[Iyf-ct] FW: IWW in South Africa

Tue Feb 2 03:12:41 PST 2010

Hey Pete, haven't read the article will do now, but it's cool links with my work too...Don't know why but I am VERY excited about the IWW...

> Date: Tue, 2 Feb 2010 12:54:29 +0200
> From: pvh at webbedfeet.co.za
> To: iyf-ct at lists.resist.ca
> Subject: Re: [Iyf-ct] FW: IWW in South Africa
> 
> Article from Amandla by this guy:
> http://209.85.229.132/search?q=cache:rlxcdEpzIIMJ:www.amandlapublishers.co.za/component/rokdownloads/download/43-amandla-issue-9+CSAAWU&cd=7&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=za&client=firefox-a
> or
> http://www.amandlapublishers.co.za/component/rokdownloads/download/43-amandla-issue-9
> 
> the union was registered in July 2007 - the only other media reference
> is this one:
> 
> http://jv.dieburger.com//Stories/News/17.0.169248869.aspx
> 
> So they seem particularly active in the rural areas.
> 
> Peter
> 
> Mandy Moussouris wrote:
> >
> >
> > More on IWW... - does anyone know the dude and union he mentions - I
> > am getting quite excited about this...
> >
> >
> >
> > 
> > > Date: Mon, 1 Feb 2010 21:37:34 -0800
> > > From: davekloker at yahoo.com
> > > Subject: RE: IWW in South Africa
> > > To: mandymoussouris at hotmail.com
> > > CC: ghq at iww.org; redgrocer at gmail.com
> > >
> > > Mandy,
> > > Please forgive the lateness of my reply to your last email. I am
> > pleased to inform you that the International Solidarity Commission of
> > the Industrial Workers of the World is officially supporting the
> > formation of a Cape Town, South Africa branch. Forming a branch, which
> > I believe requires six or more members, allows you to retain a portion
> > of your dues for organizing and solidarity efforts in your area.
> > >
> > > The next steps are as follows. First, you can join the IWW at
> > www.iww.org. Please contact the General Secretary Treasurer (GST) Joe
> > Tessone about the specifics of forming a branch. I believe you also
> > need the formal approval of the General Executive Board (G.E.B). I am
> > Carbon Copying both Fellow Workers Tessone and Gaughan (my
> > representative to the G.E.B.) on this email to ease communication.
> > There emails are ghq at iww.org and redgrocer at gmail.com respectively. I
> > strongly support you efforts and continue to want to support the
> > formation of a South African presence of the IWW in whatever way I can.
> > >
> > > As you are deciding on organizing priorities may I personally
> > suggest that you get in contact with Karel Swart of CSAAWU (Commercial
> > Stevedoring Agricultural & Allied Workers Union). He is working with
> > Ladismith Cheese workers on a fair wages campaign that includes a
> > boycott. I marched with those workers this past summer and have since
> > done solidarity work through our IWW branch here in California. You
> > can reach CSAAWU at 10 Pine Crescent Hillcrest Blue Downs 7100. Their
> > phone is (021) 909 3059 and email is info at ladismithcheese.co.za.
> > >
> > > Again best of luck and welcome to the Industrial Workers of the World!
> > > Regards,
> > > D.M. Kloker
> > >
> > > “Creating love is not for the soft and sentimental among us. Love is
> > a tough business.” Alix Spiegel
> > >
> > >
> > > --- On Fri, 1/15/10, Mandy Moussouris <mandymoussouris at hotmail.com>
> > wrote:
> > >
> > > > From: Mandy Moussouris <mandymoussouris at hotmail.com>
> > > > Subject: RE: IWW in South Africa
> > > > To: davekloker at yahoo.com
> > > > Cc: "In your face" <iyf-ct at lists.resist.ca>
> > > > Date: Friday, January 15, 2010, 2:12 AM
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > Hi,
> > > >
> > > > 
> > > >
> > > > Thanks for getting back. Pitty we did not know you were
> > > > here would have been nice to meet and chat - hope you had a
> > > > good stay in CT although July is not the best time weather
> > > > wise.
> > > >
> > > > 
> > > >
> > > > At the moment we would not be in a position to start job
> > > > site organising, we think this would develop as things got
> > > > going. Our group, called In Your Face (IYF) is a
> > > > mixture of Anarchist and autonomists, it started last year
> > > > when I moved to Cape Town with an anti Election
> > > > campaign entitled NOPE, with the slogan 'our dreams
> > > > don't fit on your ballots' and has moved on to
> > > > running a really really free market every month and plans to
> > > > start basic economics training and run seminars and film
> > > > screenings. I am a supporter of Zabalaza, a South African
> > > > Anarchist group and before that was part of Bekisha Media
> > > > Cooperative with Nicole Ulrich, Lucien Van der Walt and
> > > > Michael Smidt and we all met comrades from IWW when we went
> > > > to the May 2000 CNT Pour un Autre Futur Rallye in
> > > > Paris. I have also worked in the union movement, specificaly
> > > > with COSATU in various capacities (mostly Training and
> > > > research) since 1993 - although do not any more, so I do
> > > > have some skills which can provide support.
> > > >
> > > > 
> > > >
> > > > Our group is made up primarily of workers in NGO's
> > > > and some unemployed people but we would very much like to
> > > > belong to a union. In the past I have both worked for and
> > > > been a member of COSATU but as you know COSATU is very much
> > > > a Nationalist union particularly since 1994 with its
> > > > alliance with the ANC and SACP, it has also, lost a lot of
> > > > its working class focus and shopfloor strenghth, choosing to
> > > > follow a more corpratist model of unionism. These are issues
> > > > with us and the main reason why we would not like
> > > > to join COSATU. IYF tasked me to look into the possiblity of
> > > > getting an IWW Chapter set up here and we would need to
> > > > discuss this in our group a bit more but the idea of
> > > > starting an IWW here comes, firstly from my belief in the
> > > > model and principles of IWW, which my comrades share. We
> > > > also think that our really really free markets would be a
> > > > good place to begin recruitment campaigns. Our group is
> > > > small at the moment and getting things going would take a
> > > > lot of work, so recruiting, we think would be an important
> > > > innitial step to build numbers and thus capacity.
> > > >
> > > > 
> > > >
> > > > In terms of what we would like to accomplish, we would
> > > > like, for ourselves andother workers, to have a union that
> > > > supports and provides space for libeterian thought and
> > > > practice, one which is not linked to any politial party, one
> > > > that REALLY challenges the Capitalist State and Capital but
> > > > first and foremost one that organises, supports and empowers
> > > > workers to engage with the problems and challenges they face
> > > > on a daily basis in their workplace and their lives. This is
> > > > the aspect which will require, at least innitially a lot of
> > > > time and support in terms of training and providing
> > > > knowledge of labour laws etc.
> > > >
> > > > 
> > > >
> > > > Sorry if this is a bit broad, vague, verbose and
> > > > structureless. I think from here I would need to sit down
> > > > and have a proper conversation, so that we can develop a
> > > > more formal plan and idea. anyway hope this helps.
> > > >
> > > > 
> > > >
> > > > Yours in struggle
> > > >
> > > > Mandy
> > > >
> > > > 
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > 
> > > > > Date: Thu, 14 Jan 2010 09:59:39 -0800
> > > > > From: davekloker at yahoo.com
> > > > > Subject: IWW in South Africa
> > > > > To: mandymoussouris at hotmail.com
> > > > > CC: jkrpaniww at yahoo.com
> > > > >
> > > > > Greetings,
> > > > > I am the chair of the International Solidarity
> > > > Commission of the IWW. I am very excited about the prospect
> > > > of an IWW chapter in Cape Town, particularly because I was
> > > > just there this past July. I would love some more
> > > > information as a next step in starting a branch. Are you
> > > > doing any job site organizing? What drew you to the IWW?
> > > > What would you like to accomplish with a branch in Cape
> > > > Town? I look forward to hearing from you.
> > > > > Regards,
> > > > > Kloker, San Francisco Bay Area General Membership
> > > > Branch, United States
> > > > > “Creating love is not for the soft and sentimental
> > > > among us. Love is a tough business.” Alix Spiegel
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > >
> > > > Windows 7: Simplify what you do
> > > > everyday. Find the right PC
> > > > for you.
> > > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> >
> > ------------------------------------------------------------------------
> > Your E-mail and More On-the-Go. Get Windows Live Hotmail Free. Sign up
> > now. <https://signup.live.com/signup.aspx?id=60969>
> > ------------------------------------------------------------------------
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> > Iyf-ct mailing list
> > Iyf-ct at lists.resist.ca
> > https://lists.resist.ca/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/iyf-ct
> > 
> 
> _______________________________________________
> Iyf-ct mailing list
> Iyf-ct at lists.resist.ca
> https://lists.resist.ca/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/iyf-ct

_________________________________________________________________
Hotmail: Powerful Free email with security by Microsoft.
https://signup.live.com/signup.aspx?id=60969
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://lists.resist.ca/pipermail/iyf-ct/attachments/20100202/db596ef4/attachment.html>