French dock workers at a southern port are blocking the shipment of military material bound for Israel in protest at Israeli actions against Palestinians in Gaza, their union said.The stevedores at the port in Fos-sur-Mer outside Marseille have refused to load crates of links used to assist the rapid fire of bullets aboard the cargo vessel, the CGT trade union said.
Only because of de-industrialisation that began since the 1970s and 1980s without offering alternatives. There is a reason for the rhetoric that “the working class have been abandoned” exists.
The old labour became a victim of its own success. As wealth increased, they have had to court the growing, largely moderate middle class in the past thirty years. Although now that the middle class is shrinking but wealth inequality widens, it is time for the left to return to its working class roots.
You know, I’d actually agree with the general idea there. The Reagan/Thatcher era and the decline of unionism did come after that post-war era of prosperity, and I do think there was a correlation. The guys doing wildcat strikes earlier in the century would have absolutely lost their minds over the government firing striking air traffic controllers; people in the 80’s were mildly scandalised.
I just don’t see the trend reversing any time in the next two decades. If you look at the actual demographics of the left, the educated, progressive middle class that was always there (think Dickens or Marx) has grown to become it’s core, pushing out the trade unionists (as well as largely replacing the old conservative middle class). It’s hard to undo that overnight.
yeah, I have never in my life met a trade worker that wasn’t some frothing right-wing sterotype. Maybe i’m unlucky, but the era of socialist workers looks over to me
Disagree. UAW’s high profile cases are a good example of effectively run established old-style unions getting big wins, and unionization is occurring at high rates compared to the historical mean of the past fifty years worldwide, even in the face of total hostility from government and the owner class.
Many unions are currently in a place where they need to hand over the reigns from an older generation that got way too comfortable with cost of living adjustments and cosy relationships with management to a new generation who have been directly blocked from power most of their working lives by that older generation.
The UAW that supports Trump’s auto tariffs? In spite of the fact they used to represent Canadian auto workers just accross the border as well? That’s not solidarity.
And, MAGA unions are growing in number as of last I checked. Like, sure, labour has been more active recently, and I’ve heard that it’s to be expected when you have higher inflation, but are we sure this is the democracy-loving all-accepting faction from the past, and not just chuds in hardhats?
The RMTU in Britain has also been phenomenonal. Their leaders are natural public speakers and could easily shut down criticisms and biases from the media trying to grill them and their strikes.
Only because of de-industrialisation that began since the 1970s and 1980s without offering alternatives. There is a reason for the rhetoric that “the working class have been abandoned” exists.
Sure, but it’s happening, and the old labour-left is pretty much dead.
The old labour became a victim of its own success. As wealth increased, they have had to court the growing, largely moderate middle class in the past thirty years. Although now that the middle class is shrinking but wealth inequality widens, it is time for the left to return to its working class roots.
You know, I’d actually agree with the general idea there. The Reagan/Thatcher era and the decline of unionism did come after that post-war era of prosperity, and I do think there was a correlation. The guys doing wildcat strikes earlier in the century would have absolutely lost their minds over the government firing striking air traffic controllers; people in the 80’s were mildly scandalised.
I just don’t see the trend reversing any time in the next two decades. If you look at the actual demographics of the left, the educated, progressive middle class that was always there (think Dickens or Marx) has grown to become it’s core, pushing out the trade unionists (as well as largely replacing the old conservative middle class). It’s hard to undo that overnight.
yeah, I have never in my life met a trade worker that wasn’t some frothing right-wing sterotype. Maybe i’m unlucky, but the era of socialist workers looks over to me
I’ve met a fair few that seemed barely-political, but then again I am in Canada.
Disagree. UAW’s high profile cases are a good example of effectively run established old-style unions getting big wins, and unionization is occurring at high rates compared to the historical mean of the past fifty years worldwide, even in the face of total hostility from government and the owner class.
Many unions are currently in a place where they need to hand over the reigns from an older generation that got way too comfortable with cost of living adjustments and cosy relationships with management to a new generation who have been directly blocked from power most of their working lives by that older generation.
Things are going to get much spicier, just watch.
The UAW that supports Trump’s auto tariffs? In spite of the fact they used to represent Canadian auto workers just accross the border as well? That’s not solidarity.
And, MAGA unions are growing in number as of last I checked. Like, sure, labour has been more active recently, and I’ve heard that it’s to be expected when you have higher inflation, but are we sure this is the democracy-loving all-accepting faction from the past, and not just chuds in hardhats?
The RMTU in Britain has also been phenomenonal. Their leaders are natural public speakers and could easily shut down criticisms and biases from the media trying to grill them and their strikes.