A message from the collective.

Comrades,

The future is uncertain and August seems a long way off. This is just to let you know the bookfair will go ahead if we still have a venue and enough people to run it.

We understand that people are reluctant to commit 25 quid when they don’t know for sure what’s going to happen to us, or them.

So if you want to reserve a table, go ahead, don’t send us any payment for now. Obviously we need some money up front to make it happen so as we get nearer the time, and have more clarity we will contact you again.

This isn’t “I’ll make my mind up on the day”, but rather “I’ll come if I possibly can”, you are all our comrades and we trust in your goodwill and common sense.

We still have space for talks and meeting suggestions so let us have them.

Meanwhile, look after each other and we wish you well.

In Solidarity

DRB Collective

Working under the Corona regime – The current struggles are taking first steps towards workers’ control!

Angry Workers of the World

While many on the left waited around and asked the government to tell them what to do, many workers around the globe have taken limited, but real steps towards workers’ control. Spontaneous strikes have spread from car factories in Italy to Canada and the US; a series of call centre strikes erupted in Brazil; Amazon workers in Spain and France and New York walked out; public cleaners and mining workers are on strike in Peru; garment workers in Bangalore refuse to enter the factories without protective gear.

We can already see a politicisation within this short and global movement of the class.

The most immediate demands of workers on strike were to receive the right protection gear against Covid-19. But then many strikes went further than this, for example in the case of AvioAreo in Italy workers questioned whether their work – the production of aeroplane engines – is socially…

View original post 802 more words

A disciplinary hearing in the middle of a pandemic: reinstate Percy!

Cautiously pessimistic

From the United Voices of the World union, and via the South Essex Heckler:

SOLIDARITY CALL OUT FOR PERCY

Percy is a cleaner at King’s college with 5 years on the job, and a UVW executive committee member, who’s just been sacked after a disciplinary hearing he refused to attend due to observing the government’s social distancing guidelines but which King’s College proceed with anyway in his absence without even letting him know or inviting him to attend via phone.

The hearing would have had 8 people cramped together in a small room in complete disregard of the government’s instructions about social distancing.

Percy has explained the reasons for not attending and asked for the decision to be overturned and the hearing to be reconvened via phone or in person after lockdown.

However, King’s have scandalously refused this request and have insisted on upholding his dismissal which now…

View original post 113 more words

No return to business as normal after COVID-19

Here are a few indications that when the COVID-19 crisis is over, there will not be a return to business as normal…

This is from the Haringey Solidarity Group Facebook page

“Apple Tree Road site Tottenham N17 this morning (26.3). Aggressive response from site manager, support from workers who are self-employed and don’t want to be there.”

These are from the DiY CULTURE Facebook page

“More luxury ‘investment’ flats Tottenham, North London. Our communities do not need politicians, bosses, property developers, greedy bastard landlords or bankers – none of these people are what you might call ‘essential workers’. The stark reality of that fact, has been beautifully revealed by COVID-19.”

“We should keep our rent. Our landlords will be fine. We may not be. No tenant should feel forced to hand over so much money when faced with so much uncertainty. You should keep your rent. Whatever you have, hang…

View original post 274 more words

‘Flamme Rouge’: Reflections on the Industrial Workers of the World (UK) Couriers Network – Pete Davies

New Syndicalist

The Industrial Workers of the World (IWW) Couriers Network was formed in January 2018 to support precarious workers in the gig economy. The thinking behind the network was that it would be a loose structure that could unite couriers as workers without them having to formally join the IWW and pay union dues. As these workers were classed as “self-employed” and would not get the normal benefits of union membership – such as individual representation or legal support to defend employment rights – this seemed to us to be quite reasonable.

Obviously any courier was free to become a dues paying member should they choose but this was not a precondition for them to be involved. We did however encourage the leading rider-organisers to join the IWW which would enable them to build relationships with experienced organisers beyond the Couriers Network, take up training opportunities, claim back their organising expenses…

View original post 1,856 more words

Discussing the Covid-19 regime from a revolutionary working class perspective in seven steps

Angry Workers of the World

Corona has taken over. Despite the fear and panic (or even denial) that has taken hold, one thing is for sure: the cracks of the system are emerging for all to see. How can the left respond in a way that dodges the minefield of strengthening the state, at the same time as ensuring that people are being put before profits? How can self-organised activity, like the community groups that are popping up to help vulnerable people, be facilitated and crucially, be used as vehicles to get our demands met? It’s all very well to reiterate demands, such as for a universal basic income, as well as push for new ones, such as full-waged sick pay from day one. But the question always is: how do we enforce it?

We could simply rely on the fact that a crisis means extraordinary measures are implemeted from the top. We can only…

View original post 1,845 more words

Pfeffle Pulls Plug on Angry Workers!

As you’ve probably heard by now, your least-favourite comedy toff has just announced the closure of all licensed premises until further notice. We are unable to proceed with the Angry Workers/T-Bitch/UGH! event on the 3rd April, but we hope to host them all as soon as these sanctions are lifted.

The Angry Workers are self-funding and these cancellations are likely to leave them out of pocket, you can support them by ordering the book.

There are also two online meetings you can join in with, see here. Give it a look and we’ll have something to talk about later in the year.

Rest assured there will be further Love, Anarchy and Solidarity shenanigans at the Four Horsemen pub when it re-opens. Meanwhile we all need to practice the real thing. It should be obvious by now that politicians and bosses can’t get us out of this mess, that, as always, will be down to the long-suffering Working Class.

Capitalism is dying – do not resuscitate!

IBRG at the WCML; A Welcome for IBRG at St.Brendan’s Irish Centre.

lipstick socialist

In the 1980s when IBRG branches were being   set up across the country one of the biggest problems was finding somewhere to meet. There were many  Irish Centres,  but most of them did not want an Irish group with a political agenda meeting there. Most of them were attached to Catholic churches who promoted a reactionary agenda or they were commercial venues who worried about their alcohol licence as well as  police surveillance and threats to their future.

Manchester IBRG found a home at St. Brendan’s Irish  Centre in Stretford.  Originally the Lyceum Cinema, it opened as an Irish Centre on  25th April 1961. Surrounded by streets of Victorian houses it became the home for many of the  Irish who emigrated to the Manchester district in the 1960s.

St. Brendan’s Irish Centre

St.Lawrence’s Church which was located next to the Centre organised an Irish community care organisation which met Irish…

View original post 937 more words