As some have noticed, some unions of our Section in Spain, the CNT-AIT, are changing their names. This change is forced by the state after the Spanish union of CIT, which copyrighted the name “CNT” managed to convince the courts that it should be the only one with intellectual property rights to the name and logos.

Logically, we could expect that the state, which could not for years tame the anarchosyndicalist movement in Spain, would not seize this chance to give legal preference to those who have demonstrated that they are all too ready to play their game – and to liquidate anarcho-syndicalist unions throughout the country. Since this is also a key element of the moves to claim all the property of the CNT-AIT, often using even criminal methods (like the fraud conducted in Madrid). Selling the property represents the opportunity to cash in on the historical anarcho-syndicalist movement, the movement built by people that the CIT union has been trying to evict, by legal methods or by force, for around 15 years. They believe that by taking away the premises of unions around Spain – places where the CIT have never had unions but where the CNT-AIT is active – that they will weaken the CNT-AIT and bring people into their orbit.

This hideous process shows the real nature of those who have usurped the legacy of the CNT and who are now its property managers. It is – unlike the various CNTs before it – simply not satisfied to accept the fact that when organizations have differences of opinions, they often split up, even when, in this case, the actions of a small group of people caused this result, when remaining in that organization made absolutely no sense anymore. As we have pointed out many times, other CNTs have existed in Spain for decades – most notably CNT Barcelona, which was never sued for retaining that name. Throughout history, there have been numerous organizations with that name.

From the IWA, we have always been clear – the CNT-AIT is the organization which is recognized in Spain as the continuation of the CNT-AIT. And we are still clear – no matter what initials the organization has, it continues the tradition of anarcho-syndicalism in Spain.

We would in addition like to correct something published by one of the CNT-AIT unions and that is about the disafiliation of what is now the CIT union in Spain from the IWA. It is incorrect to say that they were disafiliated only mentioning the refusal to pay dues. The refusal to pay dues is a reason to put the question of further afiliation on a Congress agenda – and this was a proposal previously strongly supported by those now in CIT.

The motions related to the situation in Spain related to more than just refusing to pay dues. The organization had decided to boycott the Congress already and attempt to found another international (a process started by FAU. FAU and CNTE had tried to invite a few IWA organizations to split the IWA but to retain the name IWA, claiming to be “relaunching it”. Later it decided to go with another name.)
Because of this, the wording of the Congress decision was “CNT has withdrawn from the IWA but also was disaffiliated due to non-payment of dues, breaching the lWA statutes and trying to cause a split.”

Of the three reasons, it is clear that the second and third where more serious than the first.

The 26th Congress released a statement and the part related to this read:

“The CNT, FAU and USI have been disaffiliated as a result of a conscious disregard for process, statutes and dues of the IWA. The divisive and destructive attempts by of the CNT’s Confederal Committee in complicity with FAU and USI is nothing more than an attack on the very principles, tactics and aims of the IWA and anarchosyndicalism. We denounce their attempts at appropriating the IWA’s name and creating a parallel organization to the IWA in the strongest terms possible.

We recognize the conflict within the CNT. We received declarations of support addressed to the congress by about 40 local unions from Spain (both current and former members of the CNT), and the congress was also attended by a number of observers from these and other unions who are concerned with developments within their organizations.” [Statement of the IWA Congress, December 4, 2016]

Anarcho-syndicalism is not about money. This is not the most important thing. The most important thing is a common purpose, adherence to certain principles, an idea about the importance of the workers' struggle based on these principles and the notion of international solidarity.

During this difficult time, we send all of our solidarity to the comrades in Spain who continue to fight, despite the last 10 years of struggle against the repressive measures brought against them by the CIT union, including trying to imprison a couple of people. We will never find this acceptable and denounce those complicit through their silence.