Blogs

In 2014, on the eve of China’s national day celebrations, scenes recalling those of four years ago appeared in Chinese headlines. Foxconn became known to the world four years ago when thirteen of its young workers jumped to their deaths in quick succession. The death of young Foxconn worker and poet Xu Lizhi reminded us that in this Fortune 500 company that produces some 40% of the world’s electronics, the cruelty and hopelessness of workers' situation has not changed. But most of us are unaware that Xu is not alone. At least five other workers, and likely more than that, have joined him this year. Many other workers have taken their own lives since the famous 13.

As the 2015 General Election looms ever closer, more and more media commentary is going to be dedicated to who people should vote for. Rather than talking generally about the problems and limitations of representative democracy, this is the first of several posts looking at and debunking specific 'tactical voting' strategies and election narratives from an anti-electoral perspective.

Concluding Phinneas Gage’s three-part series on struggles at the Canada Post during 2011, we present ‘Snake march’. In this final installment, he describes the moral as the lockout drags on. Parliamentary filibusters and symbolic occupations fail to turn the tide on contract negotiations. The postal workers return to work, determined to not let management bulldoze them in the shopfloor.

The second in a three part series about a strike at Canada Post. Phinneas Gage describes how the strike rolled on as the workers faced a common challenge of workplace battles. The government, employers, and national union began making moves to diffuse the situation and try to control the actions of the workers.

The first of a three part series that detail a set of organizing actions by postal workers in Canada during 2011. It is written by fellow Recomposition editor Phinneas Gage who expounds on the actions that led up to the CUPW strike, the predicaments that workers faced challenging management, and the indelible memory of seeing management flee an angry mob of strikers.

As we develop new strategies to work on community organizing campaigns, what ideas and strategies can we port over from the history of syndicalist workplace struggles?

The Greek election results have come in and it seems far-left party SYRIZA has won a significant victory on an anti-austerity platform.

Monday the 26th will see the workers at the Leicester School of English organise a mass email campaign as the next step in their effort to bring their wage-stealing boss, Craig Tallents, to the negotiating table.

The PCS union is facing concerted union busting activity from the government. However, despite its rhetoric it has fallen into a retreat that helps nobody

The Portland Solidarity Network supports two tenants as they make demands on their exploitative former property management company, and the video captures their moment of community power.

A response to some of the articles written by 'Wobbling Towards Communism', an informal group of left communists in the IWW.

A re-blog from our friends at the Trade Onion detailing a joint IWW/ALB picket that occurred at the Leicester Square School of English last Saturday.

The story of the ExMoi occupation in Turin, a solution by radicals and refugees to the problems of homelessness amongst migrants in a city full of empty buildings, and the reaction of racist organisations to the project.

On Sunday 28 January, around 6pm, a group of about 50 fascists (mostly from CasaPound) attacked activists from Cremona’s Dordoni social centre. The attack on seven or eight activists was launched by around ten people, and very soon bolstered by 40 more.

Some thoughts on the Evening Standard's coverage of this week's bus workers' strike.

Having already occupied their school, staff at the Leicester Square School of English are organising a picket this Saturday, 17th of January. Here's why.

As part of a successful campaign to help a fellow EFL teacher recover thousands in stolen wages, the Angry Language Brigade appears on the front page of this month's English Language Gazette!

Cindy Milstein considers the possibility of society without a police force.

Earlier this week, gunmen attacked the French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo and murdered several of its cartoonists. Some thoughts on the various issues that have arisen out of this event.

This Changes Everything is a book capacious enough to allow Naomi Klein two positions at once. But a real climate-justice movement will at some point have to make choices.