At the beginning of 2009 Russian workers took the crisis in a rather passive way, even though in May-July we witnessed a surge of activity, initially in the form of an explosion of street actions and other forms of protest that were fairly uncontrolled and not envisaged by the legislation on the resolution of work-related conflicts. Subsequently, we saw a slow but persistent growth in the number of industrial disputes, with many more meetings being held. The increase in tensions was expressed outside the public space, including by individual acts (hunger strikes, sit-down strikes and even, sometimes, suicides).
Cochabamba points the way
12 May 2010, by“The birth of a new climate movement” is how radical Canadian writer, Naomi Klein, described the World Peoples’ Summit on Climate Change in the Bolivian city of Cochabamba at the end of April. The meeting had been called by Bolivia’s first indigenous president, Evo Morales, in response to the collapse of intergovernmental climate negotiations in Copenhagen in December.
No to cuts, yes to proportional representation
10 May 2010, byThe outcome of the British general election was the one long predicted, with no party winning a majority. Labour lost and the Tories failed to win. The Lib Dems lost the surge they had expected and the result was the first hung Parliament for over 30 years. The Lib Dems got 25% of the votes and under 10% of the seats.
A workers’ election campaign against feudalism and capitalists
10 May 2010, byOn 1st May 2010, over 5000 industrial workers participated in a public meeting at Suddar in Faisalabad. Renowned Punjabi poet Baba Najmi thrilled the crowd with his revolutionary poems. Class consciousness was at its best at this election meeting for Mian Abdul Qayum, Labour Party Pakistan’s candidate for a Punjab Assembly seat. He is not a politician but a workers’ leader of power looms and textile workers in Faisalabad, Pakistan’s third largest city.
The situation in France after the regional elections of March 2010
8 May 2010, byIn a situation where the crisis is deepening, the principal lessons of the regional elections which took place on 14 and 21 March, 2010 are the following: a massive level of abstention; a real electoral defeat for the government; the return of the National Front; and the disappointing results of the NPA.
The current state of the trade union movement in Kazakhstan
5 May 2010, byThe situation in the trade union movement in Kazakhstan is complex and quite difficult. The processes under way within the organizations and amongst the working masses are in many ways reminiscent of the changes taking place in Russia. In essence, there is no unified labor movement in the country. At the same time, the economic crisis, which has staggered many sectors of the economy, has stimulated the growth of a new trade union movement. The signs of this new movement have begun to emerge everywhere and are a cause for optimism.
Popular insurrection opens new page of history
5 May 2010, byThe Kyrgyz popular insurrection is a magnificent example of what the oppressed are capable of in overthrowing an autocracy. It has broken down one of the doors blocking social transformation. It has rendered more fragile private ownership of the means of production by putting pressure on the most significant swindlers at the moment — the Bakiyev family. It is both enormous and insufficient. In order for the revolution to grow into a social transformation, an emancipatory popular revolution, the people must construct their own forms of self-organisation, find a programme and equip themselves with a strategy.
Statement on the European crisis
3 May 2010A statement signed by 36 organisations from the radical anti-capitalist left in Europe resolves to organize European solidarity activities again cuts and capitalist attacks, affirming that a victory for Greek workers will strengthen resistance to the cuts elsewhere.
Fiscal crisis or a crisis of distribution?
30 April 2010, byWe are in a new episode of the global crisis: the struggle to distribute the costs of the crisis. This crisis has been an outcome of increased exploitation and inequality, since the post-1980s across the globe. Neoliberalism tried to solve the crisis of the golden age of capitalism via a major attack on workers. The outcome was a dramatic decline in worker’s bargaining power and labor’s share in income across the globe in the post-1980s.
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