause of all oppression. Racism and sexism divide the working class, and help the bosses rule and super-exploit us and nature. All … Continue reading WSF (1996): “Manifesto Of The Workers Solidarity Federation”

WSF (1996): “Editorial”  to “Workers Solidarity” volume 2, number 2 From Workers Solidarity, magazine of the Workers Solidarity Federation, volume 2, number 2, third quarter 1996. Complete PDF is here Welcome to the latest Workers’ Solidarity: The Voice of Anarchist Syndicalism. This is the paper of the Workers Solidarity Federation.. We stand for mass action and revolution by the workers and the poor to smash … Continue reading WSF (1996): “Editorial” to “Workers Solidarity” volume 2, number 2

WSF (1996): “International Anarchist Conference”

From Workers Solidarity, magazine of the Workers Solidarity Federation, volume 2, number 1, first quarter 1996. Complete PDF is here

The red and black flag of Anarchism flew high in Spain in August 1995. The occasion was an international conference of class- struggle Anarchists and anti- authoritarian socialists.

More than 100 delegates were present. The comrades came from many countries, including Italy, France, Switzerland, Lebanon, Poland, Ireland, Sweden and Spain. The conference included debates about the unions, and discussions on the way forward in the fight against racism and other oppression. Continue reading “WSF (1996): “International Anarchist Conference””

WSF (1996): “Fight Squatter Evictions”

From Workers Solidarity, magazine of the Workers Solidarity Federation, volume 2, number 1, first quarter 1996. Complete PDF is here

The last few months of 1995 have seen a wave of attempts by government structures to evict squatters in Gauteng. There are about 7 million squatters in South Africa.

In June 1994, the State, civic organisations and squatters agreed to call a moratorium on land invasions and evictions. According to this agreement, squatters settled before June 1994 would not face eviction. All land invasions after this period would be illegal. This agreement has been used to attack squatter communities.

MOFFAT PARK

Squatters were evicted from Moffat Park in south Johannesburg by the Greater Johannesburg Metropolitan Council. These actions were supported by conservative (White) residents Continue reading “WSF (1996): “Fight Squatter Evictions””

WSF (1996): “Kronstadt 1921: The Third Revolution”

From Workers Solidarity, magazine of the Workers Solidarity Federation, volume 2, number 1, first quarter 1996. Complete PDF is here

March 1996 marks the 75th Anniversary of the Kronstadt Revolt of 1921. In March 1921, the revolutionary sailors and workers of the Kronstadt army base rose in protest against the Communist government in Russia. The tragic event clearly shows how the Communist Party (the Bolsheviks) destroyed the worker- peasant Russian revolution and replaced it with one- party rule and state capitalism.

PETROGRAD STRIKES.

The revolt followed a visit by a Kronstadt delegation to investigate workers’ conditions in Petrograd. At the end of February, the workers of Petrograd struck against forced austerity. Continue reading “WSF (1996): “Kronstadt 1921: The Third Revolution””

WSF (1996): “Anarchist-Syndicalist History: History Of The Anarchist- Syndicalist Trade Union Movement”

From Workers Solidarity, magazine of the Workers Solidarity Federation, volume 2, number 1, first quarter 1996. Complete PDF is here

We Anarchist- Syndicalists believe trade unions are a mighty weapon in the struggle for improved conditions, and against racism and oppression. We ALSO believe that unions can organise workers to destroy capitalism and the State, by organising the revolutionary seizure and democratic control of the factories, land, and offices. However, we also see the importance of organising other sections of the working class such as women, youth, unemployed and the community.

Our ideas on unions have had a massive impact on the international struggles of the working class and poor. This fact is conveniently ignored by most history books.

FIRST INTERNATIONAL

These ideas were developed by the powerful Anarchist faction in the First International Workers Association in the 1860s and 1870s. Continue reading “WSF (1996): “Anarchist-Syndicalist History: History Of The Anarchist- Syndicalist Trade Union Movement””

WSF (1996): “What Anarchist-Syndicalists Believe: Unions And Revolution”

From Workers Solidarity, magazine of the Workers Solidarity Federation, volume 2, number 1, first quarter 1996. Complete PDF is here

Anarchist- Syndicalists stand for a revolution by the working class and the poor to smash all oppression and create a free stateless socialist society. The trade unions will play a leading role in this process. It is also vital to organise in the community.

WHY CLASS STRUGGLE?

Class struggle is the key to changing this rotten society. We working and poor people create all social wealth but we do not get the benefits. Our work is controlled and exploited by the capitalists and top state officials- the ruling class.

We are not powerless. We can hit the bosses and rulers with mass actions, particularly at the workplace. Only we workers and poor people can create a free society because only we do not need to exploit.

The bosses and rulers created racism (and other oppression). They wanted to super- exploit Black people to make more profits. They wanted to divide our resistance by splitting us to into Zulus, Shangaans, Xhosas, Sothos, Indians, Coloureds and Whites. We can only defeat racism by smashing the bosses- of all colours.

All Black people are victims of racism, but the Black middle and upper class elite is shielded from the worst effects of racism by their privileged status. They can live in the suburbs, go to private schools and earn big salaries- we can’t. We must fight racism wherever it exists. But the working class must not form alliances with the Black managers and capitalists, Continue reading “WSF (1996): “What Anarchist-Syndicalists Believe: Unions And Revolution””

WSF (1996): “Farrakhan: No Solution For Black Workers And Poor”

From Workers Solidarity, magazine of the Workers Solidarity Federation, volume 2, number 1, first quarter 1996. Complete PDF is here

Louis Farrakhan, the leader of the American based “Nation of Islam” arrived in South Africa on January 28 [1996]. He is here on a “friendship tour” to spread his message of black responsibility and “self- sufficiency”.

HYPOCRITES

Farrakhan has been criticised by white racists and capitalists. They oppose Farrakhan’s call for black pride and separatism. Workers’ Solidarity rejects these hypocrites. We support black pride and defend the right of oppressed groups to organise separately.

But we do not support Farrakhan and the Nation of Islam. Farrakhan is conservative and provides no solution to the racism, poverty and unemployment which poor and working class black Americans face. They claim to fight racism but in reality their policies only defend the rights of a small black elite at the expense of Black workers, women and other minority groups!

RACISM IN THE USA

Capitalism and the State created racism. Continue reading “WSF (1996): “Farrakhan: No Solution For Black Workers And Poor””

WSF (1996): “Looking Back:The 1995 Municipal Workers Strike” From Workers Solidarity, magazine of the Workers Solidarity Federation, volume 2, number 1, first quarter 1996. Complete PDF is here In 1995 the South African Municipal Workers Union (SAMWU) organised country- wide struggles for a living wage. Despite facing attack from all sides, the strikers showed that mass action can win. EXPLOITED It was a big victory … Continue reading WSF (1996): “Looking Back:The 1995 Municipal Workers Strike”

WSF (1996): “No To Privatisation!” From Workers Solidarity, magazine of the Workers Solidarity Federation, volume 2, number 1, first quarter 1996. Complete PDF is here In early December 1995, the government announced that it was going to privatise many State assets. It wants to sell off part of SAA, Telkom and Airports Company, and all of Autonet, Sun Air and Transkei Airways. This was met … Continue reading WSF (1996): “No To Privatisation!”

WSF (1996): “Editorial” to “Workers Solidarity,” volume 2, number 1, first quarter 1996. From Workers Solidarity, magazine of the Workers Solidarity Federation, volume 2, number 1, first quarter 1996. Complete PDF is here Welcome to the first 1996 issue of “Workers’ Solidarity”. This is the paper of the Workers’ Solidarity Federation. We stand for mass action and revolution by the workers and the poor to … Continue reading WSF (1996): “Editorial” to “Workers Solidarity,” volume 2, number 1, first quarter 1996.

WSF (1995): “No Solidarity With Police Strikers!” From Workers Solidarity, magazine of the Workers Solidarity Federation, volume 1, number 1, May-June 1995. Complete PDF is here Police unrest made news in the first quarter of 1995. Many of the protests were organized by the South African Police Union (SAPU), which was established in 1993. SAPU demanded a 40% pay rise across the board, and a … Continue reading WSF (1995): “No Solidarity With Police Strikers!”