And how exactly will you achieve your aims... refuse job seekers, go on strike, and picket the job centre?

If anything the economic crisis is lessening, inter-bank lending is on the increase, the stock markets are once again slowly rising, economic growth is once again increasing after months of decline, mortgage approval rates and house prices are again rising. The whole doom and gloom predictions from a few months ago were nothing but scaremongering nonsense.

I don't know if you're interested but, there is a branch of the IWW in Cambridge. They're a REAL workers union (workers only - no management, run by its members...etc). The also have an excellent reputation that goes back for more than a century. I'm sure they'd be able to support you. Just a thought :)



Here's the contact details from the main IWW website:

'We can be contacted via  cambridge@iww.org.uk

or you can mail us,

IWW Cambridge C/O Arjuna
12 Mill Road
Cambridge
CB1 2AD

or you can phone us on 07532 456799'


IWW home page:

 http://iww.org.uk/

The Unemployed Union needs to be National. Legislation is National and the Jobcentre System is national. The timidity of organising a Union in Cambridge would result in the irrelevance of the Union in a short length of time. That is not to put down any efforts to create an Unemployed Union - far from it.

 http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2009/09/437886.html

>The Unemployed Union needs to be National.<

Absolutely right.

Never mind National, surely an Unemployed Union needs to be *International*?

Like the IWW (I'm not involved with the IWW, by the way).

The traditional "Workers Unions" seem to simply maintain the status quo. Indeed, I have been involved in unions in the past and was highly disappointed. We had shop stewards having secret meetings with the management immediately after union meetings.

The workers got hammered every time, but the shop stewards got promotions and other fringe benefits overtime. I watched this process very carefully. That is why I think it is time for the average working person to begin thinking in terms of alternative solutions.

Those who have skills that are in demand can set up their own businesses... others who lack confidence or specialist skills can form affinity groups or co-operatives with people they know and trust. Set everything down in writing so there is no room for arguments later on.

Instead of depending on government or corporate "slave wage" jobs... people can begin to build their own independent work environments and labour teams. I honestly believe, whatever they can do... we can do better. To begin with, independent businesses or work groups would not have the large management salaries to pay. Those can be shared amongst the workers after overheads and expenses have been deducted.

These community based businesses or work groups can also use the same tax avoidance methods that the wealthy and large corporations use. Charge everything you can to expenses. I shall come back to this in posts later on if anybody is interested.

What I'm talking about is total financial independence from the system... this includes only using the banking system when it suits us. Keep in mind that paper fiat currency is always depreciating, so it is best to buy gold or silver with any excess cash and store it in a safe place. Of course, other commodities are worth stocking aswell... anything that is long-lasting and maintains it's value, i.e. always in demand.

Government taxation, corporate exploitation and banking capitalism is the method that they use to maintain their wealth and control over ordinary people... I say, we need to begin shifting our thoughts and efforts away from everything we have been taught at school. Otherwise we are actually contributing to the globalist corporate slavery of the world.

It is not enough for civil cervants to ride a bicycle to work... they must stop working for the government and start working for the people and for independenc and freedom.

Freedom and justice for everyone!

Yes, a national/international unemployed workers union would be better than a Cambridge one. But a Cambridge one is a very long way better than no union at all. If you want to start organising, but all you have is a few contacts in your area, then forming a local group is much more sensible than proclaiming yourself to be a national or international group. By taking this first step, they give a positive example that others can imitate in their local areas, thus taking us that much closer to having a national or international group. So well done CUWU, and fuck the haters!

Hope I don't come across as being negative!

You are quite right... any move towards community self-help is better than none.

Yes, it is a good idea to get together and start talking with people who share similar problems... quite often solutions suggest themsleves once things get rolling.

All I'm trying to say is don't leave it there... go the extra few steps and begin to break away from the clutches of the state and the globalist corporations. I'm sure it can be done.

Health, wealth and prosperity for everyone... not just the few!

 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wal_Hannington

Unemployed Workers Union doesn't make sense. You cannot be unemployed and be a worker at the same time not in the accepted meaning of those terms.
I dont see the point. Just join the IWW.
I like being on the dole, compared to a mind numbing soul destroying job of whatever description and pay it's preferable.

@Dole Scum - you prat!

Of course you can be an unemployed worker.

A worker is someone who sells their time to an employer in exchange for wages, rather then someone who lives off their Capital or profits from the work of others.

A definition accepted by Capatalists and Marxists alike.

Despite the crap printed by Fleet Street, most people in this country would prefer to work. In fact thousands of people in this country work when they would be better off on benefits. There has been a massive increase in the unemployed - people who until last year were working.

How dare you insult these people by prentending they are somehow lazy or scoungers. They are victims of the economic system, you may think this is a downside to the best system we have. OK that's up to you but do not blame individuals for their misfortune.

By the way, a local scheme may not change the world, but I personally think it is an excellent first step.

The purpose of benefit payment for the unemployed is to pacify the disaffected, and reduce the risk of a revolt and a threat to the status quo. Stop all the benefits now, refuse to pay taxes, organize your communities yourselves and cut out the ruling class politicians and bureaucrats.

Mark
Will the unemployed be going on strike if they don't have their demands met?
and
When i do finally get a job and my life is complete will i be allowed to wear my gimp suit?

We are trying to start up a union of unemployed people in Cambridge. If things get going we will have to consider other questions. Like what national or international stuff we might be interested in getting involved in. For the time being, I'll focus on actually getting this going!

@ "Make money" The economic crisis is just beginning. The TUC is warning of 4 million unemployed. The Treasury has stopped talking about "green shoots." We need a fighting organisation to ensure working-class people's access to adequate benefits without being fucked about. There is a lot of direct action we can do as a group as the long history of claimants unions and unemployed workers unions show.

@ "Passing Shopper" Well, not necessarily. Altho national (& international) working class organisation can have the most effect, local groups can be effective as well. For instance we'd be better off as a militant, grassroots union that believes in direct action & solidarity and just be in Cambs than being dominated by TUC bureaucrats leeching off us and keeping us in line. But yes, hopefully increased unemployed struggles will take wider & wider dimensions.

@ "Little John" I certainly respect your perspective but "financial independence" from the system is pretty fucking hard. I have very little money. Definately not enough to start up a business. Maybe if my dole came on time I might but not as things stand... We cant all drop out we have to fight for access to resources. But I don't think its mutually exclusive either.

@Doley -- Cheers mate! Thanx for the encouragement.

@ Dole Scum -- Well we are working-class ppl with no jobs. unemployed workers you could say. I fucking hate bollox jobs as well. But the dole could be a fair sight better!

@ Wot Tyler -- Hmmm... Like your attitude but its not realistic to think ppl can just suddenly not get money from a job or the dole. Yes we need to organise our communities, start providing for ourselves & start building independent working-class politics to declare war on the upper classes. This is why I'm involved in Cambridge Anarchists ( http://cambridgeanarchists.wordpress.com/). If you live in Cambs and are interested, drop us an e-mail at cambridge.anarchists [AT] googlemail.com.

It might seem that I disagree with you but I do not.

Unless the Cambridge Unemployed have the courage to aspire to a national - and international - union of unemployed persons then they will be doomed to fail. I am not decrying the fact that Cambridge would be the starting place, just the timidity of seeing the Union as solely a local thing. Yes, act locally but aspire globally. Failure to do so will result in the Union being ignore, criminalised or marginalised by both state and Trade Unions.

The Greeks are ahead on points:

 http://www.eurofound.europa.eu/eiro/1998/02/feature/gr9802154f.htm

They are addressing specific Greek issues but that does not mean they do not have experience that is of importance to Cambridge.

Australia has also formed an Unemployed Persons Union

 http://www.greenleft.org.au/1991/26/667

And while they are "historical" examples, there is more recent support for the idea:

 http://www.dailykos.com/story/2009/3/11/700032/-For-a-Union-of-the-Unemployed

The point I was making is the Unemployed Union has to start somewhere. The Unemployed Union has to aspire to be everywhere - it can not limit itself to being "in Cambridge". There are Unemployed people in Salford too

 http://www.salfordonline.com/localnews.php?func=viewdetails&vdetails=14841

And Liverpool:

 http://www.labournet.net/ukunion/0909/uwu1.html
 http://intensiveactivity.wordpress.com/2009/09/10/unemployed-workers-union/

It is no secret that the Unemployed are treated like criminals and that any organisation will be treated as an affront to "decent" people. Which is why Cambridge should aspire to more than local representation.

We have a long history of wageless action and organising, and a lot of is much more recent than the 1930s. We had claimants unions in the 70s and 80s.

In the 90s a network of claimants (and some dole workers) called Groundswell organised against the the introduction of the JSA regime, Restarts & work for dole programmes. (OK, those ones in the 90s seem easy-peasy compared to what we've got now, but they were the beginning...)

For a good rundown and analysis of how these efforts fared, see:

"Dole autonomy versus the re-imposition of work: analysis of the current tendency to workfare in the UK"

 http://libcom.org/library/dole-autonomy-aufheben

There are also a few responses and updates to that article on various sites.

Anyway, good you've got something going in Cambridge.

Lydia

Great stuff, but it will be interesting to see how many activists, etc, get involved, usually if it not the ,holy trinity, of the planet, antiwar,peace or racism/migrants they are not interested. No wqonder the far right is growing. There was a small movement against the first welfare reform bill but it got no support from the left, the unions, even the churches chose to focus on its new deserving poor, so fizzled out.

But good luck anyway, this seems to be growing and ghrowing organically and thankfully without the Trots, etc.Sorry to be so cynical, but I have watched NL thru New Deal and welfare reform launch a war on the poor and disabled people, etc the last ten years and there has largely been silence.....

There is a meeting to get the UWU going in Cambridge on Friday the 25th (Sept) at 3:30pm at the Earl of Beaconsfield pub on Mill Road, just by the bridge. All welcome! Kid friendly, for those with childcare responsibilities. If you would like more info e-mail us at  cambs_unemployed@worker.com or write to us at Cambridge Unemployed c/o Box A, 12 Mill Road, Cambridge CB1 2AD. It would be convenient if you included a telephone number so we can contact you right away!

Cheers

Plenty of people without paid employment work as volunteers - hospital/blind people's drivers, charity shop workers, office workers, carers......etc.,