Sol Fed

[Pogue]

I'm an anarcho-syndicalist and I'm in the IWW also.

I don't understand the Sol Fed. They're not a union, but not a party (obviously). Nor are they a federation like the AF. What do they aim to do, whats their goal, structure etc?

[ls]

They are a federation, it's in their name..

On their site in the main banner it states they are the British section of the IWA.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Workers_Association


..is an international anarcho-syndicalist federation of various labour unions from different countries. It was founded as the International Workingmen's Association in 1922, at a Berlin congress of anarcho-syndicalist labor unions.

[Pogue]

They are a federation, it's in their name..

On their site in the main banner it states they are the British section of the IWA.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Workers_Association

But what do they seek to do? If they're not a union, what purpose does a non-union anarcho syndicalist group serve? Do they serve the purpose the FAI served to the CNT?

[ls]

But what do they seek to do? If they're not a union, what purpose does a non-union anarcho syndicalist group serve? Do they serve the purpose the FAI served to the CNT?

I do believe so. As you say that I read that the CNT is affiliated with the IWA too (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Workers_Association#IWA_Today).

That same wikipedia article has good things to say about them, including being one of the first anarchist groups to denounce Searchlight after it turned sour.

[Pogue]

I know they're cool I just don't understand fully what they want to do.

[ls]

Well, it seems they simply organize, unify workers between the unions they're affiliated with and to fight for better pay.

From the SolFed wiki article
Solidarity Federation members who work in the same work sector have also formed Networks. Their purpose is to promote solidarity amongst workers. Networks also use Direct Action to fight for better pay and conditions. The two existing networks are the Education Workers’ Network and the Public Service Workers’ Network..

They seem fairly militant having previously been DAM, but I think as stated before are their primary objective(s).

[Devrim]

But what do they seek to do? If they're not a union, what purpose does a non-union anarcho syndicalist group serve? Do they serve the purpose the FAI served to the CNT?

I think that they realise that you can't just set up an anarcho-syndicalist/revolutionary syndicalist union by will power alone as the IWW believes it can.

I think that they have members who believe that they are a group in favour of an anarcho-syndicalist union, and those who think that anarcho-syndicalism has evolved away from the 'mass union' form.

As I am sure you realise, I am not a member.

Some of them post on Libcom. You can ask them there.

Devrim

[nuisance]

Here's some information from SolFeds recent pamphlet 'Strategy and Struggle- anarcho-syndicalism in the 21st century' (http://www.libcom.org/library/strategy-struggle-anarcho-syndicalism-21st-century)
'Preamble
Solidarity Federation's ultimate aim is a self-managed, stateless society based on the principle of from each according to their ability, to each according to their needs. It is a society where we are no longer just used as a means to an end by bosses wanting to make money from our labour.
In the medium term and as an essential forerunner to such a society, SolFed promotes and seeks to initiate anarcho-syndicalist unions. To this end, SolFed seeks to create a militant opposition to the bosses and the state, controlled by the workers themselves. Its strategy can apply equally to those in the official trade unions who wish to organise independently of the union bureaucracy and those who wish to set up other types of self-organisation.
Details of the strategy
Mass meetings should be seen as an alternative structure to official union structures that are dominated by full-time bureaucrats. Decisions are made collectively in these assemblies. The work of these assemblies in different workplaces should be co-ordinated by delegate councils.
In the most militant workforces regular mass meetings will be held and this is obviously the ideal we are aiming at. This may not be possible in other workplaces where it will only be possible to organise such meetings when a dispute arises.
We need a three-pronged approach to the business of actually setting up an independent organisation at work.
1.In a workplace with a recognised TUC union, an SF member would join the union but promote an anarcho-syndicalist strategy. This would involve organising workplace assemblies to make collective decisions on workplace issues. However, workers will still be likely to hold union cards here to avoid splits in the workplace between union members and non-union members.
2.In a non-unionised workplace, independent unions, based on the principle of collective decision-making, should be set up wherever possible.
3.In a non-unionised workplace, that is difficult to organise due to a high turnover of staff or a large number of temps, we should just call workers assemblies when a dispute arises.
SF members will also undertake anarcho-syndicalist propaganda work in each scenario. The principles of our industrial strategy would apply to all three approaches.'

I suggest a reading of the whole pamphlet for a decent representation of SolFed.

[Pogue]

Very useful and interesting, thanks. Is this almost a form of anarchist entryism?

[Bilan]

Its a tactic shared by the ASN in australia

[Pogue]

Has it proven to be any more succesful than attempts at creating an independent revolutionary union?

Would it be contradictory to be active with Sol Fed and the IWW?

[Joe Hill's Ghost]

Has it proven to be any more succesful than attempts at creating an independent revolutionary union?

Would it be contradictory to be active with Sol Fed and the IWW?

I think both groups sorta have the same strategy and don´t know it. The Brit IWW is now full of afed folk using it to employ something approximating their workplace resistance group strategy. Basically using the IWW as a hybrid of a militants network and a real decentralized base union, transitioning more towards the latter. Solfed doesn´t think that they have the capacity to initiate a mass syndicalist union and instead have laid the framework for one and operate more or less as a network of militants, much like workplace resistance groups. I´m sure there are bigger differences, but it seems like both groups have the same strategy with diff names. Send an email to their Secretariat, they're all good people, they'll clear up any confusion.

[Forward Union]

I think both groups sorta have the same strategy and don´t know it. The Brit IWW is now full of afed folk using it to employ something approximating their workplace resistance group strategy. .

Except that's completely the opposite direction the IWW is going as it has a base union strategy and policy of duel carding. Workplace resistance groups are just not on the IWWs agenda such a policy is antagonistic to IWWs strategy. The attempt is to build a legally certified industrial union. Not a network of workpalce resistance groups.

Solfed is anarcho syndicalist network that seeks to ideologically promote anarcho syndicalism in the workplace, and build networks so that workers can then build a revolutionary union. My gripe is that they believe you have to be a fully fledged anarcho syndicalist to be in a Syndicalist Union. And to join their front groups or 'networks' you have to be a member of Solfed.

[Forward Union]

Would it be contradictory to be active with Sol Fed and the IWW?

Well no, but you'd certainly have to decide where you stood on the key issues of disagreement. And what function being in Solfed would have.

[Joe Hill's Ghost]

Except that's completely the opposite direction the IWW is going as it has a base union strategy and policy of duel carding. Workplace resistance groups are just not on the IWWs agenda such a policy is antagonistic to IWWs strategy. The attempt is to build a legally certified industrial union. Not a network of workpalce resistance groups.

Solfed is anarcho syndicalist network that seeks to ideologically promote anarcho syndicalism in the workplace, and build networks so that workers can then build a revolutionary union. My gripe is that they believe you have to be a fully fledged anarcho syndicalist to be in a Syndicalist Union. And to join their front groups or 'networks' you have to be a member of Solfed.

Yup hence why I said that it was transitioning towards base union. But even as a base union it approximates workplace resistance groups of the Afed imagination. Just with a bit more infrastructure.

As for that stuff about solfed...interesting. I plead ignorance to most things solfed. Just that they don't think a syndicalist union is possible right now, and that they instead pormote the ideas and militancy as a network of workers. It's somewhat similar to the WSA in the US, though they remain more ecumenical and ofucs more on "self managed unionism"

[Pogue]

Is anyone on the board a Sol fed member?

[Devrim]

I was a member of DAM-IWA, which later became SolFed when I worked as a postman in London in the 80s.

Devrim

[nuisance]

Is anyone on the board a Sol fed member?
The user DirectAction is. And also a member of the Libcom team Joseph. K looks like a good person to speak to about SolFed.
He's a link to DA's profile, though he hasn't been on the account for a fair while.
http://www.revleft.com/vb/member.php?u=18148

[Pogue]

I don't understand how they could ever envisage being influencial enough to spread the anarcho-syndicalist idea widely enough, if they're just a network of militants?