Running out of Arguments supporting Electricity Workers Strike

[ComradeChe]

Electricity workers have been on a strike for couple of months or so, last month they ended the strike after promises to agree on their demands, off course I supported their strike since huge amount of the workers are what is called daily workers, which means they have no contracts, health insurance, social security, minimum wages...etc. So in a country where life costs is getting higher every month, these people have every right to strike until they get their demands.
Unfortunately this country also had electricity problems since the civil war (1975) if not before, so electricity rationing is a norm here, which resulted in the expansion of the private electricity generators that supply electricity to houses and private business when the national electricity is off.
It seems the workers demands where not - and will not - be granted, so the strike is back again, I've been without electricity for 20 hours now because I cannot afford paying for a generator, I still support the workers, but people are getting restless, because with the corruption we have, and the fact that upper class have private generators, the strike only affects lower and working class (some generators cost like $250/month).

I am running out of arguments why we all should support the workers, and to be honest I understand the point of those calling for it to end, I mean today I had to precook all the stuff in my fridge (I just stocked my monthly stock) and buy Ice to put in the freezer in case electricity doesn't come for a while.

so my friends, what arguments can I use other than its a right for every worker to have social security and benefits, but people have the right to get electricity as well.

[cynicles]

I would say the strike needs to be escalated to beyond just these worker's demands to begin hitting at the more structural issue of why electricity provision is structured so poorly. Of course that's easier said then done.

[ComradeChe]

In a country divided by sectarian "politics", Electricity has been an issue for governments for decades, the people say that no government is welling to solve this problem because they cannot agree which "political party/sect" should profit from it - that is street talk off course - others say the generator dealers are high profile politicians who will lose huge dollars if people stopped needing them.

The lack of coordination and organizing makes it hard to escalate the strike, because if the minister is from a certain party or sect, all workers affiliated with that minister would refuse to join the strike, and will attack their fellow workers accusing them of Sectarianism, so you can imagine how the strike turns from a workers rights move into a war of ideologies and religion and politics!!!

[Kotze]

When you ask a bunch of people what it means to own stuff the most common answer will probably be that owning something is about the right to use it.

Maybe somebody will retort that owning something is the right to block others from using it, and when we reflect a bit and think about the stuff that is necessary for production, we realize that this definition has more clarity.

When some are annoyed by a strike, tell them you understand. Are they angry at those on strike? Show more angriness then all of them together. Ask what is a strike, and give the answer yourself: a group restricting, blocking, sabotaging, production and then making demands. The more pain is felt, the bigger these demands can be. Those parasites! (Don't forget to shake your fist here.) This is nothing but blackmail.

This world operates according to the saboteur's theory of value: The more you can threaten to destroy, the more you get.

Ask who gets the most. It's not the workers who occasionally disrupt production by strike, it is those who disrupt production all the time: those who control investment, patents, factories, the ground we stand on. Homelessness and unemployment and booms and busts — they want us to accept that as something outside any human control. We don't call the minority's right to restrict access to housing or that other essential stuff a right to strike; why even have a word for something that is apparantly always there.

Violence can be suitable in self-defense, saying that doesn't make me a fan of violence. In the world as it is today, workers going on strike in reaction to what is done to them can be suitable as well, that doesn't make me a "fan of disruption". Striking workers blocking access to means of production, in the world as it is, is a matter of self-defense, it's the workers giving the bosses a taste of their own medicine. The problem is that this medicine causes diarrhoea and the bosses shit everywhere, so we can expect some collateral damage.

Some people in some circumstances refusing to do some particular task and renegotiations, we will always have that. What we won't have under socialism is unemployment and a minority class living from sabotage, so blocking access to means of production will cease to be a legitimate part of work refusal.

It is sensible to make a distinction in which sectors work discipline is more crucial. The question is whether the produced stuff is broadly used as an input and how hard it is to maintain a bit of a buffer. Electricity is of course a great example for something where work discipline is crucial. It makes sense to be more restrictive with rules that relate to quitting and other aspects of work discipline in such a sensible sector and to have a remuneration bonus for the required loyalty. I don't have a problem with such restrictions if they are transparent to me and not changed post-hiring.

Working out the specific remuneration levels under socialism will not be left to some political party. Min and max income will be voted on by the public. Some remuneration details will be voted on at the workplace. To reduce the problem of selfish people dishonestly claiming that their tasks are more arduous to get higher remuneration, the remuneration and task assignment will be part of the same process. (= When my vote claims your task is very easy, this only works to reduce your task-specific bonus if I'm also qualified to do what you do, and then it also increases the probability that I'm assigned that task.)

[RevoTO]

Comrade,

I believe when discussing with other working class people you have to connect there own struggles with the struggles of the electricity workers. Many people do not view the struggle of other unions or the rest of the working class as directly related with there own struggle. These people then do not support other strikes and actions especially when it has such a negative effect on there living standards. You have to explain the struggle in a wider context.

Explaining the failures of capitalism and how it cannot provide for working class people could be effective here. Use a healthy class hatred many people have to your advantage!

It is a tricky situation and will be difficult to explain, but the right arguments and a careful approach is key.