When we face a problem at work and think about how to solve it, more often than not we face difficulties. Sometimes we manage to work them out quickly, other times it can be really demanding or even more than we can handle. Still, it’s almost always true, that it is easier when there’s more of us and we act together. Therefore we reach out to you – to everyone who wants to actively solve problems in the workplace and share their experience. Let’s help each other.
Starting June 1, the function of IWA Secretariat will be performed by the CNT-AIT of Spain. The Vice-Secretariat function will remain with the ASF of Australia. The contact address of the IWA Secretariat remains the same: iwa-ait.org.
Information about the role of the Secretariat can be found in the IWA Statutes on this page.
The CNT-AIT from France has compiled some texts of a few of the IWA Sections related to the Coronavirus situation, their actions and responses and the situation of workers in the Health Care sector, including care workers. As they write: The Coronavirus pandemic affects all countries and will have an impact - direct or indirect - on the lives of billions of people. It is important despite the crises we are going through to keep our critical mind, to try to understand how we got into this situation, how to cope, and how to imagine solutions for after the crisis.
The bulletin can be downloaded from the IWA page or the blog listed below in different languages. Scroll down for the PDFs on this site.
Information Bulletin – Special Covid19 SRAS2 – Health and care Workers
(edited by CNT-AIT France)
The Coronavirus pandemic affects all countries and will have an impact - direct or indirect - on the lives of billions of people. It is important despite the crises we are going through to keep our critical mind, to try to understand how we got into this situation, how to cope, and how to imagine solutions for after the crisis.
The English broadcast of RTVS (national radio service) called Slovakia Today prepared a very good, more than 20 minutes long special dedicated to the First of May. It included an interview with a member of our union, who spoke about workers’ struggles during the COVID-19 crisis. She also mentioned activities of some of the Sections of the International Workers’ Association and our campaign We Are Not On The Same Boat! (minutes 10:15 to 12:45).
Responding to the circulating narratives of Anarcho-syndicalism in Indonesia lately, we the Anarcho-Syndicalism group in Indonesia hereby states that:
That Anarcho-Syndicalist is a group that build workers self-management, an independent worker management system with the goal of welfare of workers without oppression.
The acts of politicians, state and the police of intimidating us through the discourse of demonization and criminalization of the Anarcho-Syndicalist is a psychological war that we should oppose. This is especially considering there is no single looting evidence as alleged by the police.
Methodically, the looting that is sounded through the black campaign of the ruling power had negative potential contrary with our principles as working class. Working class views that in efforts for fundamental changes, the use of destruction is unnecessary. We are focusing in improving the welfare of our class, and strengthening clear, balanced bargaining position, to the capital owners and ruling powers.
Pandemic continues to ravage the world. All are affected, old, young, cashiers, doctors. Even current deputies or former ministers ... The President of the Republic was very clear: we are at war, and to win this war you must stay at home. The State will pay in full those who take shelter.
Many workers around the world are faced with new challenges and hardships as they bear the different burdens of the Coronavirus outbreak. Some have lost jobs and, with little or no savings, face real threats of homelessness or hunger. Others must still work to survive as they have no choice and put themselves at risk. However we must all remember that millions of people must do this - with or without the Coronavirus. Coronavirus is just spreading the misery to more people.
While some retain their jobs and work at home by computer, millions of others are still out on the fields. There is usually little regard shown for their health and safety. In the IWA, we have comrades who live in extreme poverty, picking tea in Bangladesh; we have comrades in different countries in high-rish professions whose bosses do not want to insure them or take measures to improve safety, who live in situations where bosses force people to come to work sick and one must choose between their health or paying rent and buying food. This is the reality for millions of workers – not only in what we consider the poorer parts of the world, but also in rich industrialized regions. And it is exactly against these types of problems – which show a basic disrespect for workers' lives – that we organize every day.
