London SolFed and Hackney Anarchists picket IKEA in support of CNT-AIT (Spain) in dispute with Foldeco.

Dorset IWW regret the ‘rivalry’ between the two workers’ internationals, we support all workers in struggle.

On Sunday, 12th of November, members of North London Solidarity Federation and Hackney Anarchists, who can be contacted at HackneyAnarchists@riseup.net, held a solidarity picket outside of the Greenwich IKEA in support of our comrades in CNT-AIT Madrid who are in dispute with an IKEA contractor; Foldeco Development S.L.

Foldeco uses racist abuse against its workforce in an effort to keep them in line and squeeze more productivity out of them. We handed out over 150 flyers to customers going in and out of IKEA detailing this abuse, and encouraged them to take their custom elsewhere, as IKEA is directly profiting from Foldco’s bullying of its workforce. The reaction to our picketing was generally positive and some people stopped for a longer chat with us.

Solidarity to everyone internationally who suffer under a system that puts profits ahead of human dignity.

leaflet:

“IKEA PROFITS FROM WORKPLACE ABUSE

For more than three years our fellow CNT-AIT union member has been working at Foldeco Development S.L. in Spain and has been suffering extremely harsh workplace harassment. Because of this abuse our comrade has had to seek medical treatment for anxiety and has been on sick leave since last November.

Foldeco is a subcontractor of IKEA and, until IKEA ensures its subcontractors respect their workers, it is an accomplice in the mistreatment of Foldeco’s workforce, profiting from Foldeco’s abuse, and you should reconsider supporting IKEA with your custom. CNT-AIT Madrid is engaged in a labour dispute with Foldeco on behalf of our comrade and his fellow workers, filing complaints and taking legal action.

This mistreatment includes

• • twelve hours days without overtime pay,
  • handling of toxic substances without adequate personal protective equipment,
  • denial of holiday days,
  • preventing staff from going to see their doctor,
  • the manipulation of working times and shifts in order to hide
  • excess working hours in breach of contract,
  • and all this is under constant threats of dismissal or pay cuts.

As a result of demanding his rights, and denouncing his mistreatment to managers and owners, our comrade has suffered threatening behaviour, insults, humiliation, and even physical aggression. We must single out Mr. M, whose children own and manage the company, and who, with the complicity of those children, verbally insulted and physically pushed our comrade in an unsuccessful attempt to provoke a violent reaction.

The area manager J.C.V, a deputy head in the profile wrapping machines department and relative of the general manager, has also tried to force more work out of our comrade and other staff members through racist and xenophobic insults, without any fear that he might suffer consequences for his disgusting behaviour.

AGAINST ABUSE, EXPLOITATION, AND RACISM!

AN OFFENCE AGAINST ONE IS AN OFFENCE AGAINST ALL!”

Statement from another Language teacher in Bournemouth.

“I worked for a number of EFL schools in Bournemouth over a period of a year and a half, after graduating with a Celta and with 2 years’ experience in another EU country.

One of the schools, Bayswater in Bournemouth, having been made aware that I suffer residual anxiety after a PTSD episode in 2021, started bullying and isolating me in January 2023. Unannounced observations, both online and in person, meetings where I was told what exactly to do at my lessons (what off-book material must be used and how many lessons a week MUST be off book – for a teacher of nearly 3 years of experience (!), whilst other teachers continued mainly teaching from the book), all of it finished with a grande finale of a new DOS Ms Karen Hollis trashing me as a person, a professional, and undermining my integrity at a 15-minute ordeal of an ‘observation feedback’.

After that meeting, I was forced to take 3 days off of sick leave due to nervous shock. I also made a grievance to three new DOS’ superiors, but it was totally ignored for two weeks, after which time Ms Bruna Laurent, the centre manager, sacked me by email, claiming I had not passed the probation (it was a month too late to claim this; I was also popular with most students and teachers and there were no performance or other problems beforehand).

Only after my intervention with James, the owner of the company, did I get some justice in form of extra notice period pay, apology and a promise of reference and possible being reinstated to the job in future. He behaved like a gentleman, although it was all too late. I didn’t keep the job, though. There was no real closure, although the management has apparently changed since, which I appreciate had to happen, given the lack of competence and professionalism of the previous one…

The anxiety period initiated in Bayswater lasted for at least another month. The knocks to self-esteem and confidence take a bit longer to heal.

I fully support Mike in his struggle and can relate and believe that what he claims is entirely true. The English language industry in the UK is still maturing – in great pains – to be an all-inclusive, tolerant and well paying sector, but before this happens, we must stand in solidarity and slowly shape it up so we can all enjoy working as TEFLs in future. I am not working as a TEFL right now, waiting for the outcome of another ET case, where I demand payment for many unpaid working hours from Kaplan International Languages. I refuse to work for free. The capitalist school owner CAN afford paying us for all the work required of us!”

Mike won his case at tribunal – ed.

Together we win – victory for Fellow Worker in Bournemouth.

Surprise picket at United World language school in support of disabled worker.

Picketing is great fun and we love doing it. If you exploit us we will shut you down!

Following an intense two-and-a-half  year campaign by the TEFL Workers’ Union, an English language teacher has won a historic £22k payout at employment tribunal.

Mike Long had been employed by Bournemouth-based United World School of English for almost 20 years when it changed ownership. Mike soon fell victim to a drastically increased workload and pressure to complete unnecessary qualifications- all this despite the company being aware that Mike has suffered from depression and lives with anxiety. At one point the company even implied they didn’t believe his condition was real despite medical certification.

Mike felt he had no option but to resign and, with the support of the TEFL Workers’ Union, successfully campaigned against his former employer on the grounds of constructive dismissal. Constructive dismissal is notoriously difficult to prove with only 5% of cases leading to a positive judgement. The breadth of campaigning undertaken by TEFL Workers’ Union, the wider IWW, and disability activists was instrumental in ensuring its success.

Organiser John Davis, who supported Mike throughout the case, said: “There were a number of key elements that made this win possible. As a union we don’t rely on the legal system to gain justice for our members and our direct tactics were essential in ensuring justice would come.” The union undertook an online media campaign against the company as well as a number of direct actions involving protests outside the premises of the business in Bournemouth. This was particularly effective during an open day held by the school when prospective students were presented with IWW and disability rights campaigners informing them of the school’s discriminatory approach.

“It’s essential that companies, the community and fellow workers understand that we will take all necessary steps to ensure the rights of all workers, particularly those who are marginalised” John continued. “In this case we had to show the company and the industry that discrimination, particularly against someone with a recognised disability, was unacceptable.” “I think we did that”, he added.

In what could be considered a deeply cynical move, the company claimed insolvency shortly before the judgement. However, the union’s legal team is confident the company will be properly called to account. But for Mike there are more important issues at stake: “The money doesn’t matter to me. It’s more important that the school and other owners and employers in the industry realise how relevant recognition of mental health issues is”, he said. “I hope”, he added, “that anyone who suffers in a similar way can take solace that it’s worth the fight.” And this is where the importance of how we do what we do matters.

Mike didn’t come to the IWW for a top-down union-led response. Mike was well aware of the injustices he had suffered. As an IWW member he knew he had control over how his own story would be told. As the collective mechanisms of the union worked together, a powerful momentum was created. Mike led the charge with meticulous historical evidence. Information and knowledge was shared. The Bournemouth IWW joined with other groups to place local and very real physical pressure on the company. Online, activists came together to increase and broaden the pressure. Mike and John worked together in briefing other activists with strong legal knowledge to create a solid tribunal case that properly represented Mike’s story. None of these things worked in isolation.

As Mike concluded, “I’ve come out with my head high and a reaffirmed belief in my future.” The union is immensely proud of the work Mike and John put into this case. When one TEFL worker fights back against injustice and succeeds, it makes the industry a little better for all of us. We can all hold our heads high knowing that, by sticking together, a better future is in reach for all of us. If you work in an English language school and suffer from any long-term medical issues, you have enhanced legal protections. If you’re worried that your school isn’t treating you right because of a disability, don’t suffer in silence. You can reach a union rep at tefl@iww.org.uk who can help you raise any issues or concerns with your employer.

Dorset Radical Bookfair 7th October 2023: The Afterparty.

Anarchy in the Sticks

Tickets

Our host at the Four Horsemen will be Sukie, non-binary comic, raconteur, writer, circus performer and activist.

Headlining, local heroes The Sporadics, socially conscious ska/dub punk.

Grant Sharkey, bass-playing troubadour, writer and stand-up comedian.

Uncivilised, lively punk from Portsmouth.

Surfin Dave, local guitar man, supported the Clash in the 1980’s.

Dorset Radical Bookfair: Meetings programme for 2023.

Anarchy in the Sticks

We’re now full up, and have something for everyone.

Meetings will be held on the raised area adjacent to the cafe bar so you can get food and drink but please keep noise down. Hosts please allow a couple of minutes for changeover and guests please take seats and vacate promptly. Thanks

12:00 ~ 13:00

Confessions Of a Non-violent Revolutionary: Bean Stew, Blisters, Blockades and Benders. The True Story of a Peace Activist in Thatcher’s Britain by Chris Savory. Workshop hosted by the author.

Radical movements and protests tend to come in waves, with enough time in between for people to forget about the previous ones. This workshop will explore what lessons can be learned from Non-Violent Direct Actions (NVDA) in the recent past, with particular emphasis on the 1980s and my personal experience, but hopefully including participants experience of other times. This has particular relevance given the recent re-appraisal of direct action tactics by XR.

13:00 ~14:00

Avoiding the infinite waiting list: Workshop hosted by Barley.

The bleak state of trans healthcare in the UK can make transition feel unattainable. Supporting each other must consist of more than listening as our friends and comrades complain that their lives are being put on hold. There are options beyond the GIC, with their waiting lists stretching out towards the heat death of the universe, and it is up to us to share our knowledge and build the future we want for trans folks.

Despite all the boundaries in our way, we will live our lives authentically as the people we are.

14:00 ~ 15:00

The Idea – a new book by Nick Heath. Presentation by the author:

Nick Heath’s book on anarchist communism is the first such comprehensive work on the subject. Anarchist communism often hides in the shadows in the general works on anarchism available, only clearly emerging when the ideas of Kropotkin, Reclus and Malatesta are discussed.  This book seeks to rectify all of that. He asserts that the revolutionary core of anarchism has been obscured by what are essentially bourgeois histories which pursue an eclectic approach  which encompass many ideas, philosophers and movements. In an exhaustive number of chapters on different anarchist movements in many countries, Heath reveals that that anarchist communism had a preponderant hold within those movements, as in France, Italy, Bulgaria, Russia, Latin America, China and Japan; and that indeed it is the dominant current within anarchism.

15:00 ~ 16:00

“I fear there will be blood spilt this evening”: The 1831 reform riots in Dorset. Hosted by Roger Ball (BRHG).

In October 1831, the defeat of the Second Reform Bill in the House of Lords led to a wave of pro-reform public protests and disturbances across Britain. Concurrently in Dorset, a microcosm of the national struggle over electoral reform was being fought out in a county by-election which posed Lord Ashley an anti-reformer against the pro-reform candidate William Ponsonby. In the aftermath of Ashley’s controversial victory, a series of riots began, first in Dorchester followed by Poole, Blandford, and Sherborne in Dorset and Yeovil in Somerset and led to pitched battles with the Yeomanry and Dragoon Guards.

This talk examines behavioural patterns in case studies of the latter three events with particular emphasis on the targets of the rioters, who the rioters were and their interactions with the authorities. From this evidence an attempt will be made to understand the motivations of the rioters, the majority of whom were not going to be enfranchised by the Great Reform Act of the following year.

16:00 ~ 17:00

Fighting Women – a book by Isabella Lorusso.Presentation by the author:

For 17 years Isabella Lorusso travelled through Spain talking to women who put their lives on the line to fight fascism – and, too often on a second front, confronting men whose commitment to liberation stopped at their own front door. Lorusso’s work is both a tribute and a social history for those women of the 1930s whose actions and visions of the future continue to inspire and inform today. Come and meet Isabella talking about her book and other projects she has been involved in.

Mick Lynch Receives the 2023 Spirit of Mother Jones Award.

Beyond F*ck You 2: workplace organising against oppressive language and behaviour

libcom

A sequel to a previous article, a Twin Cities IWW member writes about how he’s dealt with homophobic remarks and sentiments at work. This originally appeared in YOU BETTER WORK: queer, trans, feminist workers stories #1

I knew it would be hard going into it. Friends who already worked in the distribution center I was about to start work at had warned me about the specific difficulties I would have as a queer person in an environment where the work culture was dominated by a hypermasculine, sexist and homophobic atmosphere. I listened intently, and did my best to prepare myself. “It’s ok,” I thought, “this will certainly not be the first time I’ve dealt with this. I have a thick skin. I know how to stand up for myself. I’m can deal with this. I’m prepared.”

Quite frankly, I was wrong. To say that it was a hostile environment for me would be a massive understatement. The workplace, like many, is almost completely gender-segregated, with my work area and all those like it being entirely staffed by men. Homophobic comments, slurs, and “jokes” were traded between my co-workers on the regular. I struggled daily to try and deal with the anger, frustration, and depression that I felt clocking out after having heard “faggot,” “fag,” “pansy,” “no homo,” and other shit like it thrown around more often than I had experienced since middle school. Like then, I found myself acting quiet and withdrawn in those first few weeks as I struggled not to let my anger get the best of me.

If it had been less all-encompassing, less of the status quo of the job, I probably would’ve known how to handle it. Instead, I felt lost, trying to figure out how to address something that seemed so deeply rooted it was unmovable.

I quickly found that this environment was fairly deliberately set up and encouraged by our bosses. Unlike FW de Bord, who

Read more

Interview: UPS Teamster on the Possibility of Huge 2023 Strike

Black Rose / Rosa Negra Anarchist Federation.

The contract for some 340,000 UPS workers, organized by the International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT), is set to expire at midnight on July 31st. In preparation for a possible walkout, Teamsters across the country began casting strike ballots earlier this week.

A strike by UPS Teamsters would be the largest labor action at a single firm in the history of the U.S.

To better understand of how Teamsters are thinking about and preparing for a possible strike, we spoke with ‘Big Will’ Pina, a 30 year veteran of the UPS Teamster rank-and-file.

Black Rose / Rosa Negra (BRRN): Would you describe who you are, where you are based, how long you have been working at UPS, and what kind of work you do there?

Will: My name is Will Pina, a 51 year old out of southeast Los Angeles. I have been working for UPS for 30 years come August. I am a full time package car driver. Worked my way up through the part time ranks.

Read More.

Amazon workers strike

Anarchist Communist Group.

Amazon workers at the Coventry warehouse strike voted for a further 6 months of strike action recently. This came on the 19^th day of strike action already taken. 99% of workers taking part in the ballot favoured strike action. However, strike ballots at two other Amazon warehouses at Mansfield and Rugeley failed to meet the required threshold, thwarting the chances of united strike action.

The GMB union of which the Amazon workers are members, withdrew an application for trade union recognition after Amazon bosses took on an extra 1,000 workers in a dirty tricks ploy. This was to sabotage the GMB’s efforts to show it had majority support among Amazon workers at Coventry, with 800 members. The Central Arbitration Committee(CAC) which grants union recognition, accepted Amazon’s claims that 2,700 workers were employed at Coventry.

Despite this, the strike is having an effect on Amazon. It was forced to offer £11 an hour for workers, as well as enhanced employment rights for parents. Amazon workers at Amazon tuned this down, calling for £15 an hour.

These strikes show the  courage and determination of an increasing number of precarious and gig workers to stand up to appalling treatment  where every second worked is monitored using cameras and devices that workers must carry at all times. And where bullying by managers is widespread. As Amazon fails to recognise the GMB for bargaining purposes,  strikes are recorded as unauthorised absence, so that disciplinary procedures could be used by Amazon bosses. Despite this, the 800 workers at Coventry have remained determined.

Announcement: Spirit of Mother Jones Festival Dates for 2023.

The Spirit of Mother Jones Festival

The Cork Mother JonesCommittee is pleased to announce the dates for the 2023 Spirit of Mother Jones Festival.

Our 12th Annual festival will be held in and around Shandon in Cork City from Thursday 27th to Saturday 29th July 2023. All are welcome.

Thanks to our sponsors, the festival remains open to all free of charge. We are promising a very interesting selection of speakers and topics. Further announcements will appear regularly on this website and on the festival Facebook pages.

Hope to see you all and thanks toeveryone for yoursupport for this very uniquefestival.

Mother Jones in 1909 enjoying a chat with her friend, Terence B. Powderly, whose family was from Co. Meath, Ireland. (Illinois Labor History Society).

Terence V Powderly (1849-1924) started life as a 13 year old railroad worker where he worked as an apprentice in a machine shop. Born in Pennsylvania, Terence’s people were from Co…

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