I have never in my life seen a need to "radicalise workers". Life does that to workers and officialdom of all stripes runs up to soap it away.
I have seen many and many a time where workers were not given the facts, when they were given carefully selected facts, and many a time when they were falsely told, "there is only one option". Or even more falsely told " Labour will fix it". I have several times in the course of disputes been literally pushed aside by workers who said never mind that, we're off, when there was some big issue and I, as a union functionary was looking round to try and make a tidy assement of the situation. Once was when Bill Andersen was jailed, once was when we didn't get a cup of tea. Another time was when the whistle had gone and workers saw the need to extend the debate beyond the limits of the smoko break.It took two hours.
Unions are strengthened by doing what the mass of informed workers decide.
Unions are weakened by doing what the bosses law hypocritically tells us we must do.
You're right, workers don't need radicalising, they need educating. The problem is, the majority of workers have bought into the whole capitalist ethos of consumerism... we need to start the education here before we'll ever see a ground swell of support for socialist reform.
Re: EPMU and Labour collude to sell out Air NZ workers
Date Edited: 25 Apr 2007 12:46:38 PM
I have never in my life seen a need to "radicalise workers". Life does that to workers and officialdom of all stripes runs up to soap it away.
I have seen many and many a time where workers were not given the facts, when they were given carefully selected facts, and many a time when they were falsely told, "there is only one option". Or even more falsely told " Labour will fix it". I have several times in the course of disputes been literally pushed aside by workers who said never mind that, we're off, when there was some big issue and I, as a union functionary was looking round to try and make a tidy assement of the situation. Once was when Bill Andersen was jailed, once was when we didn't get a cup of tea. Another time was when the whistle had gone and workers saw the need to extend the debate beyond the limits of the smoko break.It took two hours.
Unions are strengthened by doing what the mass of informed workers decide.
Unions are weakened by doing what the bosses law hypocritically tells us we must do.
Don Franks
,
Comments
Re: Re: EPMU and Labour collude to sell out Air NZ workers
Re: Re: Re: EPMU and Labour collude to sell out Air NZ workers