Today's Topics:
1. Canada, Montreal anarchist bookfair: Callout for Proposals
(workshops, tables, events) (a-infos-en@ainfos.ca)
2. anarkismo.net: Successful secondary pickets bring public
transport to a halt in Ireland by Andrew - WSM
(a-infos-en@ainfos.ca)
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Message: 1
Read more about how to make a proposal for the upcoming Montreal Anarchist Bookfair (May
27-28, 2017) & Festival of Anarchy. The deadline for workshop and table proposals has been
extended to MONDAY, APRIL 3, before 5pm. ---- Workshop Proposals ---- We encourage your
workshop proposals for both days of this year's Bookfair (May 27 or 28, 2016). You can
submit workshops that are: i) introductions to anarchism (reminder: introductions to
anarchism, not introductions to other topics) or ii) workshops on other topics related to
anarchism that explore an anarchism-themed topic in some depth (reminder: topics related
to anarchism that explore an anarchism-themed topic in some depth, not just a generic
social justice topic). ---- -> For full information about making a workshop proposal,
visit: www.anarchistbookfair.ca/callout-for-proposals-2017/workshops-2017-call-for-proposals
The deadline for all workshop proposals has been extended to MONDAY, APRIL 3, 2017 before 5pm.
Tabling at the Bookfair
The Anarchist Bookfair includes booksellers, distributors, independent presses and
political groups from all over Montreal, Quebec, North America, and abroad. This year,
there will be Bookfair tabling on TWO days - Saturday, May 27 from 10am to 5pm and Sunday,
May 28 from 10am-5pm. Tabling will take place in TWO spaces that are located across from
each other: the Centre Culturel Georges-Vanier (CCGV) at 2450 rue Workman and the Centre
d'éducation populaire de la Petite-Bourgogne et de St-Henri (CEDA) at 2515 rue Delisle.
-> For full information about requesting table space, visit:
www.anarchistbookfair.ca/callout-for-proposals-2017/tables-2017-call-for-proposals
The deadline to request table space has been extended to MONDAY, APRIL 3, 2017 before 5pm.
Festival of Anarchy Events
The entire month of May comprises the Festival of Anarchy, with diverse anarchist-themed
events occurring at different venues in Montreal. The Bookfair collective compiles a
Festival of Anarchy calendar, but we count on you to organize the actual Festival of
Anarchy events. Get in touch to reserve a date for your event in May or early June
(calendar dates are "first come first served").
-> For full information about reserving a date for the Festival of Anarchy calendar,
visit:
www.anarchistbookfair.ca/callout-for-proposals-2017/festival-of-anarchy-2017-callout-for-proposals
The deadline to submit Festival of Anarchy events is April 15, 2017 before 11pm.
Theme Room Proposals
A theme room brings together related workshops and presentations in one space for a series
of workshops between 11am to 5pm. Some examples of previous theme rooms include:
Anti-Racist Struggles Theme Room (2016), Autonomous Media Room (2016), Kids, Caregivers &
Comrades Theme Room (2016), Autonomous Media Room (2015), Anti-Canada Room (2015),
Autonomous Media Room (2014), Kids, Comrades and Caregivers Theme Room (2013), Autonomous
Media Room (2012), Anarchist Families Room (2012), Autonomous Media & Technology Room
(2011), Indigenous Solidarity Room (2010), Anti-Capitalist Resistance Room (2010),
Anarchist Parent's Discussion Room (2010).
-> For full information about making a theme room proposal, visit:
www.anarchistbookfair.ca/themeroomproposal
The deadline for all Theme Room proposals has been extended to MONDAY, APRIL 3, 2017
before 5pm.
http://www.anarchistbookfair.ca/callout-for-proposals-2017
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Message: 2
8 days into inter-city strike solidarity given by city bus and train drivers
Inter city bus workers in Ireland launched widespread secondary pickets at 4am this
morning. Solidarity from transport workers at the other services picketed meant that most
of the country ground to a halt as morning rush hour approached, almost all trains, Dublin
bus and light rail services did not operate. The action is a clear demonstration of the
power transport workers hold because of their position in economies. ---- This action took
place on the 8th morning of a indefinite strike by the inter city bus drivers of Bus
Eireann. In a familiar international pattern, this service had been deliberately starved
of public funds over the last decade resulting in a deterioration in quality and an
increase in ticket costs. As elsewhere the purpose of doing this is to soften up public
attitudes towards privatisation of what becomes a ‘broken' service.
The state broadcaster (RTE) has played along with this agenda. (This would be shocking
except that RTE always echo the government line). Almost every mention of the strike
refers to Bus Eireann as ‘loss making' - as if it should be about profit generation rather
than service provision. In reality the service is ‘loss making' because the subsidy it
receives is less than that given to the millionaire owned horse racing industry (or indeed
the same state broadcaster).
The cause of the dispute is a widespread attack on workers' pay and conditions. Some bus
drivers could lose as much as 30%. This would be no joke for any workers anywhere but in
Ireland because of the crazy ‘property boom' any such worker who borrowed money to buy a
house in the last 10 years would almost certainly be now unable to make the repayments and
would lose their home.
Government strategy has been to try and pretend the dispute is nothing to do with them and
to be sorted out between workers and management. As the reason the service is ‘loss
making' is that the government cut the tiny subsidy public transport receives, delibrately
creating the funding crisis, this is clearly a nonsense claim.
Bus Eireann got about 35 million in public funds last year but the Horse racing industry
received 80 million and the Horse and Greyhound racing fund another 60 million. Although
we don't have the exact figures to hand we are confident the 110,000 people plus who use
Bus Eireann for transport easily outnumber those travelling via race horse and greyhound,
even though the millionaires who own those industries received a subsidy 4 times greater.
No doubt the government would point the tourist benefit of horse racing and the jobs
created around it, however that's nothing in comparison with the tourist benefit of having
a good public transport system that can get people around Ireland.
The action this morning contained 3 general lessons;
1. Public transport has to be viewed as a needed public service rather than a ‘for profit'
business. Huge numbers of people are dependent on public transport, the service needs to
be expanded rather than underfunded as it has been in the last decades. In fact we need a
massive expansion in public transport funding both to improve services and reduce ticket
costs.
2. Workers in key sectors like transport have enormous power. Minister Shane Ross might
have thought he was being clever by washing his hands of the dispute, this morning they
have proved that the government cannot get away with that. ‘Business as usual' will ground
to a halt all over the country this morning as many workers are unable to get in on time.
3. The 1990 Industrial Relations Act made secondary picketing illegal. That's why the
pickets this morning had hand written signs rather than the standard union branded ones.
This morning we are seeing that the law isn't all powerful but also that the cost of
making it illegal is no notice walk-outs, no one could ‘give notice' without risking
prosecution.
We should also recognise the courage of those picketing this morning, some of whom have
talked to hostile state media who have broadcast their names despite the risk of being
sued this opens them up to. Some have talked nonsense about the transport chaos being
caused by a handful of picketers but not only is it clear that this was a well
co-ordinated action across a large number of locations, the same industrial relations act
only allows pickets of half a dozen.
The shutdown of the transport system will have a big impact on lots of workers, it will
feel frustrating to many. But let's be clear - the blame for the disruption lies with the
government and management that have tried to force further cuts through. Until they took
this action many people in the big we're ignoring the strike as it had little impact on
them, this morning is a useful reminder that we should not treat public transport as an
expected service but as something we need to actively defend.
Secondly and more importantly a victory for Bus Eireann workers is good for all of us
despite the short term pain as it means a better public transport system and a blow
against ‘race to the bottom' conditions being imposed. The employers have used such
tactics over the last 20 years to ensure a huge wealth transfer from us to them, it's long
past time that was turned back and it can only be turned back by a hard fight. Because
they have power as tranport workers the bus workers at the tip of the spear are taking the
big risks here, those of us who are will gain from any victory they may win should be
willing to accept small sacrifices as part of the collective cost of struggle.
Victory for the bus workers is also important for almost everyone living on this planet.
Why is that? The deliberate underfunding of public transport pushes those who can afford
it towards using individual cars for the same journey. There are enormous differences in
the amounts of climate change gases produced by cities in western Europe and north America
for the simple reason that in the US private cars are far far more common for such
journeys. At a global as well as a local level we need to recognise public transport for
the essential good that it is and make sure funding is expanded.
http://www.anarkismo.net/article/30134
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