syndicalism
Syndicalism: What It Is
Brief explanatory article by Gaylord Wilshire (1861-1927). Known as the "millionare socialist", Wilshire served as emergency editor of The Syndicalist and was a friend of Emma Goldman
SYNDICALISM: WHAT IT IS
by Gaylord Wilshire
Emergency Editor of April and May 1913 numbers of "The Syndicalist" during the imprisonment of Guy Bowman
Price: One Penny / Two Cents
syndicalism
Syndicalism is from the French word for trade unionism. In English syndicalism refers to the theory and practice of rank-and-file unionism, where decisions are made from the bottom-up.
It includes revolutionary currents such as those practised by the IWW union, which would see the syndicalist union take over the running of society, and anarcho-syndicalism, see above.
Principles of Syndicalism - Tom Brown
Written by the well known activist and propagandist Tom Brown, the article explains clearly the principles according to which syndicalist unions organise, and the new society they aim to create "within the shell of the old".
This simple introduction to syndicalism, workers control and libertarian communism originally appeared as a series of articles in War Commentary for Anarchism in 1943.
Contents
1. Not Centralism - But Federalism
2. Economic Federalism
3. Abolition Of The Wages System
4. The End Of The Money Trick
5. To Each According To His[/Her] Needs
6. Workers' Control of Distribution
Anarcho-syndicalism - an introduction
A short explanation of anarcho-syndicalism and notes on its history.
Anarcho-syndicalism, or anarchosyndicalism, is one of the major forms of social anarchism. The idea behind anarcho-syndicalism is to create an industrial workers' union movement based on anarchist ideas. They therefore advocate decentralised, federated unions that use direct action to get reforms under capitalism until they are strong enough to overthrow it.
1816-1939: Syndicalism in South Africa
A short history of radical trade unionism, class struggle and race in Southern Africa in the 19th and 20th centuries.
The Industrial Workers of the World (IWW), and the ideas, goals and organisational
practices for which it stood, had an important influence on the early labour
movement and radical press in South Africa. It also had an impact on neighbouring
Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
1917-1921: The Industrial Workers of Africa
The history of four years of the revolutionary multi-racial union in South Africa, the Industrial Workers of Africa, and the labour movement at the time.
"Fight for Africa, which you deserve"
Johannesburg, South Africa. May 1918. A group of African workers, and a handful of white radicals, meet in a small room behind a general store on the corner of Fox and McLaren streets, as they have done on a weekly basis for over a year. Several new faces are present, so Rueben Cetiwe, a key African militant, outlines the purpose of the gathering:
1895-1921: The CGT, France
A history of the anarchist origins of the largest trade union in France and the development and decline of revolutionary ideas and practice within it.
Revolutionary Syndicalism in the French CGT
1920: The Chilean "White Terror"
An account of a wave of suppression which swept the Chilean workers' movement in the summer of 1920.
1912: The syndicalist trials
A short history of the trials and legal repression of radical trade unionists in the UK in the early twentieth century.
The relatively high degree of political liberty which was enjoyed during the first decade of the twentieth century in this country was the result of the continuous struggle which radicals and reformists had waged against their rulers for a century and a half.
"Tom Brown's Syndicalism" review
This review came from Black Flag in 1991.
The French Stay in Strikes of 1934-36
The French stay-in strikes (1934-36)
1968-1971: The League of Revolutionary Black Workers - A.Muhammad Ahmad
A short history of the League of Revolutionary Black Workers - a radical union of black auto workers. The articles includes other information about the car industry, race and struggle from 1910 onwards.
THE LEAGUE OF REVOLUTIONARY BLACK WORKERS (A HISTORICAL STUDY)
(By A.Muhammad Ahmad)
INTRODUCTION
1912: The Miners' Next Step
A document produced in 1912 by the South Wales Miners Federation, which was one of the high points of syndicalist organising in the UK.
Being a suggested scheme for the Reorganisation of the Federation.
Issued by the Unofficial Reform Committee, Tonypandy, 1912
