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        • Introduction
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        • Endnotes
      • Workmates - direct action workplace organising on the London underground (2011)
      • The Economics of freedom (2003)
      • A history of anarcho-syndicalism (2001)
      • Out of the frying pan, a critical look at works councils (1998)
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      • A history of anarcho-syndicalism
        • Block 1
          • Unit 1: The Origins of Capitalism
          • Unit 2: Britain: The Radical Period 1750-1840
          • Unit 3: The First International
          • Unit 4: France 1870-1918 Early revolutionary unions
          • Unit 5: Revolutionary Syndicalism in Britain, 1870-1910
          • Unit 6: Revolutionary Syndicalism in Britain and Ireland, 1910-17
        • Block 2
          • Unit 7: Mexico 1870-1920: Colonialism and Revolution
          • Unit 8: USA 1886-1930 - The Wobblies
          • Unit 9: Anarcho-syndicalism in Argentina 1870-1939
          • Unit 10: Sweden 1889-1939
          • Unit 11: Russia I: 1850-1917
          • Unit 12 Russia II: 1917-30
        • Block 3
          • Unit 13: Going Global - International Organisation, 1872-1922
          • Unit 14: Anarcho-syndicalism in Britain, 1914-30
          • Unit 15 Spain, 1868-1936: Build-up to Revolution
          • Unit 16 Spain: Culture, education, women and sexuality
          • Unit 17: Spain 1936-39: Revolution and Civil War
          • Unit 18: Spain - The Collectives
        • Block 4
          • Unit 19: Britain, 1930-1950 - The Era of Reform
          • Unit 20: Britain, 1950-1990 - Decline of Social Democracy
          • Unit 21: anarcho-syndicalism 1939-99
          • Unit 22: Roots of modern anarcho-syndicalism: freedom, oppression & rebellion
          • Unit 23: Roots of modern anarcho-syndicalism: morality, culture & tactics
          • Unit 24: The spirit of anarcho-syndicalism
    • Letters
  • IWA

Thames Valley SolFed minutes 2/5/11

By Mons, 2 May, 2011

 

 Office Angels
- Dan still not paid! South London calling for pickets next week and communications blockade probably on the Wednesday but not yet confirmed.
- Mons to set up doodle for when, next week, we can do it. After 3 days Mons to set up facebook event
- j or C to bring camera for it. C, Auto, Mons to bring flags. Mons to ask others how many leaflets we'll need
roughly. C and P can print some at work and Mons will ask O, oxford anarchist printer, if need be.

June 30
- UCU, ATL, NUT, possibly PCS and others on strike June 30th.
- Looks likely to be tokenistic but we should do what we can.
- The Commune (good libertarian communist group) are organising something in London for people of libcom politics to discuss what we can do to help move it beyond tokenistic action. Details here:
http://thecommune.co.uk/2011/04/28/time-to-build-a-new-rank-and-file/
- North London putting together leaflets calling for not crossing the picket lines, etc. It's pretty much done and it's on the education workers email list. We can use them, or adapt.
- Again, C can print from work and O if need be but we can sort that nearer the time.
- P and C will be on strike, so could head down there if free to help out.
- Mons' contract finishes one working day before strike so misses out :(

National Conference
- Was great! We're formally affiliated. Minutes will be out later, but nothing controversial really.
- Tony (Manchester) volunteered to come and talk to us about the IWA, which would be helpful because it's complicated.
We want this.
- Also he's a great speaker and we could so a public talk at same time possibly? But doubts raised about value in public meetings - who would come?
- Mons to keep in touch.

SF Induction
- rananegra (M, South London) didn't reply to the last email, C to email again about what dates he can do in the near future.

Gender
- Good but brief discussion at national conference on sexism and gender imbalance, and the momentum shouldn't end.
- London organised a meeting on this, which was apparently excellent, productive, well attended, etc.
- Hopefully it'll be followed up at national level as well.  But also down to locals to take up discussion locally, we should do that.
- Wait until honeybee (I) gets back as she's one of only two women in the local? Over 7 weeks away but we probably should anyway, Mons to ask.

Security
- We shouldn't use real names online, in emails, minutes, and never use real name for anything, e.g. setting up website. Use initials or pseudonyms instead, even if it's confusing at first. We need to be sensible and secure but not paranoid.

Workplace organising training 14th May.
- Venue: Ruskin not looking good, Auto to check with I. Auto to check youth hostel, Mons to check quaker meeting house [and East Oxford Community Centre as well, don't think it's too expensive] asap!
- P and C happy to host the tutor, Mons to check he's cool with being in Reading.
- We should try and tell potentially interested friends, co-workers, politically active people, etc.
- Mons to ask tutor about IWW because apparently there might be sensitive stuff there, but we want to ask  local IWW members if they can come
- We should get update from P about maintenance workers and try and fix that up.

Dues
- C contacted bank, will chase that up. Use it for standing orders and paying the national org.
- We'll pay from April, and can give more if we want given we've been kind of functioning since January or so.
- £5 waged, £3 unwaged. £3 to national org, leaves some more for the local.
- If people can't pay all that that's fine, that's what the collective is for.

Mandates for Secretary/Treasurer
- Mons to check with honeybee that Auto should be taking over as she's away.
- From memory, North London's mandates look good and we can adopt them, but we didn't have them so couldn't formally agree on them. We'll do it next meeting.

Social
- To get to know each other outside of meetings, invite others not in the org but close, invite other locals especially since we're new to get to know the rest of SF (people from NL and SL both said they'd be up for
coming).
- Mons to set up doodle for 'a few weeks time' but not until the weekend.

Bristol Anarchist Bookfair
- Details here: http://www.bristolanarchistbookfair.org/?page_id=991
- Bristol SF (who are great) have emailed us hoping some of us are coming, they've got a meeting on austerity and a stall they could use help on.
- Could be especially interesting given what's been going on in Bristol recently. It's in Stokes Croft...
- We can pool money for transport or pay people back once we've got dues sorted.
- j and Mons both keen
- Put it round the list and if you're planning on going then say and let's coordinate!

Employment Law Course (this wasn't discussed at the meeting, but it makes sense to put in on here):
- Tutor probably won't be able to make it until July, but we met her briefly which is good.

Other
- Mons to get j set up on solfed list, website and unwaged network.
- T has too much uni work, sorry he couldn't come and sounds like he's probably too busy for the next 5 weeks before exams.

Next Meeting
- C to set up doodle this weekend, C to speak to D (Reading) about when he might be able to come since his work has meant he can't so far.

Guides

Your rights at work

Why do we organise? Capitalism is shit, oppression is shit - but what can we at SolFed do about it?

Why do we organise?

This is our flag - it tells you what we stand for

this-is-our-flag

Direct Action #2 (2024)

Direct Action #2 (2024)

Anarcho-syndicalism in Britain – a little history (2015)

Anarcho-syndicalism in Britain – a little history (2015)

Office worker’s health and safety - your rights and how to use them (2015)

Office worker’s health and safety - your rights and how to use them (2015)

Anarchism and Anarcho-syndicalism (Rudolf Rocker, 2014)

Anarchism and Anarcho-syndicalism (Rudolf Rocker, 2014)

Fighting for ourselves - anarcho-syndicalism and the class struggle (2012)

Fighting for ourselves - anarcho-syndicalism and the class struggle (2012)

Theory & Practice 1 - Workmates - direct action workplace organising on the London underground (2011)

Theory & Practice 1 - Workmates - direct action workplace organising on the London underground (2011)

The Economics of freedom (2003)

The Economics of freedom (2003)

A history of anarcho-syndicalism (SelfEd Collective, 24 unit series, 2001)

A history of anarcho-syndicalism (SelfEd Collective, 24 unit series, 2001)

Out of the frying pan, a critical look at works councils (1998)

Out of the frying pan, a critical look at works councils (1998)

Health and safety at work - an anarcho-syndicalist approach (1997)

Health and safety at work - an anarcho-syndicalist approach (1997)

Theory & Practice 2 - Anarcho-syndicalism in Puerto Real (1994)

Theory & Practice 2 - Anarcho-syndicalism in Puerto Real (1994)
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