Interview No 2

TYNESIDE ANARCHIST ARCHIVE

It can be quite a thankless task creating & running an archive, to some…why bother with the past when there is too much happening now and to come. At times it is disheartening when you put so much effort into discovering/preserving/showcasing, and sharing OUR history, especially a local archive such as ours – where you get more support and acknowledgement from such far flung countries as Romania, Argentina, Chile, Brazil, & Spain etc than from our very own doorstep. But, as ever we persevere, after all its why we exist, so you can imagine our humble delight when we received another interview and interest in what we do, this time from Arizona, USA………

What was the impetus for creating this archive? (Also, curious to know if anyone involved had experience with archival work, professionally or not when deciding to take on this project)

No experience whatsoever, other than a desire…

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Red and Black Telly roundup:

TAKE ACTION ON MAYDAY TO DEMAND EMPTY HOMES ARE OPENED!

Focus E15 Campaign

Following our online meeting with Moms 4 Housing, Focus E15 have decided to call for action on Friday 1st May, in the form of creating and displaying banners to demand that empty homes are opened because housing should be a human right.

Get creative and make your banner – walk down the street with it, hang it out a window, whatever you prefer. But make sure to take a picture and hashtag: #OpenEmptyHomes and #HousingIsAHumanRight

Our friends and comrades in the USA and around the world will also be doing action to highlight the same message. Follow Moms4Housing here: https://moms4housing.org/

Remember to check out the Moms4Housing meeting podcast: https://focuse15.org/2020/04/26/moms4housing-webinar-released/

Give solidarity, take action this Mayday!

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Global struggles against the Covid-19 regime – Early April

Angry Workers of the World

A short summary of global Covid-19 struggles – 1st to 14th April 2020

First off, we have to admit the rather random character of such summaries, as the amount of strikes, riots, protests has been massive. Rather than pretending to present a complete picture, we want to make a few points, illustrated by examples. We call internationalist comrades to take part in our collective effort to share information about these struggles – beyond the headlines – in order to be able to support them:

http://www.feverstruggle.net

1) The ruling class knows what’s at stake

In a Bloomberg article, a commentator alleges that the current peak-period of the Covid-19 pandemic might see a temporary lull in protests in regions which have witnessed fierce protest movements (Sudan, Chile, Iraq, etc.). After this lull the economic impact of the pandemic, which, according to the ILO will result in severe cuts in the income of…

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INTERVIEW

TYNESIDE ANARCHIST ARCHIVE

Interview – ‘in which we invariably blow our own trumpet’ so to speak…

Not often we do, but a young American comrade interviewed us recently for something or other that she is writing, so we thought we would share….

1. How and when was your archive established?

The creation of group anarchist libraries for self, as opposed to state education, was happening with local anarchists in 1907,with the Tyneside Anarchist Federation of the late 1960’s early 1970’s, with the Newcastle Anarchist Group in the early 1980’s, and Tyneside Class War in the late 1980’s and early 1990’s. The Tyneside Class War library of 1990 eventually evolved into Tyneside Anarchist Archive that we are today. Continuing the tradition, we also have Newcastle’s Canny Little Library based at a local cinema / social centre space.

1. Why did you want to preserve local anarchist history?

Apart from it being a particularly personal passion, OUR…

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The Perception of Work Post-Lockdown

Bristol Care Workers Network

One unavoidable theme running throughout the current pandemic is the important role of key workers in keeping our communities running and healthy. This includes paid work, but also the unseen work that is rarely highlighted, but equally important, such as the work that we put into looking after our families, our friends, neighbours and even the work that we have to put into ourselves to keep going. I am interested on how we can build upon some of these common themes to start challenging the deeply ingrained ideas of what skilled and important work is.

How can we turn well meaning platitudes like clapping NHS and Care workers into an action that fights for the wider rights of all paid and unpaid workers whose roles are currently undervalued economically and socially? How can we destroy the idea that the salary of the “work” we do is representative of not only…

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Moms4Housing webinar released

Focus E15 Campaign

On Sunday 19 April 2020 Focus E15 campaign in Britain and Moms4Housing in the USA organised  an online webinar to discuss tactics during the Covid19 pandemic. Focus E15 campaign have edited the audio and are releasing it as a podcast which you can find below. During the meeting attention was turned towards ways to take action on May 1st to mark international workers day and to take our campaigns for decent long term secure housing onto the streets.

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Remember on International Workers Memorial Day but also organise for a new economy

Freedom news

Photo: Guy Smallman

Apr 28th

Today is International Workers Memorial Day, a time to think about workers that have been killed by capitalism. When people die at work it is very rare that anyone is held responsible. Often workers die because they haven’t been provided with the right protective equipment or training.

This is very clear when it comes to the deaths of essential workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. The UK government has totally failed to protect the NHS and social care workers. A week ago reports showed that more than 100 healthcare workers had died of the virus so far. We must remember also the bus drivers, lorry drivers, shop assistants and other workers who have been killed by the virus.

The scale of this could have been avoided and the government failed in their oft-mentioned and so-called primary objective of protecting the public. The prime minister gave a speech outside No 10 yesterday to say nothing other than he was back. He should have apologised, resigned and handed himself over for trial.

As our understanding of the virus increases, links emerge to meat production and consumption. As humans increasingly alter the habitats of other species they increasingly risk contracting viruses that can leap from animals to humans. There needs to be a local and a global reaction to this pandemic. Locally we must hold the politicians who have made this a disaster accountable for their actions and lack of action. Globally it is capitalism that remains the driving force for all our ills.

Capitalism, however, is on its knees. In the UK we are seeing Tory politicians fretting about the economy because of the lockdown. They are demanding that parts of it open and open up soon. They are terrified of the consequences of not doing so. Meanwhile, we see essential work continue and mutual aid plug the gaps. We know that there will be a new normal; could mutual aid be a feature of that.

We cannot go back to the old normal. Capitalism, with its push for profit and growth at all costs leads to a battle for resources which in turns pushes war and climate change. The virus pandemic is a chance to stop and think. A chance for the Earth to breathe. We can forge new relationships with each other, with other animals and with our planet. Any new economy should prepare the world for future pandemics and accept that such action is an investment that will save future lives.

This new economy should be based on essential work and mutual aid. Getting food to people, getting them healthcare, providing shelter. Capitalism has had its day if we decide to let it die. The free market is not a viable system if we all wish to survive. Instead of a system that takes our labour and gives the shareholders a fortune for doing nothing we need a system that values essential work and makes it pay for everyone.

When we are told the lockdown is over they will also get around to telling us how they intend to make us pay for it. Too many people have died from this man-made disaster to allow them to tell us how it’s going to be. Those days need to pass. We must honour the dead workers and vow to end the system that placed them in danger.

Jon Bigger

IMPORTANT- FAO IWGB members affected by Furlough at University of London

Independent Workers Union of Great Britain - Universities of London Branch

This is a message from IWGB about the UK government furlough scheme. The University has confirmed that it is intending to put 47 staff who are not able to work at the moment on ‘furlough’. All this means is that the University is applying for government assistance to pay these people’s wages during the COVID-19 lockdown. It should not mean any difference in pay or terms and conditions.

This only applies to you if you receive a letter or a message from the University telling you that you have been selected for the furlough scheme. If you do not receive such a letter it does not apply to you.

IWGB reps have reviewed the letter and sent feedback to the University. We are advising our members that they can accept being put on the scheme, but that you should use the following wording in your reply to the University:

“I…

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Some thoughts on the Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) crisis

I would have left Piers Morgan out of it as his supporters are going to be arseholes.