1. Mon, 01/08/11

    Ours to master and to own

    Workers’ Control from the Commune to the Present

    From the dawning of the industrial epoch, wage earners have organized themselves into unions, fought bitter strikes, and have gone so far as to challenge the very premises of the system by creating institutions of democratic self-management aimed at controlling production without bosses. Looking at specific examples drawn from every corner of the globe and every period of modern history, this pathbreaking volume comprehensively traces this often under-appreciated historical tradition. read more »

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  2. Mon, 01/08/11

    Rosa Luxemburg and the Revolutionary Antiwar Mass Strikes in Germany during World War I

    Since 1906 Rosa Luxemburg was the outstanding protagonist of the revolutionary mass strike idea in Germany. After having participated for some months in the First Russian Revolution of 1905/06 she published her important essay “Mass Strikes, Political Party and Trade Unions”.  Luxemburg recommended the mass strike as a mean of pressure for getting more democratic rights. read more »

    Theorists: Geographical: Era: Topic: 
  3. Mon, 01/08/11

    Rosa Luxemburg’s Criticism of Lenin’s Ultra Centralistic Party Concept and of the Bolshevik Revolution

    In 1922 a heated controversy on Rosa Luxemburg’s manuscript “The Russian Revolution” arose in the Communist Party of Germany (KPD) and in the Communist International (KI). Paul Levi, a close friend of Rosa and since March 1919 leader of the KPD, criticised publicly the participation of the Central Committee in the March 1921 uprising in Middle Germany[1] and called it a putsch especially since some Russian advisors from the KI had urged the action. read more »

    Theorists: Geographical: Era: 
  4. Mon, 01/08/11

    Rosa Luxemburg’s Concept of Basic Democratic Socialism

    Every year in January between 50.000 and 100.000 people honour Rosa Luxemburg with a march to her grave at a cemetery in Berlin, Germany. In the last several years conferences on Rosa Luxemburg took place not only in Germany but also in other European countries like Finland, Russia, Poland, Switzerland, Italy, USA (1998 in Chicago where Bill Pelz organized the meeting) and even in China and recently in South America. read more »

    Theorists: Geographical: Era: Topic: 
  5. Tue, 26/07/11

    Rosa at a Loss

    The KPD Leadership and the Berlin Uprising of January 1919: Legend and Reality

    In recent German historical writing, the protest movement of the Berlin workers against the Ebert­–Scheidemann government1 in the second week of January 1919 is no longer described as the ‘Spartakus Uprising’, and as a result the German Communist Party (KPD) is not now held solely or even mainly responsible for it.2 Yet the assert­ion still haunts historical works and the media that the uprising was a putsch that was fully supported by Rosa Luxemburg and the other Spartakus leaders, in opposition to the demo read more »

    Theorists: Geographical: 
  6. Thu, 31/12/09

    Here's the chocolate factory, but where has Willy Wonka gone?

    No bosses in sight at plants taken over by ex-employees in new workers' revolution in Argentina.

    If Willy Wonka and Karl Marx went into business together the result might resemble Ghelco. read more »

    Geographical: Era: Topic: 
  7. Thu, 31/12/09

    Fire the Boss!

    Naomi Klein & Avi Lewis on "The Worker Control Solution from Buenos Aires to Chicago"

    Shock Doctrine author Naomi Klein and Al Jazeera host Avi Lewis discuss the workers who are taking over their factories and plants rather than lose their jobs, some to owners who owe money to bailed-out banks. read more »

    Geographical: Era: Topic: Media: Experiences: 
  8. Mon, 31/12/07

    From Zanon to Iraq

    Foreword from the book 'Sin Patron' on the Argentinian recuperated factories.

    On March 19, 2003, we were on the roof of the Zanon ceramic tile factory, filming an interview with Cepillo. He was showing us how the workers fended off eviction by armed police, defending their democratic workplace with slingshots and the little ceramic balls normally used to pound the Patagonian clay into raw material for tiles. His aim was impressive. read more »

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  9. Sat, 31/12/05

    An Agreement to Live: From Zanón to FaSinPat

    A chapter from the book "Sin Patron", by La Vaca collective from Buenos Aires.

    It is one of the biggest "recuperated factories" in Argentina with exemplary worker management. read more »

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