Marxism and trade unionism

1864: the First International

A hundred and fifty years ago, on 28 September 1864, the working-class movement took a huge step forward with the founding of the International Working Men’s Association. A meeting at the St Martin’s Hall in London brought together radical and socialist delegates from around Europe, to set up the organisation which would become known as “The First International”. In 1848, Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels ended their Communist Manifesto with the famous and ringing declaration: “Proletarians of all countries, Unite!” But in many ways, their theoretical elaboration of an international proletarian...

Turkish workers commemorate historic struggle

The Association of International Workers' Solidarity (UID-DER) in Turkey organised a commemoration this year of the 15-16 June 1970 workers' protests against anti-union laws, known as "The Great Workers' Resistance".

The Irish Trotskyists of the 1940s condemn "Irish only" trade unionism

A leaflet produced by the small Irish Trotskyist group in the mid 1940s, after nationalists split the Irish trade union movement. This is a leaflet produced by the Revolutionary Socialist Party, which was then the (small) Irish section of the Fourth International, some time soon after the splitting of the Irish trade union movement (Irish TUC) by Irish Transport and General Workers' Union leader William O'Brien and his allies. Protesting against alleged "British domination" in the Irish TUC, they formed a separate Congress of Irish Unions, made up solely of Irish-based unions, and rejecting...

3 Cosas, independent unions, and transforming the labour movement

Earlier this summer, Max Watson, Chair of London Met Unison, and on the National Executive Council, wrote on his blog an article entitled “IWGB: Two small unions?” . Max documents the behaviour of the IWGB (Independent Workers union of Great Britain) trade union at London Met – claiming poaching, duplicity, and more. He goes on to draw parallels with a collection of workers and campaign I am heavily involved with at the University of London, based at Senate House in Bloomsbury (I am the Youth Officer of the Unison branch, and an IWGB member). The campaign is called "Tres Cosas” (“three things”...

Joe Hill

Joe Hill was a Swedish-American labour activist and songwriter, a member and troubadour of the Industrial Workers of the World. Framed for robbery and murder he was executed by firing squad in November 1915. A decade later, this verse appeared in Labour Defender, monthly magazine of the International Labour Defence. High, head and back unbending—fearless and true, Into the night unending; why was it you? Heart that was quick with song, torn with their lead; Life that was young and strong, shattered and dead. Singer of manly songs, laughter and tears; Singer of Labor's wrongs, joys, hopes and...

Workplace activist skills training from Workers' Liberty

Trade union activists in AWL have developed a short series of workshops to help develop workplace activist skills. The workshops are: - Beyond "organising" : has "the organising agenda" replaced "partnership" as the orthodoxy of the trade union bureaucracy? What are the positive aspects of "the organising agenda", and what are its limits? Can socialists argue for and build a radical model of organising? Click here to download workshop notes as a PDF. - Real life problems : how can we build collective cultures in our workplace? How can we turn what seem like individual gripes and moans into...

Unfair to First International

Eric Lee was unfair to the First International in his column, “Back to that first International” , ( Solidarity 251). He says, “The First International was Eurocentric, male-dominated and paralysed by in-fighting”. Yes, but so much more. The First International was founded in a genuine spirit of internationalism by working-class militants attempting to overcome national boundaries, to make solidarity and stop employers smashing up fragile organisation by scab labour. A little bit more “First Internationalism” would have been useful a few years ago when union bureaucrats and Labour leaders...

The ISG and the "Marxist tradition"

“We believe that the Marxist tradition is essential for anyone who believes we need radical social change and will attempt to develop Marxist theory. We aim to produce a regular theoretical magazine to provide space for the development of Marxist theory. ... For the Marxist tradition!” This was the ringing declaration issued by the 39 Scotland-based members of the Socialist Workers Party in April of last year when – for reasons yet to be fully explained – they quit their organisation and formed the International Socialist Group (Scotland). The ISG’s pretensions to uphold the Marxist tradition...

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