The “first” International Workingmen´s Association was founded in 1864 through the initiative of workers themselves but also with some participation of “politicians”. Organizationally, it was built as an association of workers´ unions. According to the Statutes, there was no centralism. The workers of the same profession or area formed a section, all sections of any country formed a federation, and every country federation sent delegates to the General Council. This Council was purely a coordinating body - it could not issue any decrees, instructions, etc.
The International Workers' Association (IWA) is an anarchosyndicalist federation founded in 1922. It seeks to organize workers into combative syndicalist organizations engaged in workplace struggles and grassroots organization, without union bureaucrats, parties or the state, to defend the rights and new conquests of the working class, towards a social revolution.
Campaigners are claiming a major scalp in the fight against workfare after retailer Holland & Barrett announced they were pulling out of the scheme. On hearing the news, Brighton Solidarity Federation tweeted "we've won an important battle against workfare, but the war is far from over." The announcement came just 24 hours before a planned national week of action against workfare organised by the Boycott Workfare Network.
It was a General Strike on March 29 in Spain, and further mobilizations are initiated from May 29th to June 15th.
The CNT-AIT has through the International Secretary made a new call of support to the mobilizations. There will during these days be rallies, demonstrations, workshops, consumer strikes, days of action and all kinds of action. The purpose is to be heading toward another General Strike and the target is to revert back all the brutal cuts suffered, revert back the Labor Reform and get back all the rights.
The IWA- Plenary in Warsaw on October 28, 29 and 30 decided that the IWA should have an External Bulletin. Prior to that, various Congresses had treated the issue with the same wish. You are now reading the first issue. The editor responsible is the IWA - Secretariat, but it is made by excellent compilation of the IS of the ZSP.
It shows the activities and actions of the IWA this last winter and this spring during the serious and hard times we are living in of today`s Capitalism.
This year’s May Day has special significance as it marks the 125 Anniversary of the murder of the Haymarket Martyrs by the government of the United States in 1887. In 1886 an international campaign was launched in support of the 8 hour day. As part of that campaign a strike was called in Chicago on May 1st 1886. On May 4th during a demonstration called in support of the strike, a provocateur bomb exploded. The state sought to blame the anarchist who had been at the forefront of the campaign.