Capitalism is in an intensifying structural crisis and it’s taking it out on the masses of working people through attacks on benefits and wages, cuts in social services, privatization of education, tax cuts for the rich, etc. No politicians, NGOs or "non-profits" will save us. We need to take the leadership of our struggle into our own hands by constructing new combative organizations in our work place, across industries and the world. The only way forward is for us to organize ourselves into an autonomous workers movement and FIGHT BACK!
For an Autonomous Movement of Workers
December 9, 2013
In Europe, Latin America, the Caribbean, Africa, the Middle East, and Asia, mass popular protests are going on against austerity measures. The bosses are taking out their economic crisis on the people already hit hard. The politicians and leaders around the world work for the bosses. If we allow things to continue how they have been, then workers, laborers and everyone else who has no control of how things are will fall victim to more and more budget cuts, pricing spikes and layoffs. Workers have been hit harder and harder as the years go by.
The prices and costs of everything have been increasing steadily over the years. Groceries which a few years ago might have cost $25-$30 are now costing $55-$60. We face the same situation with housing, transportation, etc. At the same time, our wages have either barely gone up or fell. The workers and laborers both see less and less money as things become more and more expensive. Life is getting harder and harder for us all. Meanwhile, the bosses continue to enjoy record profits. This is why organization has never been so badly needed. They cut us so we bleed, but if we come together, we can heal the cuts as we work for a solution.
Let’s Reclaim the Combative Tradition of Our Struggle!
Historically, workers’ relationship with bosses is one of struggle. Most worker rights have been won by workers, not by the magic wand of highly paid lobbyists. They have been won in our streets — in battle, through strikes, wild cats, walk outs, marches and street protests. They have been won by worker organization against the brutal conditions the bosses would prefer us to face daily on the job sites. They have been won by us uniting and fighting for our own interests. It is through those struggles that we, workers, won the 8-hour day which we celebrate every May Day. This is the spirit and determination that got us a labor movement. Workers need to learn from our history and reinforce our constant struggle.
We are Under Attack!
The established bureaucracy the currently leads the labor movement actually distracts us from the necessary struggle against this anti-worker system. The once powerful tool of the working class, the unions, are now designed to demobilize, demoralize, and defeat us.
We Need to Retake Leadership of Our Struggle!
We need to take leadership of our own struggle by constructing new combative organizations in our work place, across industries and the world. These combative organizations must be controlled by us, not by bureaucratic leadership that is fighting for self-preservation. We, the workers, should not be spectators, but rather the active participants in the struggle for our own future. Our combative tradition of struggle is the path to victory. Let’s reclaim it. Let’s organize for an autonomous movement of workers and laborers!