The WSM is one of 108 organisations internationally that has signed a statement in support of today's general strike in the Spanish state.   Spain like Ireland is one of the countries where the capitalist crisis is hitting the working class hardest, unemployment has reached 20%, but in Spain unlike Ireland large sections of the working class are organising to resist the crisis.  Spain has a long history of militant anarchist unions, this statement was prepared by one of them, the CGT, in opposition to the partnership approach taken by most of the unions.  It's is preceeded by an analysis by Manu García, a member of another of the unions, the CNT, about the importance of today's general strike.

29th September, an opportunity and a challenge

Of all the countries in the European Union, the Spanish State is facing one of the more difficult economic situations. The crisis is particularly bad and persistent and its impact is being felt in the rising public deficit, the deteriorating conditions of life and work of the great majority and the accelerated destruction of jobs starting with the sector that during the boom years fuelled the illusion of endless growth – construction – extending to the whole economic structure.

The adjustment measures proposed or planned by the government and its advisers to fill the State's coffers and stimulate the economy place all the burden on the popular classes in the form of lower wages, consumer taxes, pensions cuts, cuts in unemployment benefits, more privatization and the introduction of more obstacles to workers organizing (such as making it easier for employers to lay off workers and more restrictions on collective agreements).

Ever since the crisis broke, the more militant sectors of the trade union movement have been demanding that a general strike be called to oppose these unpopular measures, but because they were confined only to certain sectors and geographic areas, they were unable to achieve it. A general strike for 29th September was eventually called by the Comisiones Obreras (CCOO) and the Unión General de Trabajadores (UGT), the only organizations with the capacity to declare a general strike with a hope of succeeding at a country-wide level, despite their growing disrepute among workers, their lack of enthusiasm, their bloated apparatus and their extreme bureaucratization.

In fact, there is even some doubt as to the ability of the union movement as a whole, including the CCOO, UGT and militant trade unionists (the vast majority of which is organized outside the two big federations) to paralyse the country, since the sector with the highest levels of unionization and the most stable employment, which has only just been the target of a direct attack by the government (the largest pay cut for decades) – the civil service – gave only very limited support to a strike of its own sector on 8th June last. Most union members did not even go on strike and were not disciplined by their organizations as strikebreakers.

The cultural and social offensive on the part of the Right and its values which has gone hand in hand with the organizational and ideological disarming of the working class and the Left (a phenomenon that is not only Spanish but widespread throughout Europe) and the fear of losing one's job in the context of real unemployment at close to 20% of the population, are factors that work not only against the success of the forthcoming general strike, but also against a revival in the short to medium term of the popular movement.

The left in general and anarchists in particular have a long road ahead if they are to rebuild the organizations and the culture of solidarity of the working classes. To begin this, we must work to break the sectarian and political short-sightedness of our own little chapels, to be able to come together and consolidate into organizations that can act as reference points beyond our private feuds, so that they can become an alternative in the eyes of the masses and reverse the demoralization, disenchantment and individualism that has been spreading like a fungus.

It is very important, as a first step, for this General Strike to be a success and for the 29th September to see as many people as possible opposing the policies of the Zapatero government, outside the workplace and on the streets. The only help the government is giving is to the banks and employers, playing the game of the reaction organized by the Partido Popular, capitalizing politically on the bankruptcy of aPartido Socialista which, in a suicidal exercise "State responsibility", is destroying its traditional social base and delivering it into the arms of the heirs of Franco who, incidentally (and indeed could it be otherwise?), oppose both the government (as part of a strategy of attrition) and the strike.

If the strike should fail, it be not only a failure on the part of those that most of the public considers to be the unions that called the strike – the CCOO and UGT. It will be a failure on the part of the entire working class. It will not worsen the image of the CCOO and UGT in the eyes of the workers – it will simply further demoralize the workers... and that is always something that the bosses and the more servile elements of the trade unions, those less worthy of the name, take advantage of.

On the other hand, the more successful the strike, the greater the success of the workers, as it will provide a clear demonstration of the strength that lies in our unity and will therefore be a step forward in our consciousness and in our levels of organization. Thus, it will not be a triumph for bureaucratic, conciliatory trade unionism, but for combative, class-struggle unionism. We have an opportunity and a challenge ahead. Let us act accordingly!

Manu García - 22 September 2010 
Article written for Anarkismo.net - Translation by FdCA International Relations Office

There follows the text of an international statement produced by the CGT and signed by various organizations of a libertarian nature.

We, the signatories to this statement, wish to demonstrate our support for the general strike called by the CGT on 29th September 2010 in the Spanish State.

The widespread crisis is affecting the working class badly, in particular the most precarious sectors of the class. And though the Spanish State is particularly badly affected, this situation is shared by many different countries.

We agree with the reasons why our comrades in the CGT have called this strike, that is to say in order to defend the labour, social, economic and environmental freedoms and rights of all workers and all sectors of the working class in the face of the attacks from the multinationals and financial institutions.

We believe that Zapatero's attempt to force this new labour reform package on the workers, together with his plans for reducing the deficit and reforming the pension system, are completely unacceptable. These measures are extremely unjust, since they shift the burden of the crisis onto the backs of the masses and not the real culprits of the crisis. It is unacceptable that the very institutions that generated the crisis are those who are forcing their proposals to get out of it on everyone else, as it involves a reduction in the rights of the working class and an increase in profits for the capitalist system in general.

We also support the theme chosen by the CGT for this General Strike: "For the distribution of work and wealth". Distributing work means that everyone works less so that everyone can work, by reducing the working day (without a loss of wages) and the retirement age, preventing massive unfair layoffs, as well as overtime, piecework, etc. We understand the distribution of wealth not as a dividend or as shares amongst the population, but using that money on welfare and wage benefits for all the unemployed and a redistribution of resources on the basis of solidarity.

The crisis is affecting everyone, so our militant organizations will continue to work so that the mobilizations will continue everywhere.

Signatories to date:

1.  

   ÁFRICA:

   1. ANDCM, Asociación Nacional de Diplomados en Paro, (Marruecos)

   2. SNAPAP Sindicato Nacional Autónomo del Personal de la Administración Pública (Argelia)
   3. AMDH, Association Marocaine des Droits Humains, section de Larache. (Marruecos)
   4. Association Charif idrissi. (Marruecos)
   5. Federation Nationale Du Secteur Agricole /UMT, (Marruecos)
   6. Pateras de La vida Au nord du Maroc. (Marruecos)
   7. Association Forum des femmes au nord du Maroc (Marruecos)
   8. Frente Autentico del Trabajo (México)
   9. Moez Jemai – journaliste- syndicaliste (Túnez)
   10. OTDLS, L’observatoire tunisien des droits et des libertés syndicaux (Túnez)

   AMÉRICA DEL NORTE Y AUSTRALIA:

   1. Union Communiste Libertaire (Canadá)
   2. CIPO-RFM, Consejo Indígena Popular de Oaxaca-Ricardo Flores Magón, Vancouver, (Canada)
   3. Common Cause (Canadá)
   4. Colectivo Zapatista Tzajalek 32 de San Diego, California (EE.UU)
   5. Miami Solidarity & Autonomy (EEUU)
   6. Melbourne Anarchist Communist Group (Australia)

   AMÉRICA DEL SUR:

   - Argentina

   1. Frente Popular Darío Santillán (Argentina)
   2. FOB, Federación de Organizaciones de Base (Argentina)
   3. Red de Solidaridad con Chiapas de Vicente Lopez, (Argentina)
   4. Columna Libertaria Joaquin Penina – Rosario, (Argentina)
   5. Agrupación “De igual a igual” de los trabajadores del Banco Credicoop (Argentina)
   6. Corriente Político Sindical Rompiendo Cadenas, (Argentina)
   7. Red Libertaria de Buenos Aires (Argentina)
   8. FOB, Federación de Organizaciones de Base, Regional Rosario (Argentina)
   9. Coop. de Trabajadores Solidarios en Lucha ” La Toma “, empresa ocupada y puesta en funcionamiento por los trabajadores, Rosario (Argentina)
   10. La Biblioteca Popular “José Ingenieros” de la Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, (Argentina)
   11. La Voz de los Laburantes, (Argentina)

   - Bolivia:

   1.  Organización Anarquista por la Revolución Social (Bolivia)
   2. OARS, Organización Anarquista por la Revolución Social (Bolivia)

   - Brasil:

   1. Federação Anarquista do Rio de Janeiro (Brasil)
   2. Federação Anarquista de São Paulo (Brasil)
   3. Ana, agência de notícias anarquistas, (Brasil)
   4. MTST, Movimento dos Trabalhadores e Trabalhadoras Sem Teto, (Brasil)
   5. Resistencia Urbana – Frente Nacional de Movimentos, (Brasil)
   6. FAG, Federação Anarquista Gaúcha  (Brasil)
   7. FAO; Fórum do Anarquismo Organizado (Brasil)
   8. STEMA; Sindicato dos Trabalhadores em Educação do Município de Alegrete (Brasil)
   9. SIMCA, Sindicato dos Municipários de Cachoeirinha (Brasil)
   10. SIMPA, Sindicato dos Municipários de Porto Alegre (Brasil)

   - Chile:

   1. Asel Luzarraga (Chile)
   2. Hombre y Sociedad (Chile)
   3. Organización Revolucionaria Anarquista – Voz Negra (Chile)
   4. Estrategia Libertaria (Chile)
   5. Sociedad de Resistencia – Santiago, (Chile)
   6. OCL, Organización Comunista Libertaria (Chile)
   7. CGT Mosicam (Chile)
   8. Periódico Solidaridad, (Chile)
   9. SITECO, Sindicato Interempresa de Trabajadores de la Gran Mineria y Ramas Anexas (Chile)
   10. SINTEC, Sindicato Nacional de Trabajadores de la Construcción, montaje y otros, (Chile)
   11. FEL, Frente de Estudiantes Libertarios, (Chile)

   - Colombia:

   1. Grupo Antorcha Libertaria (Colombia)
   2. Instituto Nacional Sindical (Colombia)
   3. Red Popular Libertaria Mateo Kramer (Colombia)

   - México:

   1. Revista Rebeldía (México)
   2. Sergio Rodriguez Lascano, director revista Rebeldía, (México)
   3. “La Voz de los Zapotecos Xiches en Prisión” adherente a la Otra Campaña (México)
   4. La Red vs la Represión en Chiapas (México)
   5. Colectivo 20 de Junio (Zaachila Oaxaca) (México)
   6. María Antonieta Robles Barja , Trabajadora Social , Baja California (México)
   7. Julio Cesar Rincón, (México)
   8. Coordinadora Valle de Chalco (México)
   9. LA KARAKOLA , Espacio social y kultural (México)
   10. La Otra ciudad de Chihuahua, (México)
   11. Nicte-Há Dzib Soto, Niñas y Niños en La Otra Campaña-DF (México)
   12. Edilberto Bautista Dìaz, Scr Gral del Sindicato Democrático de Trabajadores de la Procuraduría Social del Distrito Federal (México)
   13. Frente Popular Francisco Villa Independiente-UNOPII (México)
   14. Colectivo Radio Zapatista (México)
   15. Votán Zapata (México)
   16. Nodo de Derechos Humanos (México)
   17. Enlace Urbano de Dignidad, Puebla, (México)
   18. Frente Autentico del Trabajo (México)
   19. ¡UníoS!, Unidad Obrea y Socialista (México)
   20. RvsR, Red Contra la Represión y por la Solidaridad (México)
   21. UVyD-19, Unión de Vecinos y Damnificados 19 de septiembre (México)
   22. Tomás Oropeza Berumen, profesor de la UNAM (México)
   23. Colectivo de mujeres “Tejiendo Resistencias” (México)
   24. Enrique Ávila Carrillo (México)
   25. Comité por la libertad de Víctor Herrera Govea (México)
   26. Ayari Camero Cortés (México)
   27. Brigada Callejera de Apoyo a la Mujer “Elisa Martínez”, A.C. (México)
   28. Red Mexicana de Trabajo Sexual (México)
   29. Cruz Negra Anarquista (México)
   30. Campaña Permanente Contra la Represión Política y la Tortura Sexual (México)
   31. Multiforo Cultural Alicia (México)

   - Perú:

   1. Unión Socialista Libertaria (Perú)
   2. Centro de Estudios Sociales Manuel González Prada, Huancayo (Perú)
   3. Tendencia Estudiantil Libertaria, Lima (Perú)
   4. Movimiento Manuel González Prada, Lima (Perú)

   - Uruguay:

   1. UCRUS, Unión de Clasificadores de Residuos Urbanos Sólidos, Montevideo, (Uruguay)
   2. Colectivo Socialista Libertario (Uruguay)
   3. Periódico Rojo y Negro (Uruguay)
   4. Federación Anarquista Uruguaya (Uruguay)
   5. Centro Internacional de Estudios Sociales (Uruguay)

   EUROPA:

   1. USI – Unione Sindacale Italiana (Italia)
   2. IP – Inicjatywa Pracownicza (Polonia)
   3. CNT-F – Confédération nationale du travail (Francia)
   4. IWW – Industrial Workers of the World  (UK)
   5. ESE – Sindicato Libertario Griego (Grecia)
   6. SAC – Sveriges Arbetares Centralorganisation  (Suecia)
   7. l’Union syndicale Solidaires (Francia)
   8. Centro de Estudos Libertários (Portugal)
   9. A Batalha (Portugal)
   10. Federazione dei Comunisti Anarchici (Italia)
   11. Organisation Socialiste Libertaire (Suiza)
   12. Alternative Libertaire (Francia)
   13. La Fédération SUD service public, canton de Vaud (Suiza)
   14. CUB, Confederazione Unitaria di Base (Italia)
   15. UNICOBAS (Italia)
   16. Asciacion Ya Basta, (Italia)
   17. Libertære Socialister (Dinamarca)
   18. WSM, Workers Solidarity Movement, (Irlanda)
   19. Liberty & Solidarity (Gran Bretaña)