(en) Britain, SchNEWS #857 - excerpts: ACCIDENT & EMPLOYABILITY + Interview with a Ukrainian Anarchist

ACCIDENT & EMPLOYABILITY ---- In October last year a SolFed initiative was launched called 
"Brighton Hospitality Workers" targeting caf? employees to give them more rights within 
the workplace. With a gathering of workers from most sectors, there is a true act of 
solidarity as everyone gets to work when one of the members is in crisis. ---- Actions 
range from peaceful pickets to legal action against all corruptbusinesses hoping to make 
an extra buck by cutting corners.--- Their first meeting was in December and had a vision 
of talking over issues (regardless of how minor). A more detailed input of Brighton 
Hospitality Workers in the past can be found on one of our earlier articles. ---- So far 
they have managed to get ?1000 of claims and entitled pay for their mock union members and 
more actions are still proceeding. With now a total of 50 members and weekly stalls, some 
would say that they are having enough success to start up an Unemployable Workers Union...
http://www.schnews.org.uk/stories/Accident-and-EmployabilityCRIMEA RIVER

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======= Interview with a Ukrainian Anarchist =======

With the Euromaidan protests in Kiev escalating into the ousting of a president
and a Russian invasion/declaration of independence in the Crimea, SchNEWS
interviewed a member of Ukrainian student anarchist group DIRECT ACTION.

Firstly what's the situation now in Kiev?

Right now in Kiev everything's quiet, the new government has successfully
established itself. It was very unpopular at the beginning but the Russian
intervention in Crimea has changed everything, and now most critics have decided
to support "their" government however bad it is. The police are patrolling the
streets together with the Maidan self-defence units, and it has been announced
that they [the units] may be somehow merged into the police forces.

What are the anarchists and leftists doing at the moment? What kind of projects
are you active in?

Most anarchists and leftists have returned to criticizing the new government,
the wave of patriotism and the austerity measures they are trying to push
through. In one way or another different groups are trying to promote the
social-economic agenda which has been strikingly absent in the protests so far.
We are talking about resisting the austerity, demanding free public transit,
opening all the raw data in the books of public offices etc.

Is the Ukrainian far right stronger after victory at Maidan? Do you experience
more problems from neo-Nazi and fascist groups than before? We hear a lot of
stuff in the news about the far-right taking over the government in Ukraine-
what is the real situation?

Yes, the far right will definitely now become stronger. They have successfully
forced their way into "respectable" politics now. Also, they will be much more
threatening in the streets. I'm not sure they will give up axes and bats and
return to gas sprays as their weapon of choice now. So, yes, the left will be
hard-pressed in the streets - especially given that many Nazis are eager to
infiltrate the police forces. So, we'll have fascists in the cop uniform.

How can anarchists and anti-fascists in different countries support your
efforts?

Right now the biggest threat to the left is the Russian invasion. Even if it
stops on Crimea, it is a very powerful factor of consolidation around the
government. Many people say that they won't criticize the government, that
everybody should support it right now. So, obviously, the patriotism stirred by
the invasion is playing into the hands of the ruling class. The left forces
abroad should condemn the war and show solidarity with Ukrainian workers, and
not the nationalist and neoliberal government. We can fight our local nazis, but
Putin's "protection" will be much worse.

Do you think civil war or war with Russia are going to happen or is it still
possible to avoid it?

We all hope this can be avoided, of course. I personally think it is unthinkable
to have a full-fledged military conflict on a large territory in the centre of
Europe with 15 atomic reactors and a bunch of strategic energy routes. It's much
worse than Yugoslavia which wasn't so important from strategic point of view. I
think that under the most likely scenario Russian troops will stay in Crimea and
it will be an unrecognized semi-independent territory, like Abkhazia in Georgia
- at least that's Putin's strategy now.

http://www.schnews.org.uk/stories/CRIMEA-RIVER