[OccupySheffield] new labor movement Re: [Squares] M15 Global Long Term Strike proposals

[Mark Barrett]

hey neb, nicky,orsan, niel and everyone!

not sure if it fits but your post about a new labor movement reminded
me of a discussion some of us are having in the uk about the need for
a new union, or union network, or some such for unemployed and diverse
other ('dis-abled', for example being a problematic formulation)
workers.

what aims such a union/network might hold would obviously be subject
to horizontal formulation, but some ideas are mentioned on the other
thread, just posted on titled 'voice of the voiceless 21st jan
sheffield uk - unemployed / other diverse workers union ?'

some of us privately liked the idea of a campaign for the "right to a
living wage and opportunities for meaningful, liberating, well-paid
work for all" for example. would be great to link this kind of
thinking to the european mobilisations being planned for the spring
because europe, like usa but with the added impetus of its
constitutional crisis, desperately needs a new labor movement that
fits the needs of the 21st century...

[ and personally i think that something along these lines could revive
employment and social productivity but towards a community-based,
ecologically and politically sound ( ie democratic and emancipatory )
economy, hence an article,  ( admittedly sketchy  ;)  written back in
july http://righttowork.org.uk/2011/07/real-democracy-and-the-future-of-work/
 ]

i hope this helps!!

love and solidarity

mark
sent to squares international communication platform cc/ sheffield-uk
national email list, london international commission, oh15

On 29 December 2011 07:57, Neb <Neb at occupywallst.org> wrote:
> Excellent idea. I was writing something a very similar tactic way back
> in August so I'll need to find the file to share so you can take some
> of the ideas I had. America needs a new labor movement and this would
> be a great foundation to get the ball rolling. If our small affinity
> group can prop up Occupy we should be able to prop this up as well.
> Our bureaucratic unions in America are worthless so a wikistrike won't
> affect America that much so we need to incorporate other tactics as
> well besides striking. Building a new labor movement from ground up is
> going to be a real challenge in America especially in our prolonged
> recession but I think it can be done.
>
> We'll need to get in touch with our allies in Europe again very soon
> if we are serious. After the New Years it's time to get the ball
> rolling again and start something bigger than Occupy. That'll give us
> five months to agitate, organize and educate compared to measly two
> months we had.
> Any advice from Europe?
>
> Thanks and solidarity.
> _______________________________________________
>
nikky schiller
05:55 (3 hours ago)
to squares


This message may not have been sent by: nikkyschiller at gmail.com  Learn
more  Report phishingHello everyone,
i apologize i haven´t been able to be at the meeting yesterday, I had
appoiment with the hospital and working with global revolution takes
my whole time...
But i would like to keep talking and proposing ideas that i have been
thinking about this " strike" , or named in another name that means
"stop working for the corrupt system to organize ourselves in a better
way".
I think that to be successful in this project, we would need to make a
big database of all the entities that could form a pararell and fair
market to start working in  the consecution of a market which wants to
distribute the wealth to all the people around the world without
iniquity.
I give you an example of  the format like
http://www.craigslist.org/about/sites/     where you can find by all
around the world many different resources.
We could add to this kind of list:  cooperatives, sustainable
companies, farmers, inventors, solidarity banks, barters, classifieds,
ecologic products, free patents,... so the people could have this
information in their hands and could make a election about their
choice of consume. The newspapers, tv channels , radio stations of
this movement could promote this information, so we could channel the
consume to get a healthier and optimal consume for the whole
community.
In another hand, regarding the minimun services that should not
stopped by the security of the health of the people, i think that it
could be a good exercise of sharing  comradership and solidarity to
maket all needed services being covered by the Community.
In Sol square, we created a small selfsufficient  world with all
public services covered, it was a good example of what our world in a
big scale can make self -sufficient if all the Community is involved.
I look forward your comments, and ideas to improve proposal.
best
Nikky





On Fri, Dec 23, 2011 at 12:04 PM, Orsan Senalp <orsan1234 at gmail.com> wrote:

Same time same place this evening? sorry that i could not respond the
below emails, i had to sell my labour last two weeks, and felt luck to
be able to do so! this have to change, we need to be able to provide a
very clear vision of an alternative much better life, so people do not
support idiotic fascist programs just becasue that need to feel
secure. Let me post here below again the WIkiStike idea so Manuel and
others we can try to think of a positive, productive, creative, and
impactful new generation stirke that can combine the power of
knowledge workers+precariat+proleteriat and indigenous people. Here is
the short idea for a WikiStrike: Thanks Anna for the modification!


What is WikiStrike!
WikiStrike is an open ended and open to all form of strike different
from traditional methods used mainly by unionised workers and aimed at
improving working conditions and living standards by changing the
behaviour of the employer or political ruler.
In addition to using the power we have in terms of the production
process, with WikiStrikes we utilize the power coming from
hyper-connectivity and the collective hyper intelligence/creativity we
posses today in order to protect life, justice and peace -be it at
local, national or international level.
All forces of social change can join in the global WikiStrike process
and work in a collaborative way to achieve these objectives.
Arab Revolutionaries, Spanish Indignados and Global Occupiers have
proven that the WikiStrike is not only an idea, it is both possible
and effective.
----------------------
We are withnessing the rise of new generation stirkes that are
organised as swarm like direct actions and combining the power ceoming
from production with the power coming from
communication/hyperconnectivity. These new generation strikes are
often harmonises many kind of direct actions in a positive, assertive,
productive and creative framework. This open framework can be named as
WikiStrike.
In terms of public services good example can be the provision of free
services to the public, or reaprepriation of the stolen private
information of the consumers and workers by large companies. autoreter
and brutaity state posture, and general offensive towards democratic
and social rights will be the overarching theme. basic income and less
working hours too will be leading themes I think, as well as free
ulture, information, anti-war, anti violent as well.
On this page we ar egoing to investigate and develop this new
poweerful tool of the self-organised working man.


https://n-1.cc/pg/groups/964050/world-wide-wikistrike/




---------------
another think is about the date dicussion, as some others I also don't
care the exact date. It is important though to have a warm climate and
good spring mode and total consensus among the asesemblies, so the
peoples involved,
12 May, 15 May have been two good candidates,  We needed to decide
fast but also be careful not to hurry, so collectivity and consensus
get ignored, this is the most important thig. I think in this sense it
has been a good intention and initiative but a mistake to launch 12
May without wider consesus provided.
The idea as i got it was to spread it and seek for wider consesus at
the first place. we need to talk about this this evening?
another thing I could not communicate before on the strike and date
meetings was our avoidance from the 1st May, becasue may be we are
assuming that it blongs to the uninon movement!  if so it is wrong. In
the Netherlands and several european countries it is not even
celebrated by the union movemetn. It symbolises the fight for 8 hour
work day and other rights won by the indignados, of the time. So
instead of leaving that date out, to unions, we need to reclaim it I
believe. That can be a key to link up with the rank and file union
members. and promote such new generation mass strikes, that can put
pressure on the elite globally, not in the west of in the east alone.
hope we can talk with wider participation this evening. and i would
like to suggest using mumble and irc at the same time so we can write
down the minutes and be able to express ourselves by words at the same
time!..


In solidairty!
Orsan







2011/12/21 Manuel <manuel at whiteflag.info>

It might be that, as Michelle - chessypig- saysis day  and Anna
before, I have not

understood the meaning of the action due to the name strike - hit. I might
have missed some points, and if I did not actively support then the call for
an strike same reason; its name. So, as you are in a hurry, maybe It is no
point that I get into your ???? (we can talk about it another day)  but just
your concrete question as per below for courtesy sake


-----Original Message-----
From: squares-bounces at lists.takethesquare.net
[mailto:squares-bounces at lists.takethesquare.net] On Behalf Of niel at squat.net

Sent: miércoles, 21 de diciembre de 2011 16:19
To: squares at lists.takethesquare.net
Subject: Re: [Squares] M15 Global Long Term Strike

I'm totally in disagreament with a large part of your mail so I dont know
how to start because I donẗ have a lot of time right now to enter in
this clarifications.
> When you pushed forwards your call for a global strike (probably with
> much less support than the call to the 12th) in the squares meeting
> long ago, I said I do not agree, but I would not oppose (and so you
> got it against other people opposition).
You was against for a strike and you was alone, chessypig was against during
all the debate but changed his mind at the end of the meeting and we found
consensus, but all the other participants was for, not just a general
strike, but especially this kind of new strike (transition strike, 2.0, call
it a you want)

> I understand that historically left wing and progressive thinking has
> confronted state deception to his own people with the same coin;
> irrationality, call it dialectic and in this way has actually obtained
> some achievements (when the West was the whole world). And this is
> what a strike means,
???

 but, in my understanding, a strike will have a mixed effect (it
> could
> be good effect, but I sincerely think rather bad, it might put the
> whole under risk. A global long term strike????) therefore I did not
agree.
??? can you explain risk??? I will understand why you did not agree.


My meaning of risk means to put in danger the whole movement in an
inappropriate action


The
> way for the state to defuse those initiatives is to oppose other civil
> people who comply with their duties, but the state itself will not get
> involved in any dialectic which put itself into question). Now, as we
> discussed in the meeting that day, we shall not follow the old
> patterns anymore, the reason why state leaders have to deceive their
> people and concentrate more and more resources in the 1% is to keep
> the 99% in precarious condition and make them obey and in this way the
> state is competitive (but this richness concentration is not because
> the state want a few people living very well, as many think, or
> because the state cannot avoid it) but as a consequence of the always
> ongoing cold or warm war in the world as ever war (even if cold) is
> the real business of the state, this is human tragedy, and this is
> what we have to face now and consider as most important of all to
> change the world.
We dont talk about the same thing I think


Maybe, I doubt now, I thought of a usual strike as I said above



> Are the Indian, Chinese or Russian going on strike too on the 15M? I
> do not think so. Therefore the strike is to put pressure only in the
> West.
You dont think? We have the contacts and they are in this same (r)evolution
look what is happening in this three countries.


Ok, great


> And, on the other side, what is the meaning of the 12th, I myself support?
> It is a call for the real internationalization of the movement, and
> this internationalization goes first to an vanguard of young people,
> maybe students, with internet and world connections. Etc. You see, it
> is different target, therefore I do not oppose the 15M, as this is
> also an international call and I could see it in the line, but first
> is communication, then is action, and, unless the states do, we can
> communicate now using common sense. Only this could be human hope, and
> this is REALITY NOW.
Are you talking about 15Oct? Because the things are different now.

Ok, fine. I am not so sure yet, but surely we can advance.


> It is about communication, it is about information, because for the
> first time in history we are not doomed to irrationality as in the
> past. It is now for the first time, as we are global, or, at less, we
> want to become global, that we can  put in place common sense and
> advance from it together, and our target is no to make a strike of
> some, but to make a call for the world to work together.
If they work together a lot of them will stop to work for the actual
institutions and business, can we call this a strike?


Ok, got your point.
Just now I remember that I wrote it to defend the actions on the 12th you
opposed as per below and from this my arguments started. I do not really
want to discuss put brakes to your initiative or any other and wished the
same for the one related to the 12thM.


>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: squares-bounces at lists.takethesquare.net
> [mailto:squares-bounces at lists.takethesquare.net] On Behalf Of
> niel at squat.net
> Sent: miércoles, 21 de diciembre de 2011 2:02
> To: squares at lists.takethesquare.net
> Cc: Anna Harris; Dr. TR. Rojas-D
> Subject: [Squares] M15 Global Long Term Strike
>
> Nikky, we will not be coherent the 12, a little bit more the 15 but we
> will start to be efficient only if we maintain the fight after the 15.
> If you go to meet the workers you have to bring them something new,
> not another demonstration for a saturday. They want the same then us,
> and they are also fade up with the unions mp, the politicians, the law
> and all the institutions.
>
> We have now the infrastructure and experience to permit (strike
> kitchens, strike houses, strike funds...) and organize (space for
> meeting, spokes councils, workshops...)  the long duration strike. The
> people who want to do it will do it with our support, the same for the
> people who want just one day strike, but the same also for the people
> who can just demonstrate the 12. We are all the 99% in a same fight,
> so how to go in the same direction to support each other?
>
> Well if the people in DRY are just organizing another 15O for the 12,
> sorry I will not be in. A lot of people see the next global day as a
> start for an unstoppable process of transition, where we will moving
> forward:
> intensify and coordinate direct actions (sabotages, embargo, strikes...
> with more actors of the society) for one part, intensify and
> coordinate alternatives projects (socials, economics, ecologic... with
> more services for the society) for another.
> Both helping each other because this is what we are, a non stop
> protest thinking the future.
> We have to know what we are doing: I mean what we are and what we want.
>
> We are communities (camps, squats, eco-villages, cooperatives,
> autonomous zones, self-managed places...) divided in cooperatives
> (groups of people working on common projects)  but all coordinated by
> a GA (horizontal, transparent, open to everybody, looking for
> consensus...) That´s our practice of the real democracy.
>
> We want a real democracy (that the actual institutions work how we
> practice the real direct democracy, or create new ones) so we pressure
> for one part the actual institutions (police, universities,
> parliaments, banks, media...) with direct actions --> and the long
> term strike is the most coherent but we also create a maximum of
> communities and cooperatives (working
> groups) coordinated by the same GA --> and the concept of holistic
> cooperative is the most coherent.
>
> Our goal is not to make the most attractive community but to create
> and coordinate a maximum of different cooperatives, everyday more self
> managed and self-sufficients.
> And it´s not to make a big march all together every six month like the
> unions, but to make that a maximum of people start to coordinate actions.
>
> We have today the power (knowledge, contacts, technology,
> opportunity...) to reinvent the strike but also to reinvent the world.
> The farmers instead of burning their food in front of their
> distributers will feed the people in long term strike, action with an
> useful double effect and we have to organize this. We can also
> organize grouped buying or exchanges social currencies and services
> with this producers to include new useful products/services inside the
> cooperative. And try to feed neighborhoods, workers, communities in
> sustainable projects. But also you instead of cleaning your camp
> tomorrow, go to clean your neighborhood, show that this kind of
> cooperatives will be possible in a higher level after the 15, if not, your
camp serve to nothing.
> Instead of organizing a conference on economy in the university tent,
> organize one year classes of economy with other outraged professor and
> economists directly on your campus, or just a platform of preparation
> for the exams until the end of the year.
> Instead of stopping your public transport, maintain a free transport
> for your communities, your workers, your neighborhood...
>
> Well I really think that it´s the logical road to this peaceful
> (r)evolution we all look for and because it´s possible, everyday more
> people are working on it :) But the most important is to know that
> this is our direction, not only the
> 12 or the 15, because if we don´t know a total success the 15 we need
> this work to help us for the 16, and for the 17... This is just the
beginning!
> Seguimos adelante.
>
> (What do you think about the title of the thread?)
>
>
>
>> Please send this kind of messages in squares list with (15M Global
>> Strike)
>> that can help more people to understand you.
>>
>> The workers who take the street just one day are reformists, they ask
>> to the state or their institution or their boss to listen their
>> voices and to change in reaction. We are talking about peaceful
>> revolutions, did you ever seen that in one day?
>> The reformists just can be agree with this option to continue the
>> fight, it´s the best option to pressure the institution you want to
>> reform so the consensus is easy.
>> We have to focus on the same objective if we are a global movement
>> and it´s easy to know that few things are consensuated in this
>> movement, we want a real democracy now, we work on, and as a movement
>> we extend and connect them because we all agree that our methodology
>> of assembly/consensus is the way to organize us (policy, economy,
>> property...). For this some of us want to reform institutions and
>> other want to create new ones, own ones but we all want a global
>> change. So the most radical have to present a concrete alternative
>> and the most reformists have to radicalize their modes of action. And
>> it looks like the both are going in this direction.
>> The first objective of a responsible member of direct action is to
>> make that a maximum of people do direct actions, before doing actions
>> with is own affinity group, and outreach will help bringing unions
>> mp, workers, farmers, students to the spokes council to organize
>> concrete coordinated actions on 15M, AFTER AND BEFORE.
>> I think that it´s better to separate outreach ¨labor¨ and outreach
>> ¨community¨ who work to THE OBJECTIVE of the movement: start, improve
>> and connect communities funccioning with this real democracy in a
>> maximum of spaces and sectors of the society, it´s also the best work
>> to provide real alternatives (economic, ecologic, industrials...) to
>> maintain the fight on 15M, AFTER AND BEFORE.
>> Press have to start to communicate on it (better with manual and
>> concrete
>> plans) and international have to stay connected with the global project.
>> I have more specified informations by cities/working groups/people at
>> a local or global level and we can talk about it on skype:
>> ci-syntagma, I´m also working in a general video but it can be large
>> and take time...
>> In London or in Barcelona, the people works for the 15M global
>> strike, since I arrived everybody is talking about it, and the only
>> one argument to organize a global day the 12 is for the people who
>> cannot strike the 15, but people who support the 15, and as I said
>> before the best way to support this day is to open a big platform of
>> mobilization for the 15 during the 12 like re-taking the squares as
>> the american and spanish want to do.
>>
>>> Global Strike May 2012 is not a strike in the way it is usually
>>> meant of withdrawing labour in order to pressure bosses for increase
>>> in wages or better working conditions. What we are proposing is a
>>> continuous strike, a permanent withdrawal from the current system
>>> and switching to an alternative one. In order to make this feasible,
>>> the alternative system needs to be up and running by May next year.
>>> Outrageous! Impossible!
>>> Yes.
>>> I
>>> agree with you. Nevertheless it has to happen if we are serious
>>> about moving from this morally bankrupt and physically damaging path
>>> we are on, to a sustainable system that puts people before profit.
>>>
>>> We need to become aware of our part in maintaining the system.
>>> Everytime
>>> we
>>> use money to make a transaction, but more than that, actually our
>>> whole culture is predicated on the system continuing. We are trapped
>>> in it and though we know it is leading to our self-destruction, we
>>> cannot get out of it, EXCEPT by creating the alternative. We are
>>> putting our energy into demos, protests, sit-ins, temporary strikes
>>> of 1 day or 3 days, which are supposed to gather momentum, spread
>>> the word, show our power to the 1%, and at the same time we are
>>> totally comitted to maintaining the system in our daily lives, a
>>> system which separates us and disempowers us. If our energies were
>>> concentrating on developing a system that serves the people, not in
>>> theory, but in actuality we would overcome our isolation and empower
>>> ourselves. Very much as Transition Towns have been doing.
>>> GlobalStrike 2012 is not a call to get masses out on the streets, it
>>> is a clarion call to stop colluding with the system, while at the
>>> same time trying to fight it. That schizophrenia has to be replaced
>>> by the singular intention of withdrawing from the present morally
>>> bankrupt and physically damaging system, and together building a new
>>> one.
>>> Maybe you want to know what it is going to be like – this new
>>> system- before you commit yourself. Sorry, the commitment comes
>>> first. That’s asking a lot. Yes, it is asking for everything you
>>> got. Remember what is at stake here is the possibility of the
>>> continuation of human existence.
>>>
>>
>>