What is Anarcho-Syndicalism?

[Internationale]

I have looked it up in books and on the internet yet I can't quite grasp the concept.

[helot]

Anarcho-syndicalism is basically the merger of syndicalism and anarchism, syndicalism itself pretty much being rank and file unionism. Whereas syndicalism rejects any politics in the union anarcho-syndicalists insist that any organisation of workers must have explicitly revolutionary politics. Further, where syndicalism seeks the creation of one union of all workers anarcho-syndicalists don't and instead organise alongside non-anarcho-syndicalist workers and advocate for the formation of mass assemblies, factory committes and workers' councils.

Anarcho-syndicalism isnt limited purely to workplace activity (even if anarcho-syndicalists recognise the workers are strongest at the point of production). Anarcho-syndicalists also seek to organise as tenents, as unemployed people, as women, as people of colour etc to fight all our oppressions. Imo it's best to understand the anarcho-syndicalist union as a federation of workplace and community unions. Its tactics have the same basis as anarchism in general: direct action.

The aim of anarcho-syndicalist unions isn't just to win improved conditions but also to educate ourselves (working class at large) so that we'll be ready to independently manage the processes of production and distribution when the times comes to take possession of all elements of social life.

The primary anarcho-syndicalist organisation is the International Workers' Association (IWA-AIT) which has member sections in various countries but predominantly in Europe and South America.

It's a bit brief but i'm in a bit of a rush. Feel free to ask any further questions and i'll try respond as soon as possible.

In the meantime a few things you might be interested in reading:

Anarcho-syndicalism by Rudolf Rocker http://libcom.org/library/anarcho-syndicalism-rudolf-rocker

Anarcho-Syndicalism in the 20th Century by Vadim Damier http://libcom.org/library/anarcho-syndicalism-20th-century-vadim-damier

Fighting for Ourselves: Anarcho-syndicalism and the Class Struggle by Solidarity Federation (SF-IWA) http://www.selfed.org.uk/read/ffo

[Internationale]

I apologize, but I still don't get it. Is it basically that the entire society is just one large labor union? May you please explain it more simply?

[argeiphontes]

Union is more like worker's council in this case. A tenant union is like a consumption council. These councils are organized into a federation. Eventually, they could control production and consumption and usher in an anarchist society. I think that's the main idea. Hope that helps.

[reb]

I apologize, but I still don't get it. Is it basically that the entire society is just one large labor union? May you please explain it more simply?

Unions take over industries. How these unions interact with each other is another question, but the unions decide how industry is to be run. The question as to in what way these unions could still be called unions in a post capital framework is up for grabs as well.