This site is a static archive. Visit the current IWW website at iww.org ▸
Skip to main content

EWIU and Radical Education Workers Plan for a Brighter Future

Over forty people squeezed into a tiny room at this weekend's London Anarchist Bookfair to sow the seeds of a network of anti-authoritarian left education workers. Members of the IWW, Solidarity Federation and Anarchist Federation were all present, along with a large number of unattached workers and students from education institutions all over the UK.

The meeting discussed pressing issues in the education sector, including privatisation, job cuts, pay cuts and casualisation, and a productive debate ensued over how we can form a strong network to combat these problems in our individual workplaces and on regional and national levels. The answers were encouraging, alluding to principles and practices of democracy, industrial organising, direct action, militancy and disrespect for the business unions that the IWW has used for the last 101 years.

There was also discussion towards a conference for this new (yet to be named) network, in the new year, which was equally promising. This conference will look to further strengthen ties between those of us in the education sector, and involve both practical workplace organising strategies for all workers, as well as models of libertarian education for those who would be interested in such debates. If you are interested in participating in this conference, please email us.

This large, lively meeting was only constituted by those who were able to make it to the bookfair. Hopefully this new network and the conference will bring even more like-minded people together. The Education Workers Industrial Union constitutes the largest industrial union in the IWW in Britain, and more education workers signed up after the meeting, from all over the UK.

Over all, the meeting was a success, and represents a promising turn in the growth of the IWW. Now we all need to go back into our workplaces and communities and spread the words that the bosses always fear: HERE COME THE WOBBLIES!

 Reprinted from the BIROC IU. 620 website: www.geocities.com/iwweducation