Anarchic update news all over the world - 11.01.2019

Today's Topics:

   
1.  Britain, solfed: Top executives earn more in 3 days than
      most of us earn in a year! (a-infos-en@ainfos.ca)
   
2.  anarkismo.net: The people's movement desperately needs
      working class solidarity by Zaher Baher (a-infos-en@ainfos.ca)
   
3.  Britain, anarchistcommunist group ACG: Switch off the Iron!
      (a-infos-en@ainfos.ca)
   
4.  US, black rose fed: MIAMI AGAINST BOLSONARO, IN SOLIDARITY
      WITH BRAZIL (a-infos-en@ainfos.ca)
  
 5.  bangladesh a-s federation: Garment workers, demanding a pay
      rise, block the Uttara road in Dhaka on Sunday, January 6, 2019
      (a-infos-en@ainfos.ca)
   
6.  leuven ag: Get to know your local anarchists 13/02 (nl)
      (a-infos-en@ainfos.ca)


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Message: 1




Calculations by the High Pay Centre thinktank and the professional HR body the Chartered 
Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) show top executives are earning 133 times 
more than the average worker, at a rate of around £1,020 per hour or £3.9m annually. 
That's up 11% compared to a year earlier. ---- It means CEOs working average 12-hour days 
would only have to clock in for 29 hours in 2019 to earn the median £29,574 of British 
staff. ---- Predictably union leaders have rushed to condemn the news.  The GMB's general 
secretary, Tim Roache, said: "It's sickening. Three days into the year and fat cat bosses 
have already made what average workers will earn all year." Frances O'Grady, the general 
secretary of the Trades Union Congress, also slammed "greedy executives" she said were 
"taking more than they've earned.....Too much wealth is being hoarded at the top," she 
said, adding that reforms were needed to bring executive pay "back down to earth".

More to the point is what union leaders, who head a 6 million trade union movement are 
doing about growing obscene inequality....not a lot!!

http://www.solfed.org.uk/manchester/top-executives-earn-more-in-3-days-than-most-of-us-earn-in-a-year

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Message: 2






This article is about the lack of working class' support to the people's movement. It 
analyses the current situation that surrounds working class and the factors that may 
contribute in weakening it almost everywhere. In the meantime the article considers the 
rule of working class as essential and crucial in prevailing any movement or any uprising. 
---- The people's movement desperately needs working class solidarity ---- For the last 
four decades we have seen either no support or very little from the working class, 
especially the industrialised sections and big companies to people's movement. ---- It is 
easy to see this phenomenon in the Iranian green movement in June 2008, last year, 2018, 
and in the countries of the "Arab spring". We have seen it too In Jordan, Bahrain, in 
Turkey's Taksim Gezi Park in 2013, in France in 2005 and in whole parts of Iraq including 
Kurdistan since 2005 until the most recent protests and demonstrations in Basra in July 
and September of 2018. There was also no lack of protests in parts of the former communist 
bloc and, more obviously and importantly, was the very recent movement of Yellow Vests 
protesters in France.
Advanced technologies and globalisation developed the quantity and quality of the working 
class, at least in industrialised countries, in this century, and were supposed to take us 
towards the socialist revolution or at least supporting the movements I mentioned above. 
Alas what we have seen for the last four decades is not enough support offered. I noted 
the current industrial condition, advanced technologies and globalisation as developments 
which were supposed to be some sort of preparation for the revolution.
So, the problem here is not just that the revolution has not happened but also the 
working-class movement in most of the countries does not exist. The current situation of 
the working class extended to the level of keeping its distance from the people's 
movement. With all the above factors, why is there still no revolution? I am not trying to 
answer the question as I have touched on it in my previous articles. However, here I try 
to analyse the situation that surrounds the working class to show some facts according to 
my knowledge and experience.
I believe the current attitude of the working class that is not offering solidarity to the 
people's movement is strongly connected with globalisation. It is very clear that since 
the expansion and strengthening of globalisation and which has reached more countries, the 
working class has become weaker and weaker.
So when did globalisation begin? In other words, when did the working class become weaker 
and weaker?
There is no a broad agreement between economists and historians about the commencement of 
globalisation. Some of them think it began in the nineteenth century. Others suggest the 
16th and 17th centuries when, firstly, the Portuguese and Spanish and, later, the Dutch 
and British Empires started colonizing countries. They believe it began in the 17th 
century following the establishment of the first multinational corporation called the 
British East India Company, founded in 1600.
However, many scholars agree that modern globalisation started after the 2nd World War 
when Industrialization allowed for the cheap production of household items that, more or 
less, developed the economy a step further.
After the 2nd world war capitalism stepped into a new period and helped globalisation. 
This was the beginning of the founding of several international institutions based in the 
United States and Europe including the United Nations, General Agreement on Tariffs and 
Trade (GATT), North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), World Trade Organization (WTO), 
finally, the European Union (EU). All have been facilitated by advances in technology 
which have reduced the costs of trade, eliminating or reducing tariffs and barriers and 
the creation of free trade zones.
The worldwide exchange of new developments in science, technology, products and mass 
media, alongside the development and growth of international transport, telecommunications 
and electronic communication played a decisive role in modern globalization.
Why did globalisation make the working class passive instead of active?
The points I mentioned above both advantage and disadvantage the working class. In my 
opinion they benefited capital and capitalism more than the working class.
In answering the above question, I will refer to a couple of important factors. Firstly, 
modern globalisation changed the entire structure of the working class wherever it 
reached. What remained common between sections of the working class were just the name and 
selling their physical or intellectual labour and nothing more. We can see this phenomenon 
in the United Kingdom (UK) very clearly. It has divided the working class into different 
categories with different terms and conditions of work. No longer is there working-class 
unity even in the same company, factory, supermarket, hospital or local authority when so 
many different sections have been set up; IT, production department, marketing and sales, 
advertising, Human Resources, administration, retail cashiers, porters, cleaners and 
buildings and services maintenance. Workers and others have different job descriptions, 
terms and conditions of work and salaries. This is the reason why we hardly ever see 
workers and staff in a company or other place of work unite to strike together in support 
of a particular section of their colleagues.
There is no doubt that these divisions have played a big role as workers, in even a small 
company, can be spread over different unions. One might say anti-union law in the UK made 
workers passive. In fact had the workers been strong, united and engaged in serious action 
when Mrs Thatcher, the then Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, implemented the 
anti-union law, she would not have succeeded. She did because the working class was weak, 
divided, demoralised and became strangers to themselves with the help of the unions and 
Labour Party.
The history of the working class in the 18th, 19th and even the first half of the 20th 
century shows that the working class was more active and united at the time. This was 
because, at that time, capitalism was relatively undeveloped and modern globalisation did 
not exist. With advanced technologies and a good quality and quantity of working class, 
many revolutionary leaders, including Karl Marx, believed was sufficient conditions 
existed for the revolution to take place. So why did this not happen? I leave the answer 
for the readers themselves.
Secondly, globalisation created additional developments, including more middle managers 
and robots and growing sectors in retail, travel and tourism and leisure and hospitality. 
Reports estimate that over 26% of the UK workforce are employed in these sectors. 
According to a recent Trade Union Congress report, only about 2.6 million people across 
the UK work in manufacturing. Manufacturing has become a smaller part of the UK economy 
since the 1970s. Furthermore globalisation has created mass unemployment, a huge number of 
refugees, migrants, poor people and workers on low or very low wages with no security. 
Almost everywhere, and not just in Europe, the United States and other developed, 
industrialised countries, globalisation has pushed so many people to the very bottom of 
society, marginalising them.
The marginalised people, who I call proletarians, include the unemployed, pensioners, 
students, single parents whether working or on benefits, the disabled and people with 
special needs, people on benefits, some small self-employed and, of course, workers. The 
vast majority live in poverty and some of them in absolute poverty. We can find many 
countries in different parts of the world where almost half of the population earn only $1 
or $2 a day. These people, economically, socially and financially, are much worse off than 
workers who have got a, more or less, better-paid, stable job and most of them live in 
secure accommodation. We can see that, everywhere, proletarians are the vast majority. 
They are the people whose lives deteriorate day by day and they are struggling. They 
suffer a lot and are between a slow death and a struggle to survive. Luckily, many of them 
go for a different choice and struggle against the state and system. While the vast 
majority of people in any country are proletarians, I believe that either there is no 
revolution or it will be a social revolution, a people's revolution and not just a working 
class revolution.
Having said that, it does not mean that the working class has little role in the socialist 
revolution. In fact, without involving the working class whose participation and 
solidarity are essential, either the movement or uprising can be transformed into civil 
war, dominated by fundamentalist right wing groups, or contained by authoritarian Islamic 
groups as we have seen during the "Arab Spring" or takes so long leaving people tired, 
disappointed, demoralised and defeated by the state.
Related Link: http://Zaherbaher.com

https://www.anarkismo.net/article/31254

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Message: 3





"An icon of social division and corporate greed" -- John Edwards of Speak Out Woolwich 
---- Campaigners are fighting to stop the construction of a skyscraper in the shape of a 
flat iron in Woolwich. The 27 story tower is the scheme of the property developer Meyer 
Homes and the tower would include 206 flats all for private sale and NO SOCIAL HOUSING. 
---- Greenwich Council, controlled by Labour, has already approved a 245 homes scheme with 
no social housing in Abbey Wood, and another in Woolwich with 300 homes and only 6% social 
housing. Labour is just as much to blame as the Tories for the spiralling housing crisis 
with more and more people being made homeless. The previous Labour leader of Greenwich 
Council, Chris Roberts, is now a lobbyist for developers and under his leadership many 
property developer-friendly decisions were made. On top of that the tower will block the 
light from many homes and overshadow General Gordon Square in the centre of Woolwich and 
would increase the demand for parking spaces. Under pressure from local group, Speak Out 
Woolwich, the council rejected the proposal from Meyer Homes.

Meyer Homes will now appeal to a planning inspector to overturn the decision.  Meanwhile 
in nearby Lewisham, Meyer Homes has plans for a 34 story block. This was rejected by 
Lewisham Council. Meyer Homes then submitted a slightly modified new proposal whilst at 
the same time appealing to planning inspectors about the original scheme. Local residents 
are mobilising against this. Meyer Homes must be strenuously confronted by local people in 
both Woolwich and Lewisham. The ongoing devastatating attacks on the London working class 
must be halted.

https://www.anarchistcommunism.org/2019/01/04/switch-off-the-iron/

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Message: 4






Image: The crowd marches towards Banco do Brasil on Brickell Ave, a wealthy enclave of 
banks, embassies and corporate offices in downtown Miami. All photos by BRRN-Miami. ---- 
On the evening of Friday, January 4 left groups in Miami gathered in protest of the 
inauguration of the new global face of reaction, Jair Bolsonaro of Brazil. A crowd of over 
30 gathered at the Torch of Friendship, practicing chants in Portuguese and with members 
of the supporting organizations, BRRN-Miami, Miami DSA and One Struggle giving brief 
speeches on the need to oppose Bolsonaro and stand in solidarity with the people and 
social movements of Brazil. ---- The march proceeded over a mile chanting anti-Bolsonaro 
slogans as it proceeded down Brickell Ave, a wealthy enclave of banks, embassies and 
corporate offices in downtown Miami. Brickell Ave is also home (or second home) to many 
wealthy Brazilian oligarchs whose wealth has helped fuel the process of gentrification and 
displacement in Miami. The march then stopped at Banco do Brasil, a Brazilian state owned 
bank, where participants chalked over a 100 different anti-Bolsonaro slogans on the 
sidewalk and cement surrounding the entrance and sang an anti-Bolsonaro version of "Bella 
Ciao" as well as in Spanish.

Below is the statement of march organizers BRRN-Miami and photos of the protest.

Why Are We Marching:
Jair Bolsonaro was officially inaugurated as Brazil's president on January 1st, pledging 
to "liberate" the country from "socialism." Bolsonaro came to power by embracing overt 
misogyny, racism, homophobia, and transphobia. His supporters have harassed or attacked 
organizers and journalists, and Bolsonaro has expressed fascist values.

But his rise to power is just a symptom of the twin evils of capitalism and 
authoritarianism. Bolsonaro represents a coalition including investors who want to slash 
education, pensions, and other basic services, and supporters of Brazil's former military 
dictatorship who would give police and the military free rein even as their violence 
increasingly targets working-class women of color- as seen in the extrajudicial killing of 
queer socialist and feminist Marielle Franco in Rio in March 2018.

We march tonight to show our opposition to everything Bolsonaro represents, and the system 
that gave birth to him. We march to defend the people of Brazil and the world from 
indigenous folx who've been threatened with genocide and replacement to the LGBTQ 
Community whose livelihoods and dignity have been under siege by this President's words 
and actions for decades. We march because this is also a local issue, with gentrification 
in Miami being partially fueled by money from corrupt politicians and investors who 
support Bolsonaro.

We march to build an international and internationalist movement from below to combat 
fascism, to build a new world - a world where people collectively control their own 
workplaces, communities and land and where all basic needs are met. A world where power 
and participation flow from the bottom upwards and society is organized for people's 
aspirations, passions, and needs rather than profit, white supremacy and racial 
domination, patriarchy, or imperialism; and where we live sustainably with the planet.

For more back ground on the situation in Brazil and analysis we recommend "The Claws of 
Empire, the Rise of Fascism: Brazilian Anarchist Statement on Bolsonaro" and "Dispatch on 
Brazil: Interview with Hugo Souza." Additional content on Brazil here.

Singing "Bella Ciao," the anti-Bolsonaro Portuguese version and in Spanish. See video below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=2&v=-9O91aH5rzw

http://blackrosefed.org/miami-against-bolsonaro-solidarity-brazil

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Message: 5





The roadblock created serious traffic on either side of the road, causing it to eventually 
spread to the airport ---- The garment workers, who were blocking the road in the city's 
Uttara area since morning, withdrew the blockage in the afternoon. ---- Vehicular movement 
on the Uttara road in Abdullahpur area became normal after the agitated workers moved away 
from street around 2pm on Sunday. ---- They took to the streets around 9am and blocked the 
road for various demands including salary hike. ---- The roadblock created serious traffic 
congestions on either side of the road, causing it to eventually spread up to the airport. 
---- The traffic jam that ensued was seen to cause severe hindrance to people going to 
work on time. ---- A large number of police personnel were deployed in the area to bring 
the situation under control.

The apparel workers demanded minimum wage of Tk16,000 with Tk10,000 as basic salary.Some 
of their other demands include -workers cannot be sacked by factory owners at any time 
without proper reason and around 51% salary boost for the older employees who had been 
working as helpers in the factories.

On the other hand, from the owner side, A.K. Fazlul Haque, the chairman of Versatile 
Apparel Private Ltd, told journalists: "We will talk to the people concerned in the 
Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association(BGMEA) about the demands and 
act accordingly."

DMP's Uttara Division Deputy Commissioner Navid Kamal Shoibal told reporters that the 
workers moved away from the road around 2pm based the assurances provided by owners.

Following the withdrawal of the blockage, traffic on the road became normal, he added.

http://www.bangladeshasf.org/news/garment-workers-demanding-a-pay-rise-block-the-uttara-road-in-dhaka-on-sunday-january-6-2019/

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Message: 6





Curious to find out what anarchism means for us in our daily lives? Do you want to meet 
like-minded people? Or do you just think we are nice people that you want to get to know 
better?
Then this is the perfect opportunity!
On the 13th of February we'll have a drink together in order to have a discussion or just 
talk a bit in a relaxed atmosphere. Feel free to come by! We'll be at pub De Reynaert from 
7:30pm onwards.
(Frederik Lintstraat 162, Leuven)
https://leuvenag.noblogs.org/post/2019/01/07/get-to-know-your-local-anarchists-13-02/

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