62 lines
3.2 KiB
Plaintext
62 lines
3.2 KiB
Plaintext
[F.O.B.U. Federation of Occupation Based Unions]
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'Seize the Moment' Congress Report
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On the weekend of 14th/15th September 30 to 40 anarchists met in Melbourne
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to discuss setting up a "federation of occupation based unions." The
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meeting was called by the Libertarian Workers (who put out the "Anarchist
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Age"), and its immediate stimulus was projected industrial legislation of
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the Liberal Govt. which some thought might inadvertenly create new
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opportunities for anarchist workplace activism.
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The "F.O.B.U." was duly set up consisting initially of three groups:
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health, community and agriculture. Some people are also interested in
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setting up manufacturing, and education groups. The idea of an
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"occupation-based union" is the same as an industrial union in that all
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workers in a given industry regardless if trade or profession may join;
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unemployed, retired and self-employed workers associated with a given
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industry and students, may also join. The "community" group (social
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workers, etc) and the "agriculture" group are also open to anyone
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interested in these areas, at least at this stage. The groups have yet to
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work out detailed principles of organisation; it is not clear, for example
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whether or not the traditional syndicalist prohibition against members with
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the power to "hire or fire" will apply.
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The most organised so far of the groups, the "health" group which plans to
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have a publication out in 4-6 weeks, a public meeting in 8 weeks, and a
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congress in 12 months. A member of the group commented that health was a
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"largely non-unionised" field; and also that due to the number of self
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employed "health workers" who needed to hire for example a secretary, it
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was possibly impractical to apply the "no hiring or firing" rule.
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My own impression is that the "F.O.B.U." is unlikely to develop into an
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anarcho-syndicalist organisation; but in spite of that it should attract
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the friendly interest of anarcho-syndicalists. Anarcho-syndicalists seek to
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build organisations of wage-workers dedicated first of all to their
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collective self-interest and broadening out from there into wresting
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control of their industry from the bosses and ultimately into building a
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free society, the "collective self interest" of humanity.
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The F.O.B.U. group seem to start from a different angle, based not upon the
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wage workers need to resist oppression but upon society's need for certain
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types of work to be done. The ethos of the F.O.B.U. has more in common with
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the ethos (in theory) of medieval guilds or present day middle class
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professional associations than with working class unions. Possibly this is
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simply due to the nature of the occupational groups. But I don't think so;
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I think the F.O.B.U. will take shape as a federation of anarchists and
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anarchist sympathisers interested in the various socially necessary tasks.
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As such its appearance should be welcomed and its development encouraged
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without mistaking it for an anarcho-syndicalist organisation.
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F.O.B.U. "National Co-ordinator's" address is P.O. Box 6, Alpington. 3078.
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Melbourne. Australia
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Yikes; I'm not sure of that PO Box,above. It may be 5006, or
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6 ... I'll confirm.
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The next Congress is set for Feb.2nd 1997, at Ross House in Melbourne.
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Jeremy
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