Conference of the International Association of Workers

From 13 to 15 August 2010 in the village of La Vecilla near Leon (Spain) hosted the conference, AIT on "precarious labor, government and cooperatives. It was attended by more than 100 workers from various countries, including representatives of the anarcho- syndicalist trade unions and trade union initiatives - the sections of MAT from Britain, Germany, Spain, Italy, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Russia, Slovakia and France, the proponents of AIT from Peru and Croatia, the activists of the Anarchist Federation of Iberia (FAI) and Iberian Federation of Anarchist Youth.Welcoming the conference has sent Argentine Regional Working Federation (FORA, a section MAT).

The conference was very well prepared by his comrades from the union CNT-AIT Leon. Between activists from different parts of the Earth reigned friendly atmosphere, which best shows that our house - the whole world, and our family - all of humanity. The event took place on the basis of self-government, all participated in its work and organization. People speak Spanish, French, in English, German, Italian, in Russian, in Galician / Portuguese, and even in Esperanto, but perfectly understood each other.

August 13 addressed the topic of "anarcho-syndicalism and precarious work."

General situation

The lead on the first day he was elected secretary of the MAT, the participants were from different countries.A comrade from the Union of Polish syndicalist (ZSP) described the situation with precarious and unstable employment in Poland, and his analysis was close to that with which the representatives of "direct action" (RA) from Slovakia.Member of the Italian Union syndicalists (USI) said that in his country since 1993, the systematic curtailment of workers' rights, with the complicity of the official trade unions. He spoke about the many agencies leased labor, to participate in the labor dispute at the company IKEA, etc. A comrade from the Portuguese section of MAT spoke about the law of 1 August, which cuts back on the rights of workers in companies, nationalized after the April 25, 1974Member of the British Solidarity Federation (SF) described the past 20 years, continuing a strategy of "market flexibility" as a systematic attack on the wages of workers.

Comrade from Norway explained how the cuts in workers' rights in his country, although unemployment in Norway remains at 4%. French CNT spoke about unemployment and precarisation and their attempts to organize the precarious workers. Representatives of the Free German Workers' Union (FAU) talked about the reform of labor legislation and the growth of precarious employment health and transport, and trade union officials do nothing against this state of affairs.Finally, the activists of the Spanish CNT-AIT from Granada described what happened in Spain, as "a real racket in the real estate", which affected 4 million people. From all these reports and statements emerged: a grim picture of the widespread attack on employees of the state and capital.

Then took the floor, the representative of the FAI, noting that throughout the world dominated by similar economic problems, and any reform - is only patching the increasingly sprawling holes.The only alternative - a social revolution of workers throughout the world.

After dinner companions were from the Slovak DD, then its specific experience described anarcho-syndicalists from Croatia. Representatives of the Portuguese section of AIT said that the crisis contributes to overcoming the conformity and the maturing of the revolution.They spoke about the factory in Arcos de Valdevizh, which was occupied by 40 workers and now operates on the principle of self-government. ZSP in Poland working with the precarious workers, especially in hotels and restaurants sector, and participated in several conflicts, organizing direct actions. Activists of the CNT from Granada have discussed two labor disputes involving its members: in the hotel Vincci system and ASM.

The main problems syndicalist action: the conflicts, specific examples of self-organization of workers, the results and lessons of the struggle.

Members of the CNT Zaragoza spoke about the history of conflicts in the labor leasing firm "Start People" and the airline Rianeyr.The representative of the CRAS-IWA outlined the grave situation with precarisation labor in Russia, stopping primarily at the situation of foreign migrant workers. Every year, come to Moscow to work about 2 million workers from abroad, mainly from former Soviet republics, China, Vietnam, etc., of which only 200-250 thousand receive legal status. Most "illegals" have no warranty or the rights and completely subordinate to the arbitrariness of business mafia and police, among them is fear, so it is difficult to raise the active struggle against the hosts.

CRAS mentioned about trying to work with builders to attract migrants and migrant workers to strikes, involving its members.But this activity is faced with numerous difficulties. It was also briefed on the labor dispute in the "Children's World" in Khimki, in the past year, during which members of CRAS disseminating information, helping employees in preparing leaflets and launched a campaign boycott of the company directly at its site.They also spoke about the difficulties in the way of legalization of trade unions in Russia.

Members of the German FAU told details about the conflict in the Berlin theater "Babylon" and the problems they faced during the prohibition of trade union. They managed to overturn this ban as a result of a broad campaign of international solidarity, organized by AIT.

The next day, August 14, Polish ZSP presented a report on labor migration, which met great interest among the delegations and participants.

Discussion of possible ways to develop a common strategy AI T

On this issue, representatives of various sections of the MAT and the other participants.They discussed how to better organize the precarious workers (involvement in trade unions, the establishment of associations precarious, assemblies and unemployed, etc.), how to establish a more efficient and speedy exchange of information regarding the struggle of this category of workers and to improve coordination among the sections and supporters of the MAT.

August 15 USI, presented his project development of networks of self-government on the basis of solidarity and class lines.According to the Italian comrades, this movement could be part of an overall strategy of the revolutionary class struggle. They also described 30-year experience in the co-op IRISBIO, which began work in agriculture, but then expanded it to other areas. The report provoked a lively discussion. Speakers pointed to the border, which faces the development of self-government in a capitalist and market environment.The representative of Portugal spoke about the history of the cooperative movement in the country since 1974

CRAS delegate described the experience of so-called "Self" and "cooperative" during the adjustment period, the implications of "privatization in favor of labor collectives in Russia 1990 and the boundedness of the so-called "People enterprises. According to the Russian section, the development of egalitarian communes and cooperatives can be a model of self-government, but not through the creation of a new society.

At the conclusion of the conference were representatives of the Peruvian anarchist newspaper "Umanidad", described the situation of the worker and the anarchist movement in his country.

In the evening a group of conference participants visited the historic trenches Vegarade where, during the Spanish Revolution 1936-1939.CNT fighters fought against Franco's fascists.

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Spanish anarcho-syndicalists: 100 years under the red-black flag