Anarcho-syndicalism has a long and rich history involving the organization of
workers outside of traditional labour unions for the purposes of revolutionary
action rather than social and economic reform. Though anarcho-syndicalism is
most often associated with the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW), other
syndicalist movements such as SAC in Sweden (with over 10,000 members), the
Spanish CNT, as well as various Anarchist Federations worldwide can be included
on this list. Since syndicalism itself is the theory and practice of revolutionary
labour unionism, there is no central party or movement that can claim dominance
over this idea or collection of individuals - anarcho-syndicalism, broadly understood,
functions under a set of principles rather than a unified party banner.
This tradition bases itself on the class struggle and calls for solidarity between
all members of the working class (both manual and intellectual) to come together
and fight for the abolition of both the wage system and the State. Key to this
ideal is the premise that only the working class can represent and emancipate
itself, making political parties on all sides of the political spectrum inadequate.
With the overthrow of the State, self-managed federations would replace capitalism,
and its centralized and oppressive nature, with an anarcho-socialist/communist
system of production and administration.
Basing itself primarily on direct action and its support for all working class
struggles, anarcho-syndicalism does not align with any formal political organizations,
especially the authoritarian communist and socialist parties that have been
just as malicious towards workers as capitalism. Also, given the history of
appeasement many of these so-called “left-wing” parties have been
in league with, anarcho-syndicalism avoids parliamentary participation and the
subsequent marriage between elected party members and the bourgeois apparatus.
Instead, this tradition takes part in education campaigns, sabotage, sit-ins,
boycotts, and other forms of worker-initiated action, including the powerful
General Strike.
Industrial Workers of the World (IWW)
Mikhail Bakunin
Petr Kropotkin
Pierre-Joseph Proudhon
Affinity Groups
Anarchist Federations
NEFAC
FRAC
Council Communism
Flying Squads
South African Anarcho-Syndicalism http://flag.blackened.net/revolt/africa.html
Japanese Anarcho-Syndicalism http://www.bekkoame.ne.jp/%7Erruaitjtko/
British Solidarity Federation http://www.solfed.org.uk/
Anarcho-Syndicalism (general information) http://www.solfed.org.uk/
Irish Workers’ Solidarity Movement http://flag.blackened.net/revolt/wsm.html
Colectivo Situaciones (Spanish) http://www.situaciones.org/
On the Argentine Anarchist Movement – by Fernando López http://www.ainfos.ca/03/nov/ainfos00538.html
Anarchist Federation http://www.af-north.org/principles.htm
Workers Solidarity Alliance http://www.workersolidarity.org/