Free Events.

 

          If you are in and around Glasgow on the dates on the poster below, it would be well worth paying a visit to the Electron Club CCA 350 Sauchiehall Street Glasgow. There will be a very interesting series of events, See the poster below. talks/discussion/information/ and all the events are free. Glasgow's Spirit of Revolt will be there, Hope to see you there.

Visit ann arky at htps://spiritofrevolt.info  

Our Time.

 

                                             Image courtesy of The Mirror.

            The capitalist system is in crisis and it is relying on its minder the state apparatus to come to its aid. As the insane economics of the capitalist system tries to re-capitalise by squeezing the workers and ordinary people, the workers are resisting by strike action and other means. The state’s part in this domination of the people for profit is to create legislation to make strike action more difficult or impossible. The present members of The Westminster Houses of Hypocrisy and Corruption are doing their capitalist master bidding and are drawing up draconian anti strike laws. This should be a rallying call for all ordinary people in work or not, to get behind the strikers and organise in their communities and workplaces and make this new legislation unworkable, this is not a struggle between workers and employers, this is a struggle for a decent life for all. We have had centuries of exploitation and struggle for a decent life while watching the rich get richer. Our world today is controlled by billionaires drunk on their greed driven profit seeking mania and a cavalier attitude to the suffering of others. The only voice that the establishment should hear is the rallying call from the ordinary people, enough is enough, our time has come.

                                                     Image courtesy of CNN

 

Image courtesy of Market Watch.

 

Visit ann arky's home at https://spiritofrevolt.info

Ne'erday.

 

         Winter Solstice just gone past and ne'erday  galloping towards us, I thought it would be a good time to wish all my relatives, friends, comrades, associates and strikers, all the very best in the coming year. Hoping it is a year of solidarity and mass activity to right the wrongs in this capitalist system by bring an end to it and its greed driven exploitation.

Image courtesy of my young comrade Adrian.

Visit ann arky's home at https://spiritofrevolt.info  

Disrupt.

 

 

Image courtesy of Youtube.

  

          This so called democratic system we live under is stinking rotten to the core. Our lives are shaped by corruption, self seeking power mongers, authoritarianism, and that deadly virus patriotism, all this officiated over by funny people in funny clothes. This seemingly invincible edifice to power, privilege and wealth, is vulnerable in so many ways. We can attack the system in so many ways from disturbing the placid followers of the system as they blissfully ignore the real world around them. Its lines of communication are vulnerable, strikes can disrupt its flow of money to the parasites, Go slow working to rule rule can play havoc with their production of crap for sale to the gullible public. If we wish to rid ourselves of this cancerous exploitative, greed drive system, we have to use every means at our disposal, just as the system uses ever means at its disposal to control and intimidate the population into a homogeneous placid obedient mass.

 

 

Image courtesy of The Guardian.

 

The following from Anarchist News.

Via Inferno Urbano Translated by Act for freedom now!

         Interruption of a performance at Teatro Argentina in solidarity with the imprisoned anarchists on hunger strike against 41bis (Rome 26th November 2022)
         Today, 26th November 2022, the play ‘Hamlet’ was interrupted at Teatro Argentina in Rome. In spite of the fact that the theatre workers turned into a real security line-up to protect the bosses’ interests, we determinedly managed to get on stage and unfurl a banner that read “Something is rotten in Italy: NO to 41 bis”, throw leaflets and read part of the communique which we are reproducing in full here below:
         We are here because Alfredo Cospito is under 41 bis. 41 bis is a prison regime specifically designed to annihilate the individual. We are here because Alfredo has been on hunger strike for over a month. We are not here to cry over an injustice suffered by our anarchist comrade, because it is not such. Just as it is not a legal aberration. It is the logical reaction of the democratic State to the attacks launched by Alfredo. First physical, with the wounding of the bureaucrat Adinolfi, at the time CEO of Ansaldo Nucleare, for which he has finished serving the time he was sentenced to.
           Then in the words through which he contributed to the debates of the anarchist movement while in high security detention. 41 bis to Alfredo is not just revenge, is also the will to take away the word. Because the word, when it does not remain a mere rhetorical exercise, is a weapon.
           Alfredo has been on hunger strike for over a month to obtain his reclassification and against life imprisonment without parole.
           He has been joined by the anarchist prisoners Juan Sorroche, Ivan Alocco and Anna Beniamino. They are using the hunger strike because in the condition of isolation in which they find themselves it is perhaps the only form of struggle available to them. With strength and courage they are risking their safety, their lives… while you are sitting here watching a sham and do not realise that everything is such. Every day something is taken from you, for the time being, it does not affect you and so you look the other way. Blinded by your privileges you think that democracy is the best possible system and you look indignantly at exotic nations where people are being trampled on. You want truth and justice for Giulio Regeni and don’t give a damn about the 14 deaths in prison on the 8th of March 2020 by Italian democracy. You don’t give a damn about the 80 prison suicides from January to today. You don’t give a damn about the migrant concentration camps scattered around the Bel paese.
           We have not come to sensitise you. If you are sleeping soundly… we will spoil your entertainment.

Let’s break the social peace in which you are basking.

Death to the State!
Long live Anarchy!

 

 Visit ann arky's home at https://spiritofrevolt.info 

Keelie 36.

 

          Once again the Glasgow Keelie hits the streets, a new issue another power packed free paper to get you to join the protests to protect or living standards and change society for the better for all of us. Issue 36 of The Glasgow Keelie is out there, you'll find us on the streets, at protests and pickets, in pubs and cafes. Look out for it and grab your copy. You could join us and write a small article about the gripes you have about this greed driven society that heaps misery and poverty on millions of our people. Or you could collect a small bundle to distribute among you friends and workmates. You can contact us at https://glasgowkeelie.org/ and https://www.facebook.com/ClydesideRevolts

See you on the streets.

Visit ann arky's home at https://spiritofrevolt.info  

It's Time.

             You would imagine by now the ordinary people of this country and other countries, would have realised that no matter what authority was in power, they never have the interests of the ordinary people as an agenda. Without traveling too far from my home, history tells us we, the ordinary people, have to always struggle and fight for any semblances of having fairness and justice, and so often we have failed. Have a glimpse of our fair city's history
            Let's go back to 1787, Glasgow weaver strike for better conditions, The 39th Regiment of Foot, under the command of Colonel Kellet was sent. With them went the Lord Provost, the Sheriff-Substitute, a Magistrate and others intent on dispersing the weavers. The groups met at a spot near Drygate Bridge. The soldiers were ordered to open fire, 3 weavers were killed outright and three were mortally wounded. A considerable number were wounded. How many can only be guessed at. 

          15 February 1800: Unemployment and high taxes during this period caused wide spread demonstrations which culminated on the 15th. of February 1800 when angry and hungry crowds took to the streets. They marched along Argyle Street attacking meatsellers and grocers’ shops. Meanwhile vast crowds in the districts of Townhead and Calton were also smashing into similar types of shops. The authorities felt compelled to call out the troops to disperse the rioters. 

        1812 Weavers strike: 1812 saw in Scotland until that date. The weavers were on strike in an attempt to protect their living standards. The strike was on the whole a peaceful protest, though the Magistrates and the Government claimed otherwise in an attempt to become heavy handed with the strikers. The strike lasted three months and eventually run out of funds and collapsed. Because of this strike Trade Unionism was declared illegal in Scotland and remained so until 1824. Seven of the strikers were arrested and charged with 'illegal combination' and were each sentenced to 18 months in prison. 

          6th. March 1848: There was a serious riot in the city of Glasgow on the 6th of March 1848. It came about when the unemployed operatives had expected a distribution of provisions. The provisions never appeared and the starving and angry crowds set off up Irongate and other main streets of the city centre breaking into food and gun shops. Business in the city came to a stand-still and all city centre shops closed. The people continued to march through the streets shouting 'bread or revolution'. Eventually the 'riot act' was read. Other groups marched off in other directions entering food shops and demanding bread. The authorities, alarmed at the events sent to Edinburgh for more troops. The following day crowds again gathered at Bridgeton where 'out-pensioners' were under arms. A young boy threw an object at the troops and was arrested but the crowd stormed the arresting group and rescued the boy. Police Superintendent, Captain Smart gave the order to fire: five of the crowd were shot. The Military continued to patrol the streets and the crowd still lined the streets for some days. All public offices were securely guarded.

         1915 rent strike:  1915 saw Glasgow and Clydeside districts gripped by a massive grass roots movement against large rent increases imposed by landlords. Over 25,000 tenants refused to pay rent increases. The struggle spread to the Clydeside engineering workshops and shipyards, forcing the government to introduce the 1915 Rent Restriction Act. 

          Glasgow's Bloody Friday: In 1919 the struggle for a shorter working week came to a head with a strike which had the support of practically all the workers in the area. Marches and demonstrations were organised. One massive demonstration in George Square caused the authorities some concern and the police baton charged the crowd creating mayhem. The government fearing revolution sent English troops with tanks into the city. 

 

 

      Of course this is just a snapshot of the struggles of the ordinary people of our fair city, there were many, many more and this is typical of all countries across the globe. We can jump forward and today in the UK there are strikes by post workers,  bin collectors, railway workers, dock workers, warehouse workers office staff, and many many more groups, all struggling for a decent life, just as the weavers of 1787 tried. In all these years nothing has really changed. Surely now with all the continuing hardship, poverty destitution and our knowledge of the system, is the time to make that change and bring an end to a society based on profit for the few. Time to create that better world where, we see to all our people's needs, a world of mutual aid based on co-operation between communities freed form the greed driven profit motive. Workers, stay home and the system collapses.

 

Visit ann arky's home at https://spiritofrevolt.info  

World War 1, A Period Of Mutiny And Strikes.

     We are approaching what will be one gigantic propaganda exercise glorifying World War 1. The 100th anniversary of the start of that insane episode of human carnage is to be turned into a spectacle perpetuating that myth of British unity and patriotism. However, history tells a different story, 1914 to 1918 was a period of widespread industrial disputes and the “military campaign” was littered with rebellion among the troops. Forget that tale of the Xmas football match between opposing armies, there were mutinies popping up at regular intervals, among them the ÉtaplesMutiny 1917, even just after the war there was the Southampton Mutiny 1919. Then there was the British West Indies Regiment mutiny. This one highlights the arrogance and xenophobic attitude of the British ruling class. In the need for cannon-fodder it was suggested that their could be a black West Indies regiment, but that bulwark of British ruling class Lord Kitchener was of the opinion that black people should not be allowed into the armed forces. It was the intervention of King George V, probably realising that his empire was at stake and he needed that cannon-fodder, over ruled the noble lord.

     So the British West Indies Regiment was born, but at the front they were not to do the fighting and were unarmed. Their task was to load the weapons build the fences, load and unload vehicles, clean the toilets, in general be the general dog's body and do the white man's donkey work. On Armistice Day stationed at Taranto in Italy, they then found out that the white soldiers were give a pay rise but the black soldiers were not. This on top of the way they had been treated was the final straw and on December 6 1918 they attacked their officers. The mutiny lasted four days, the punishment handed out to some of those involved   varied from 3 to 5 years in prison, one man got 20 years, and one was executed, (murdered) by firing squad.

     The true history of World War 1 is a far cry from the bilge that will be poured out in the coming year by our lords and masters, who will wrap themselves in “the flag” and from their pampered and privileged background claim the horror, degradation and bloodshed, as a glorious episode in our history. And so that mythical history of the all patriotic hang-together loyal British public will get another coat of varnish. But we the people know the real history, we know the truth.

Vann arky's home at www.radicalglasgow.me.uk

 

CORPORATE OLYMPIC MONEY SPINNER.

         A recent headline really shows the arrogance of the millionaires in the Westminster Houses of Hypocrisy and Corruption, it states “Politicians condemn Olympic strike threat”. This is all about the leader of Unite Union, Len McCluskey, stating that there could be industrial action during the Olympics. His statement "I believe the unions, and the general community, have got every right to be out protesting. – If the Olympics provide us with an opportunity, then that's exactly one that we should be looking at." seemed to have hurt their sensitivities.

       Our elected politicians never miss an opportunity to “condemn” any protest, demonstration or industrial action taken by the ordinary people to try to defend themselves against the savage attack being hurtled at them by the said elected politicians.

      Why should we listen to them, the pay themselves excellent salaries and generous expenses, secure for themselves wonderful pensions, get all sorts of perks and not content with that, lots of them fiddle the system. While wallowing in their unearned grandeur they state that there is no alternative to “austerity”. Then they have have the audacity and arrogance to tell us to take what they throw at us and accept our poverty with humility.

       Because the corporate world wants to hold a mainly public funded extravaganza in the hope of making even more money, and remembering the most cities that hold the Olympics are bankrupted after the event, why should we see it as some sacred festival, and restrain ourselves from defending ourselves against facing a generation or more of poverty? When it comes to defending ourselves the last people we should listen to are the politicians. The last thing that will benefit the ordinary people is a world wide corporate event that will make millions for broadcasters like Sky and Virgin etc. make millions for sponsors, and cost us the public, millions. We need a National Health Service, we need an decent education system, we need pensions that give dignity to our elderly, we need nurseries, we need libraries and we need a host of social services, we do not need an Olympic corporate money spinner.

ann arky's home. 

ANOTHER ATTACK ON OUR PENSIONS.

        A bit later than I would have liked but their is so much justified unrest among the ordinary people it can't all be reported at once. The struggle is everywhere, the struggle is global.

Date: 20 January 2012

Usdaw, the union that represents workers at Unilever’s manufacturing sites in Leeds and Port Sunlight, has accused Unilever of ‘breathtaking complacency’ in its approach to the escalating pension dispute at the company.

The accusation comes on the day Usdaw members at Port Sunlight and Leeds begin a second round of 24 hour strikes as part of a 12 day rolling programme of action involving unions at all of Unilever’s 12 UK sites.

Picket lines will be in place from 6.00pm today at Port Sunlight and from 7.00pm today at Seacroft in Leeds.

The rolling programme of action was agreed by reps from Usdaw, Unite and the GMB, following Unilever’s refusal to reconvene talks on the future of the company’s final salary pension scheme, despite a first wave of strikes in early December.

David Johnson, Usdaw National Officer said:

“Unilever’s continuing intransigence and refusal to return to the negotiating table, coupled with its statement this week saying ‘it is currently not clear how the dispute will be resolved’ demonstrates a breathtaking complacency in its approach to the dispute.”

“Our members, and I’m sure every employee at the company, knows that the dispute will only be resolved around the negotiating table and the sooner Unilever wise up to this fact the sooner this escalating and damaging dispute will end.”

“The apparent indifference of the company to the impact of the dispute has angered our members to the extent that they are now pushing for much longer and more frequent industrial action to maximise the financial and operational impact on the company.”

“Unilever’s customers, shareholders and other stakeholders could be forgiven for thinking that the company cares less for its employees and its corporate reputation than it does for one of its brands of soap powder or deodorant.”

Usdaw represents workers at Unilever’s manufacturing facilities at Port Sunlight in Wirral and Seacroft in Leeds. The union also has a small number of members at Unilever’s Research and Development facility in Port Sunlight and at the company’s factory in Warrington.

1. Unilever closed its final salary pension scheme to new members in 2008, but promised the 5,000 existing members that this would make the scheme safe for the future. Despite this promise, Unilever announced in May 2011 that it intended to close the scheme altogether and replace it with a career average scheme that will mean workers losing an average of 20% of their projected retirement income with some losing up to 40%.
2. In November 2011, Usdaw members voted by a margin of 5 to 1 in favour of industrial action in protest at Unilever’s proposals. The first 24 hour strikes took place on 8 and 9 December 2011.
3. Usdaw (the Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers) is the UK’s fourth biggest and fastest growing trade union with over 410,000 members. Membership has increased by more than 17% in the last five years and by nearly a third in the last decade. Most Usdaw members work in the retail sector, but the union also has many members in transport, distribution, food manufacturing, chemicals and other trades.
5. 

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IDEOLOGICAL ATTACK ON WORKERS CONDITIONS.

       Across the country, across the world, for that matter, the corporate greed machine is going into action to reduce wages so as to increase profits. Here in the UK the corporate bosses know that they have the backing of our well manicured millionaire cabinet on their side, as they tear up national agreements on wages and conditions. Skilled workers on construction sites across the country are being told that their contracts are null and void and are presented with a new contract, which cuts their wages by as much as 30%. The message from the corporate fascists is simple, sign the new contract or get off the job. This is their brand of democracy, agreements arrived at by negotiation between the workers unions and employers can just be ripped up and a new one drawn up, with no workers or union input, take it or leave it. Work for less or go look somewhere else for you livelihood. It is happening here, it is happening in America, it is happening all across the developed world.

     This is all in line with the present government's ideology of cuts in all public spending and the bosses are backing it up with cuts in the private sector. Workers are not going to accept this type of corporate fascism and are fighting back. Electricians are walking of sites and demonstrating, public sector workers and planning mass demonstration and possible strike action.  All the unions, public sector and private sector, must come together on this one. It is not just about public sector pensions, it's all about privatising all public services, slashing living standards, decimating education, as well as privatising the National Health Service, and at the same time, creating a low wage economy at the dictate of the IMF,(International Mankind Fuckers).

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