World Workers' Movements Newswire Archive

The immense social power of the American working class has largely lain dormant since the 1980s, when President Reagan crushed the PATCO air traffic controllers amongst others in struggle. The leadership of the AFL-CIO union has brokered deal after deal in favour of the capitalist class in the intervening years, leaving many workers disillusioned and demoralised. Now - compelled by the social crisis and inspired by the Arabic pro-democracy revolutionaries - the sleeping beauty is awakening.

Article from our new blog

 http://sussexsocialistresistance.blogspot.com/

Politician’s keep saying they want the Bigger society, the people directing change, so let us all rise to this challenge and give them what they want, to be held to account and remove them along with the bankers.

The 3rd National Day of Protest Against Benefit Cuts has been called for April 14th 2011.

Today, during the demonstration which was in front of the General Trade Union Federation (ETUF) that included more than 2,000 union activists, some of thugs who are hired by ETUF threw empty bottles (of glass) towards the demonstrators, resulting injuries to three of the labour activists.

Workers of a polypropylene’s packet manufacturing factory blocked the Dhaka-Mymensingh highway in Gazipur for one and a half hours on Sunday 13 February demanding a pay hike.

Since yesterday, and actually earlier, middle class activists have been urging Egyptians to suspend the protests and return to work, in the name of patriotism, singing some of the most ridiculous lullabies about “let’s build new Egypt,” “Let’s work harder than even before,” etc… In case you didn’t know, actually Egyptians are among the hardest working people in the globe already.

We stand in awe and admiration at your historic victory, as you removed one of the world’s worst U.S.-sponsored dictators. You liberated yourselves and at the same time liberated the imagination of ordinary working people around the world.

Yesterday evening, after it was announced that Hosni Mubarak had met the first demand of the revolution and left office, I headed toward the Egyptian embassy in Amman. The joy on the streets was something I had never experienced before.

* On November 2010, in the Spanish city of Cordoba, during the celebrations of the Centennial of the historical anarcho-syndicalist union, the Confederacion Nacional del Trabajo (CNT), a Round Table discussion about Latin America’s social movements took place. A representative of El Libertario was present and delivered the following report.

Protestors gathered in Sheffield on 11th February 2011, the evening of the 18th day of the revolution in Egypt, after hearing that Mubarak had resigned and had handed control of the state to the military.

“Washington is acutely conscious that what it confronts in Egypt is a social revolution. This has been driven home in the last few days as a strike wave has spread throughout the country, bringing into struggle virtually every section of the country’s working population, from textile workers, to bus drivers, hospital workers, actors, steelworkers, teachers, hospital workers, journalists, shipyard workers, peasants and countless others. Workers have occupied factories, blockaded major roads and fought pitched battles with riot police.

The greatest fear of the ruling elite in the United States and in every other country is that this mass uprising in Egypt will serve as a spark, radicalizing workers throughout the Middle East, Africa and beyond under conditions in which the profound and protracted crisis of world capitalism is creating mass discontent in every corner of the world.”

Two recent books from France and England are stirring up revolutions, and it's about time.

I'll quote from them a little, because you need to know. But I am not trying to steal their sales. If you get a copy, that's a revolutionary act in itself.

Roma and Arabs in Europe and Latinos in America, take note. This about protecting your rights.

In 1886, Tolstoy wrote:

‘Slavery has long been abolished. It was abolished in Rome, and in America, and in Russia, but what was abolished was the word and not the thing in itself.’ (Tolstoy, What Then Must We Do?, Green Classics, 1991, p.104)

In 2011, ‘the thing in itself’ is alive and well in Egypt. What an extraordinary spectacle it is - a dictatorship behaving as though an entire people were its personal property. Henchmen aside, the people have spoken, almost as one, and their demands are very clear. The blunt government response, in effect: We react as we want. If we don’t want to, we don’t have to. Why? Because we have a monopoly of violence.

At least 100,000 demonstrators held protests in Cairo, Alexandria, Suez and other cities in Egypt Friday, calling on the Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak to step down immediately. Friday's 'Day of Departure' protests came after a group of Mubarak supporters attacked demonstrators with clubs, pipes and guns on Thursday, killing four.

Indications are that family members of the Tunisian dictator, including billionaire, Belhassen Trabelsi are in hiding in Canada. Authorities there seem unwilling to arrest the fugitives despite Interpol warrants. Tunisians in Canada are alarmed and concerned. Protests are planned in the Canadian capital next Wednesday.

A short recap as to what its all about-a reminder of how much the tory scum are laughing at us, and why we should carry on being FU*!ING ANGRY.

First prize for Troll A Tory Day goes to:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=49sMJQVuqPA

You win a Crisis Loan, just pop down to the DSS to claim it and say we sent you.*

last friday
Three people were killed and dozens more injured in clashes between police and protesters at an anti-government rally in the Albanian capital of Tirana on Friday, January 21. It was reported by Agence France-Presse .

Following the example of their Tunisian counterparts, large sections of the Egyptian working class are demanding the end of Hosni Mubarak's US-backed dictatorship. After yesterday's national day of action, which saw thousands taking on police in the streets of Cairo, the dictator's son has reportedly fled for Britain.