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Anarcho-Syndicalism
Max Wigley
Anticopyright 2007
(use
it for whatever you want)
Anarcho-Syndicalism is the idea that workers in factory like environments can exist without
any managers or bosses telling them what to do. Instead of taking orders from leaders the workers function as an Anarchist
collective and own what they produce. Anarcho-Syndicalism is a direct way for workers to introduce Anarchist principles to
everyday life, showing other workers that they can directly own what they produce and still be productive without bosses or
superiors.
Anarcho-Syndicalism differs from regular syndicalism and trades unions in that trade unions only want improved
working conditions and are represented as a whole by a few representatives. In an Anarcho-Syndicalist workplace workers collectively
decide on their working conditions and quota by reaching a common consensus between all the workers. Unlike in a trade union
situation workers in an Anarcho-Syndicalist workplace are free to leave or join the union as they please and no one is shut
out. In regular Syndicalsim (the same as Trade Unionism) workers strive for working class unity and currency is work value
instead of money. Syndicalists aren't very interested in changes in government besides laws and systems that directly benefit
Syndicalism.
Anarcho-Syndicalism is an important Anarchist strategy because it takes a capitalist environment and turns
into a self-reliant anarchist collective while still being able to compete with other companies in a capitalist market. The
best example of Anarcho-Syndicalism in action was the Spanish Confederacio`n Nacional del Trabajo (the CNT). The CNT were
one of the only Syndicalist organizations to directly identify with Anarchism. and played an important role in the spanish
civil war of 1936, by helping organize general strikes and promoted working class unity, as well as Anarchist ideals.
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