#iww

partagenoir@diaspora-fr.org

Les « Industrial Workers of the World » face au mythe américain - PARTAGE NOIR

« Dieu n’a pas pendant un millénaire préparé les peuples teutoniques et de langue anglaise pour rien d’autre qu’une vaine et paresseuse admiration d’eux-mêmes. Il a fait de nous les maîtres organisateurs du monde pour que nous établissions l’ordre où régnait le chaos. Il nous a rendus aptes à gouverner pour que nous puissions administrer les peuples barbares et séniles. Sans une telle force, ce monde retomberait dans la barbarie et la nuit. Entre toutes les races, il a désigné le peuple américain comme la nation de son choix pour finalement conduire la première génération du monde ». Ainsi parlait l’étonnant sénateur Beveridge au début du siècle au sujet de l’Amérique centrale, les mêmes propos pouvaient s’adapter au mouvement ouvrier américain qui à cette époque était majoritairement constitué d’immigrés de fraîche date ne parlant que peu ou mal l’anglais. Les Américains dits de souche ne les considéraient pas beaucoup mieux que du bétail humain et craignaient les élans de révolte, voire révolutionnaires de ces prolétaires venus du vieux monde avec le mirage de l’Amérique prolifique plein la tête.
#IWW #Sacco #Vanzetti #Syndicalisme
https://www.partage-noir.fr/les-industrial-workers-of-the-world-face-au-mythe-americain

olladij_tudajev@joindiaspora.com

Gewerkschaftliche Organisation stand in den #USA seit jeher unter schwierigen Voraussetzungen. Anerkannt wurden Gewerkschaften erst in den dreißiger Jahren mit dem »New Deal« unter Präsident Franklin D. #Roosevelt. Wie der Ausgang der »Schlacht am Blair Mountain« Shogan zufolge zeigt, teilten viele Arbeiter den Glauben in den #Staat als Hüter der Gerechtigkeit und als Garant des »amerikanischen Traums« von den unbegrenzten individuellen Entfaltungsmöglichkeiten – eine Schizophrenie angesichts des täglichen Überlebenskampfes. Außerdem gibt es in den USA bis heute ein Mosaik leicht gegeneinander auszuspielender Bevölkerungsgruppen – selbst Iren wurden seinerzeit rassistisch als »Nichtweiße« herabgewürdigt, nach britischem Vorbild. Erst Organisationen wie die anarchosyndikalistischen Industrial Workers of the World (IWW), die sogenannten #Wobblies, nahmen Arbeiterinnen und Arbeiter egal welcher Herkunft und Nationalität auf.
Anarchisten und Kommunisten und selbstverständlich auch Gewerkschafter standen in den USA von Anfang an im Visier der Staatsmacht. Nicht umsonst erinnert der »Kampftag der Arbeiterklasse« am 1. Mai (in den USA findet der »Labor Day« Anfang September statt) an die berüchtigte »Haymarket-Affäre«, bei der 1887 nach einem Bombenanschlag bei einer Demonstration für den Achtstundentag in #Chicago sieben Anarchisten zum Tode verurteilt und erhängt wurden, obwohl sie mit dem Attentat nichts zu tun hatten, darunter August Spies, Herausgeber der Arbeiterzeitung, dessen letzte Worte lauteten: »Man kann nicht ewig wie ein Stück Vieh leben.«

https://www.jungewelt.de/artikel/409058.geschichte-der-usa-schlacht-am-blair-mountain.html #geschichte #iww #arbeit #redscare #rednecks #polizei #rassismus #afl #fbi #cointelpro #matewan #trump #repression

globalmayday@libranet.de

CALL: Starbucks, don’t fund #TigrayGenocide

The following call was originally published by Indigenous Anarchist Federation. The collective Horn Anarchists shared it with the Global May Day list and calls on grassroot organisations worldwide to join the call for a Global Week of Action (May 1 – 7th, 2021):

Since November, Ethiopian federal and allied military forces have carried out a genocidal campaign of political repression in the Tigray region. Indiscriminate bombings, mass executions, rape as a tool of war. Food supplies devastated adding starvation to the arsenal. Refugees are prevented from fleeing these horrors. Communications and outside aid have been cut off.

Outside the region, Tigrayan people have faced escalating discrimination and violence due to their ethnicity. They have lost jobs and had passports canceled. Social media is filled with a cocktail of propaganda standard for modern genocidal regimes: open government hate propaganda mixes cleanly with legions of unquestioning supporters and puppet account networks.

Responding to calls from Tigrayans and other groups facing violent repression from the Ethiopian state, a decentralized, global effort is underway to stop this genocidal conflict. This means building real solidarity, beyond borders and nations.

We must also dismantle the Ethiopian state’s ability to wage this war. One way is to cut into the state’s biggest source of direct funding and foreign currency revenue: coffee. A major buyer around the globe is Starbucks. The corporation regularly engages in direct negotiations with the Ethiopian state, whose direct control of trademark licensing and access to markets puts millions into the government’s coffers. Those in solidarity around the world must take action to cut off this flow while the genocide continues.

A History of Empire

Tigrayan people are not the first to face intense repression within Ethiopia’s empire. The borders of modern Ethiopia are home to dozens of indigenous groups. The formation of central states over thousands of years has brought conflict as the Empires dominant groups have sought to impose their culture more widely. The Ethiopian Empire which resisted most European colonial encroachment in the 19th and 20th century was itself dominated by an ethnic Amharic elite.

The last Emperor Haile Selassie oversaw sometimes brutal attempts to forge an Ethiopian nationalism based on Amharic culture. When he was overthrown in the 1970s, these policies continued and reached new horrors under the following Marxist-Leninist military Derg government.

National Liberation oriented parties and military organizations based in Tigray, Eritrea, Oromia and other regions united to overthrew the Derg by 1991 and established a system of “ethnic federalism.”

Nine states were established on the basis of ethnic self-determination. But a degree of greater equality between ethnic groups did not end ethnic conflict. The inability to represent the messy and overlapping geography of various groups, as well as the numerous groups too small to receive their own region, provided fuel for further conflict. Ethnic conflict became intimately intertwined with political disputes.

The Oromo, the largest ethnic group in Ethiopia, have faced systemic discrimination for decades. An Oromo-based party central to overthrowing the Derg was pushed out of the new governing coalition early on. Despite some new autonomy within the ethnic federalist system, discrimination remains widespread, and massive protests have been met with violent reprisals as recently as last year. Many politicized Oromo are today advocate ending the Ethiopian Empire altogether.
Recently, a new governing coalition was formed when the largest Tigrayan party (TPLF) exited the government. The rest of the former coalition merged to form the new Prosperity Party under Abiy Ahmed. The present government seeks to dismantle “ethnic federalism” in favor of a centralized state promoting a unified “Ethiopian” identity. Powerful ethnic-based political parties are a significant obstacle to this goal. To secure victory in its political agenda, Abiy’s government has made all Tigrayan people synonymous with the TPLF political party in the view of the country’s mass media and war machine, launching an all-out struggle against both.

Abiy’s construction of a nationalist base at home has been complimented by his efforts to secure support abroad. In a piece of bitter irony, he was given the Nobel Peace Prize for bringing a decades long conflict with the totalitarian government of neighboring Eritrea to an end. Violent struggle had simmered since Eritrea’s secession from Ethiopia following the collapse of the Derg. The presence of Eritrean political refugees in Tigray and ongoing resentment over the previous war made Abiy’s peace partners an ideal collaborator in genocide. Eritrean ground forces have been responsible for some of the most horrific massacres, plundering, and destruction of the countryside.

Coffee Grows Empire

Any present-day empire building project in Ethiopia needs a fervent nationalist base. Yet in the modern global system, Ethiopia’s empire is but a small and sometimes exploited player. Projecting necessitates extensive foreign capital and support. Drones bombing civilian towns, bullets digging mass graves, media infrastructure to justify it all. This requires cash.

Some of this may come in the form of foreign aid, or the loans neocolonial institutions like the World Bank and International Monetary Fund are currently trying to approve. For the Ethiopian state, though, much of their cash comes from commodity export. King of Ethiopia’s exports is a crop it originated: coffee. A billion US dollars, 30% of the country’s total exports, sent to eighty countries around the world.

The central state has a heavy, lucrative hand in the trade. It manages commodity exchange markets. It carries out direct diplomacy and negotiations with major buyers. The Ethiopian state even holds several international trademarks on the names of notable Ethiopian coffee. Companies selling specialty coffee using these names must pay the government a licensing fee.

Securing this funding pipeline is vital to the Ethiopian state’s functioning.

Take Action

Campaigners against the ongoing genocide in Tigray have called for a boycott of Ethiopian coffee in order to cut into Abiy Ahmed’s war chest. Among the largest and most visible buyers globally is Starbucks. The company purchases tens of millions USD of Ethiopian coffee annually, only a fraction of which makes it directly to farmers. During an ongoing genocide, this money fuels death.

We are calling for a global week of action against Starbucks to demand they cease purchase of Ethiopian coffee while the military occupation of Tigray continues.

From May 1 to May 7 we encourage solidarity in the form of a diversity of tactics from comrades around the world.

What can you do to spread the message about stopping the genocide in Tigray and take direct action against Starbucks?

  • Get a few friends to do some flyering, wheatpasting, graffiti, and/or banner drops.
  • Hold picket lines of stores, perhaps collaborating with workers.
  • You can organize a large march locally, or small autonomous action against a Starbucks store at night.
  • Is your city home to an Ethiopian or Eritrean embassy or consulate? Consider whether you might include it in your action.

If you live in one of many areas around the world with Tigray, Oromo, and other diaspora communities, please reach out. Many major cities have a local community center and have been holding their own protests against the current government’s actions. Look for these events, often on social media, and join in solidarity.

Visit @HornAnarchists on twitter or check out the social media hashtag #TigrayGenocide for further updates.

An Ethopian Anarchist Perspective on Tigray: thefinalstrawradio.noblogs.org

Others: Omna Tigray | Ethiopia Map | Deforestation cirsis | Tigray is being deliberately starved | Health facilities targeted in Tigray

#anarchism #hamburg #anarchismus #bangladesh #Anarchisme #IWW #Gewerkschaft #Syndicalism #1world1struggle #globalmayday #syndikalismus #anarchosyncalism #Dhaka #anarcosindicalismo #gwtuc #sindicalismo #sindicalismorevolucionario

globalmayday@libranet.de

A worker is owed 770€ in wages at a Domino's Pizza branch in Leipzig.
In reaction around 80 comrades rallied in front of the restaurant demanding for missing wages to be paid yesterday.

The rally was called by the FAU Leipzig (Free Workers' Union).
Press release (in German): https://leipzig.fau.org/pm-arbeitskonflikt-zwischen-effekt-gmbh-und-fau-mitglied/

#BesserOrganisieren
#1world1struggle

#anarchism #hamburg #anarchismus #bangladesh #Anarchisme #IWW #Gewerkschaft #Syndicalism #1world1struggle #globalmayday #syndikalismus #anarchosyncalism #Dhaka #anarcosindicalismo #gwtuc #sindicalismo #sindicalismorevolucionario

globalmayday@libranet.de

Call for International Solidarity with Civil Disobedience Movement (CDM) in Myanmar

Dear comrades with the International Confederation of Labour (ICL), the Global May Day network and other emancipatory groups worldwide!

Since February, we, grassroot organisations in Myanmar, have been taking to the streets to resist the military junta, which forced itself back into authoritarian power with a coup after elections in November last year.

The coup has severe consequences for us, among others resulting in a roll-back of liberties achieved in the past few years and decades.

From the start we have been mobilizing inside the factories and shaped the CDM across the country.

We fight for the abolition of the military leadership and its fascist regime as well as a new constitution implementing full federal democracy. All political prisoners must be released immediately!

Workers are facing various forms of repression. Not only is the military shooting at us in the streets, but factory managements are often collaborating with the military, calling them to crack-down on protests and strikes. The resistance against the regime claimed at least 738 lives already. (For more information: aljazeera.com)

The whole situation makes us sad and angry!

We provide support to the workers who lost their job because of their participation in the pro-democracy movement. These include pregnant factory workers and single parent families but also workers who are participating in CDM.

Comrades, let’s increase the pressure on the military junta on all levels together!
We propose that May Day is also used as a day of action to express solidarity with the CDM worldwide.

Here are some things of what you can do:

  • Pressure corporations collaborating with the military Junta, such as Deutsche Post DHL Group (source: justiceformyanmar.org), Total SE (source: asianews.it) and Sinotruk/MAN (source: justiceformyanmar.org).

  • Support workers participating in CDM movements with financial donations:

An overview of different channels can be found here: isupportmyanmar.com.
In case you want to support mutual aid efforts by Food not Bombs Myanmar, please contact asia@icl-cit.org for details.

  • Put pressure on international apparel brands to ensure that all workers in their supply factories are guaranteed the right to take unpaid leave without dismissal. Follow the actions of international brands on Myanmar coup such as: Zara, H&M, Adidas, OBS, Mango and Sioen.

  • Pressure the Singaporean government! “The wealthy island city-state is Myanmar’s biggest foreign investor, overtaking China in 2019 to bring in more than $24 billion of capital through lucrative real estate projects, banking, shipping, sand exports and construction, as well as arms sales.“ (source: vice.com) The governmet owns Temasek Holdings, which combines capital worth more than $230 billion. Temasek Holdings again has the majority of shares of many corporations like Singapore Airlines (56%). Pressuring Singapore Airlines would therefore also put pressure on the government of Singapore.

  • Support the National Unity Government initiative! “Opponents of Myanmar’s junta announced a National Unity Government including ousted members of parliament and leaders of anti-coup protests and ethnic minorities, saying their aim was to end military rule and restore democracy.” (source: reuters.com)

Three fingers in the air – for freedom, for unity, for solidarity!

#Call4InternationalCDMsolidarity
#WhatsHappeningInMyanmar
#1world1struggle

#anarchism #hamburg #anarchismus #bangladesh #Anarchisme #IWW #Gewerkschaft #Syndicalism #1world1struggle #globalmayday #syndikalismus #anarchosyncalism #Dhaka #anarcosindicalismo #gwtuc #sindicalismo #sindicalismorevolucionario

globalmayday@libranet.de

Global May Day 2021 is around the corner. Announce your activities, so that the details can also be published on the website: https://globalmayday.net/2021/04/24/activities-gmd2021/

Contact the Global May Day page or drop a line at the GMD mailing list (lists.riseup.net/www/info/globalmayday).

#GlobalMayDay2021
#1world1struggle

#anarchism #hamburg #anarchismus #bangladesh #Anarchisme #IWW #Gewerkschaft #Syndicalism #1world1struggle #globalmayday #syndikalismus #anarchosyncalism #Dhaka #anarcosindicalismo #gwtuc #sindicalismo #sindicalismorevolucionario

globalmayday@libranet.de

Call for Global May Day 2021

Worldwide we, the wage-related workers, are set in competition to support the
additional value production. Regardless where we live, our gender / sex, nationality, we
are interwoven in the same fight, if we want to or not. Budget cuts in social services,
outsourcing, depressing wages, privatization, increasing costs of living as well as tuition
fees and the destruction of natural recourses are just a few of the symptoms of the
global economic system. A system that is based on exploitation and competition leads to
commercialization of all aspects of our lives. We suffer from growing pressure to
perform, separation, as well as the alienation of our needs and people, which we are
working and living with. Be it at the workplace, university or increasingly even during
childhood and youth. The logic of the market economy and the corresponding nationstate structures require that adaption to the dictate of competitiveness and the valueadded production take priority over the development of emancipatory capabilities.

The introduction of a Universal Basic Income on the global level can be a first
emancipatory step in overcoming wage labor relations.

We do not intend to simply disrupt; we seek to overcome.

Given the transnational nature of the capitalist system, it is necessary for workers to
connect on the global level.
By networking across borders, the global interconnections that shape our local conditions can be made visible. Furthermore it opens up new potentialities and scopes of action within the struggle against exploitation as well as precarious working and living conditions. The bargaining power of workers would increase tremendously, if we were to unite within the same value-added chain.
Especially in times of nationalism and racism, we seek the common struggle and resist
being played off against each other.

For a better life for all – across all borders!

#1world1struggle

Note on Coronavirus epidemic

The world has been going through a serious epidemy of COVID-19 (coronavirus). Like all
crises, the poorest workers are the most affected. Many companies force workers to
keep working, consequently, prohibit the workers’ right of quarantine. Many workers are
being laid off, self-employed workers, street vendors and other workers are without
income. People in refugee camps and homeless people have no access to minimum
sanitary conditions.

We strive for:

1) The right of basic needs to be met for all.
2) Decent sanitary working conditions for all workers.
3) Free access to COVID-19 vaccines for all.
4) The immediate suspension of water, electricity, cooking gas, telephone and
internet bills.
5) The immediate suspension of rents.
Make the rich pay for the crisis!

#1world1struggle

#anarchism #hamburg #anarchismus #bangladesh #Anarchisme #IWW #Gewerkschaft #Syndicalism #1world1struggle #globalmayday #syndikalismus #anarchosyncalism #Dhaka #anarcosindicalismo #gwtuc #sindicalismo #sindicalismorevolucionario #UnitedAgainstTheDragon #DragonSweater