Freedom takes a look at the most recent and ongoing industrial disputes and wonders whether, with the New labour government on the point of collapse, the recession still very much in evidence and the global economic climate dulling the most hardened of neo-liberal hearts, the stage is set for the workplace to become once again the battleground for open social and political conflict, and what role, if any, should anarchists play in this?

A set of stages
The year so far has brought with it its own determinate features of social conflict and political expression. Along with the threatened appearance of the state sponsored 'summer of rage', the activist mobilisations of Climate Camp and the G20 summit protest, the factory occupations, the countrywide school and swimming pool occupations and sundry anarchist group activities, there continues to be in the background the rumblings of workplace resistance in the form of strikes and walk outs, not all engineered by the big unions to reinforce their bargaining positions but a genuine, if tempered, re-emergence of a class finding its voice.

Strike action update
A perfect example of the quietly growing militancy and anger of workers is the much under reported bin men's strike in Leeds which, as Freedom goes to press, is entering its fifth week.

The strike by 600 refuse collection, street cleaning and waste management workers employed by Leeds council began on September 7 after council leaders decided to cut wages by up to £6,000 a year as part of “equality” re-grading scheme. Under the single status agreement councils have taken to downgrading male workers pay rather than upgrade female workers. The strike remains solid with strikers refusing to be intimidated by the actions of council leaders; hiring in private contractors and scab labour (along with police escorts) to shift the backlog and employing a negative PR campaign against its own workers. What makes this interesting though is the attitude and activity outside of formal negotiations.

Already a degree of autonomy is being expressed; supporters have dumped bin bags full of rubbish outside the house of council leader Richard Brett who according to strike officials is "acting like the biggest Thatcherite in West Yorkshire since Eric Pickles", showbiz actor Keith Allen has offered to perform with his band at a benefit to raise money for the strike fund. The dispute has taken on a socialised aspect, perhaps understandable given that rubbish collection affects every person in the city, and it's this socialised aspect that gives us our potential.

The knock on effect is that refuse collectors in other Yorkshire cities are planning to walk out over the same threats to their pay. Bradford bin workers are facing exactly the same situation and over in Sheffield workers at the already privatised refuse collection service are threatening a walk out after it was discovered the contractor Veolia employs workers on different rates of pay for carrying out the same duties.

Do anarchists exist in the class struggle?
It is these small and seemingly innocuous disputes that form the backbone of a growing discontent and awareness amongst workers. This can sometimes present itself in reactionary terms, as with the Lindsey oil refinery walk outs, but that shouldn't deflect from the real anger being expressed, or downplay the significance of openly confronting both bosses and the state after years and years of punishing workplace compliance. But as the Vestas occupation only too clearly highlighted anarchists still play a low-key, to the point of non-existent, part in any form of solidarity or practical support. And during the last London tube workers strike, the RMT were desperate for outside support so much so they specifically invited Climate Camp to get involved directly as part of the support group. Anarchists, class struggle or otherwise, were conspicuous in the lack of acknowledgement or visible presence.

Wearing badges is not enough
The question is then what, if anything, can anarchists do to engage with ongoing workplace struggles that go beyond mimicking the ambulance chasing antics of the workerist left?

A visible practical support for militant workplace activity, especially that which also challenges dominant union bureaucracy, can only be productive as a collective endeavour. At the recent Anarchist Conference there was a lot of discussion and open declarations in support of "the class struggle" but ultimately argued as a political position that should be adopted (!) rather than a desire to implement any concrete engagement relating to supporting workplace activity.

For the past tens years class struggle anarchists have disassociated themselves from the anarchist movement, content to take up the position of critical outsider; taking pot shots at the failings of the anarchist movement at a time of very low level of class struggle. This position cannot sustain itself if class conflict is set to enter a more volatile and defined period, especially if an old Etonian Tory party forms the next government. Class struggle anarchists can no longer just complain about the antics of other anarchist positions they must put their politics into practice.


Other articles in the paper include -
- Give up anti-fascism: an anarchist response
- National postal workers strike
- Ian Bone given anarchist peace prize
- Oaxaca court ruling
- Black Flame review

Freedom press will of course be having a stall at the year's anarchist bookfair in london.