The "anti-authoritarian and anti-capitalist First of May", in Setúbal, called for the recovery of the militant and anti-authoritarian tradition of the “Worker’s Day", escaping the “control of any party, official trade union or force of repression”. To a large extent, this objective was achieved. At a time when the ruling class is fiercely competing for the crumbs they want to rob from those who already have little, a demonstration that pointed to another way of struggle and resistance had to be repressed by the police.
Mexican comrades close to anarchosyndicalism show their solidarity with the comrades from CNT Spain related to their conflict with Iberia. This multinational has subsidiaries and offices throughout the world, so we thought it appropriate to have an informational picket to act against the sanction imposed upon the worker, Daniel Valdivieso, by the management of Iberia at Madrid-Barajas, as a result of an accident at his workplace. In this way we practise internationalism and show a common practice in carrying out direct action in the field of business, which in Mexico is uncommon. This action responds to a concrete proposal to come out of the First Anarchist Congress: to form a trade union in line with the IWA-AIT perspective.
The Solidarity Federation (SF) has been involved in supporting a victimised former Office Angels temporary worker. Dan worked for Office Angels for three days in December of last year. He was assured by the company that the lack of a time-sheet would 'not be a problem'. However, Office Angels are refusing to pay him the wages he is owed - falsely claiming he only worked for one day, despite them having called him at work on his third day. After completely ripping him off, they had the nerve to harass him for seeking advice on an internet discussion forum.
Along the Low Rhine river, in Germany's outer West and adjacent to the Netherlands, thousands of workers from Poland work under precarious conditions in agriculture and gardening. They get cheated out of their wages very often, but occasionally they fight back. The Free Worker's Union (Ger.: Freie Arbeiterinnen- und Arbeiter Union, FAU) practises anarchosyndicalist solidarity with them and thereby demonstrates that borders play no role at all. FAU is the German section of the International Workers Association (IWA).
In recent years British Airways has gained a reputation for union busting in its continuing dispute with cabin crew. However, its image has been further tarnished for allowing forcible deportation on its commercial flights, most notably when, on 12th October 2010, Jimmy Mubenga was killed by three security guards from G4S while being deported on British Airways flight 77 from Heathrow to Luanda in Angola.
At the time of writing there are wars in Libya, Ivory Coast, Iraq and Afghanistan, revolts in Maghreb and the Middle East and workers in every continent are resisting attempts to impose austerity measures. The capitalist powers are desperately scouring every part of the globe in search of increased profits and market control, while they are united in their determination to rage war on the working class. This is the true reality of global capitalism, death, destruction and relentless attacks on working class, pay conditions and rights!
On Wednesday, 20th April, Priama akcia organized a protest against the practices of OTTO Workforce. The office in Banská Bystrica was visited by almost a dozen activists. We wanted to express solidarity with the workers who have been cheated by the agency. With this action, Priama akcia also joined the IWA Days of Struggle against Borders and in Solidarity with Immigrant Workers.
-A report about the trial against social activists from Oporto for defamation of the SEF
After a long process of over four years, four social activists from Oporto, accused of defamation by the Portuguese Foreigners and Borders Service (SEF), were acquitted in October 2010. The case dates back to 2006, when a large movement of denunciation and indignation was generated, assigning to the SEF the moral responsibility for the death of Ahmed Hussein, a Pakistani worker who committed suicide after his residence permit in Portugal was refused. Among the activists victimized by this trial was a member of the local group of AIT-SP (International Workers Association – Portuguese Section).
The events of extreme importance occur now in Bolivia. The trade union federation (Central Obrera Boliviana) organizes the indefinite general strike since 7 of April. The main strikers are miners, teachers, health workers and workers of medical and social insurance. The demands of strikers are: general wage increase of 15% for all workers of the private and public sectors, the abolition of planned neoliberal reforms of social and health insurance, preservation of university autonomy, etc.
The operation Odyssey Dawn marked the beginning of military intervention in Libya, another war mission with which the western powers aim at protecting the economical interests and geopolitical balance that they consider to be threatened by instability, local tensions, dictators and other leaders’ ambitions.
This is the most recent of the episodes that make the status of permanent war in which we live even clearer Years pass and scenarios change: from the Balkans (Bosnia, Kosovo) to the Maghreb, through the Middle East (Iraq) and Asia (Afghanistan); military operations names change - from international police operations to task forces against terrorism, through the deployment of interposition and deterrent forces and up to more relaxing definitions such as peace or humanitarian missions. But the fact is that the core and the means to carry them out never change: bombings and missiles - in short, this is war.
