The working class organizing around a single issue that generalizes...

[Creative Destruction]

Tim Cornelis brought up something, I think last month, but I can't find the thread anymore. It was about the South African housing activists, and he mentioned something that I though was interesting: the idea of the working class organizing a particular issue, which acts as a starting point that begins to generalize into a larger movement. I think I got that right. Regardless, that seems to be something that will vary from country to country.

I'm thinking if something like this might happen in the United States, the issue that would be most accessible to organize around is debt and rent. Personal debt, student debt, high rents and what not.

In your country, what would that "single issue" be for the working class, if you think there is one?

[Tim Cornelis]

I used Abahlali baseMjondolo, which fights for housing. I mentioned earlier also the US equivalent, the Seattle Solidarity Network, which does more or less what you think they should do. Fight against landlord abuse and boss abuse.

It should be more than a 'single issue', it should be a number of pivotal issues, always involving class and work. But more than just being pivotal issues, they should be immediate and short-term. Loads of Trots and such campaign for free education and this is good, but yields no (almost) immediate returns -- it requires too much altruism therefore.

In the Netherlands housing struggle is still important. There's still quite a housing shortage for young people. Squatting is used for this purpose, but it's geared toward a sub/counter-culture.

[Atsumari]

The problem with working towards single issue politics is that it brings in a lot of baggage that makes many people realize that maybe their goal of working towards a single issue is not ideal. SYRIZA and ANEL's alliance against austerity is probably the most recent example.
If the working class is indeed serious about organizing around a single issue, then the only mindset which I find compatible is one of transition rather than an end goal.

[Thirsty Crow]

Loads of Trots and such campaign for free education and this is good, but yields no (almost) immediate returns -- it requires too much altruism therefore.

As someone that was once a part of a students' fight for free education - I don't think it is true that this fight yields no immediate returns; returns might not be very significant in the grand scheme of things, but they can be achieved. Furthermore, this idea about required altruism makes sense only if the most dedicated and combative core is composed of "professional revolutionaries"; in other cases, it isn't a matter of altruism but of potential solidarity both between students and working class parents' who finance, either fully or to some extent, their children's education which only means one thing - a part of guranteed social reproduction has been heaved onto working class folk's paychecks (those aren't doing too good either as we all know). From my experience, this solidarity remained only a potential to be worked on and worked from though.