Fighting for ourselves - anarcho-syndicalism and the class struggle
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Fighting for ourselves
The Solidarity Federation's book, Fighting for ourselves: anarcho-syndicalism and the class struggle, aims to recover some of the lost history of the workers' movement, in order to set out a revolutionary strategy for the present conditions. In clear and accessible prose, the book sets out the anarcho-syndicalist criticisms of political parties and trade unions, engages with other radical traditions such as anarchism, syndicalism and dissident Marxisms, explains what anarcho-syndicalism was in the twentieth century, and how it's relevant - indeed, vital - for workers today.
Unit 24: The spirit of anarcho-syndicalism
This Unit aims to
- Take anarcho-syndicalist history and project it forward into the first years of the 21st Century.
- Provide some ideas as to the choices on offer to us in changing society today.
- Provide a discussion of some of the ideas at the core of anarcho-syndicalism today.
- Present some notes and comments on 3 examples of types of struggles taking place today.
- Contribute to new and more effective action; from which we can collectively bring about a better society.
Introduction
Unit 23: Roots of modern anarcho-syndicalism: morality, culture & tactics
This Unit aims to
- Follow on from Unit 22, tracing the origins, motivations and ideas of anarcho-syndicalism.
- Summarise the character of anarcho-syndicalism.
- Illustrate when and how anarcho- syndicalism developed and incorporated cohesive ideas, principles and tactics.
Introduction
Unit 22: Roots of modern anarcho-syndicalism: freedom, oppression & rebellion
This Unit aims to
- Summarise the main origins and motivations in the development of modern anarcho-syndicalism.
- Recap on some of the achievements that have been brushed under the carpet of capitalist history.
- Emphasise the sheer extent of anarchist influence on revolutionary movements.
- Examine the lessons from these experiences that are still relevant for us to apply today and in the future.
Terms and abbreviations
Primitivist: Someone who believes that civilisation has gone to far and we need to dismantle it and return to a simple way of life without modern technology.
Unit 21: anarcho-syndicalism 1939-99
This Unit aims to
- Trace the development of the IWA in the post-war era, following on from the period covered in Unit 13.
- Examine the re-emergence of the CNT in Spain.
- Look at the attempts to turn the CNT towards reformism.
- Analyse the reasons behind the formation of the CGT.
Terms and abbreviations
IWA: International Workers’ Association, the international anarcho- syndicalist movement, founded in 1922 (see Unit 13), note that the acronym is AIT in Spanish.
CNT: Confederacion Nacional del Trabajo (National Confederation of Labour). Anarcho-syndicalist union
FAUD: Freie Arbeiter-Union Deutschlands, German anarcho- syndicalist union federation up to its suppression by the Nazis
Unit 20: Britain, 1950-1990 - Decline of Social Democracy
This Unit aims to
- Continue on from Unit 19, following the economic and political scene in Britain after the Second World War.
- Investigate the failure of Keynesian demand management.
- Examine the post-war shop stewards movement.
- Look at the decline of the Communist Party and the emergence
- of the ‘new left’ and rank and file movement.
- Chart the onslaught of Thatcherism on the working class.
Terms and abbreviations
Keynesian Economics: An economic theory advocating government intervention, or demand side management of the economy, to achieve full employment and stable prices.
Macro-economic: The performance of the overall economy, inflation, unemployment, and industrial production.
Unit 19: Britain, 1930-1950 - The Era of Reform
This Unit aims to
- Examine the period when reforms and state interventionist policies came to dominate Britain and the rest of the advanced capitalist world.
- Look at the role of the trade unions during this critical time.
- Analyse the role of the Communist Party during the inter-war period.
Terms and abbreviations
SWF: Syndicalist Workers’ Federation. Anarcho-syndicalist group formed in 1950.
DAM: Direct Action Movement. Anarcho-syndicalist group formed in 1979.
TUC: Trades Union Congress.
NUWCM: National Unemployed Workers Committee Movement.
CP: Communist Party.
TGWU: Transport and General Workers’ Union.
NUR: National Union of Railwaymen.
Unit 18: Spain - The Collectives
This Unit aims to
- Give an overview of how the collectives in the Spanish
- Revolution were organised.
- Consider the problems faced by the collectives.
- Describe how the collectives functioned internally.
- Examine the mechanisms for the production and distribution ofgoods.
- Indicate how lessons learned from the Spanish collectives are still relevant today.
Terms and abbreviations
CNT: Confederacion Nacional del Trabajo (National Confederation of Labour). Anarcho-syndicalist union.
LEC: Local Economic Council
UGT: Union General de Trabajadores (General Workers’ Union). Reformist trade union controlled by the socialists.
Unit 17: Spain 1936-39: Revolution and Civil War
This Unit aims to
- Give a short introduction to and provide a chronology and commentary on the political and military events of 1936-39 in Spain.
- Chart the reasons behind the entry into government by the CNT.
- Examine the workers’ militias.
- Discuss the rise in influence of the Communists.
Terms and abbreviations
CNT: Confederacion Nacionaln del Trabajo (National Confederation of Labour). Anarcho-syndicalist union.
PSO: Partido Socialista Obrero (Workers’ Socialist Party)
POUM: Partido Obrero de Unificacion Marxista (United Marxist Workers Party). Dissident revolutionary Communist Party
FAI: Federacion Anarquista Iberica (Iberian Anarchist Federation)