Trades Syndicate

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#1
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Nick Durie
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Feb 13 2005 23:26
Trades Syndicate

Comrades,

I am highly interested in forming a network of tradesmen and skilled labourers with a view to ultimately forming a syndicate.

The initial aim would be to have a pool of people who can travel and do up buildings that are being used for the movement's infrastructure, or perform consultancy on a given production unit (e.g. 'Your collectivized allotment has a heavy clay soil, in order to improve your yields you should work X kilos of large organic matter into the soil and....'). I think this is the next step now that we have been concentrating on developing our own community spaces.

As part of GAP I have been involved in viewing property, some of which has been quite derelict and unsuitable for our uses without building work done to it. At present our group contains one computer programmer and some with programming skill, one joiner, one gardener (me), and others with farming skills, one professional photographer and graphic designer etc., but supposing we needed a sparkie or a plumber. Also I would be more than happy to go and help other groups with their gardens?

I think folk get the idea.

I also met a comrade at the last Earth First! summer conference thingy who was interested in this project as well. I'd be really keen to track that person down. He was from Liverpool, about 5' 10' and was an electrician. I can't remember his name (perhaps Tom). If anyone has contact details for someone who they think might be him I'd appreciate if they could PM me or send me an email on nick_durie@hotmail.com.

Yours in Solidarity,

Nick Durie

#2
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Lazlo_Woodbine
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Joined: 26-09-03
Feb 14 2005 00:00

That's a really good idea. I'd say keep doing workshops at the bookfair and EF! gatherings and it'll definitely be useful.

I know a couple of sparks and plumbers but they're all in the deep south, I'm afraid sad

#3
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Nick Durie
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Feb 14 2005 01:16

Such a body I think would initially need to be Britain wide, altho ultimately it would be cool to be able to pull only those who for example hailed from Yorkshire or Argyle and Bute, or whatever, but it's not currently happening at all as far as I'm aware.

I dunno if just doing workshops about it is the way to go about things tho. I tend to just steam into projects which isn't necessarily the best strategy either but. I think it would be necessary to have a core of a few people who'd be up for it.

#4
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Joe Hill
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Feb 14 2005 01:42

I think you need a plan to implement your vision.

#5
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Vaneigemappreci...
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Feb 15 2005 12:10

Ive recently considered training to become an electrician, a la mallatesta, its a trade and with a bit of luck i could use it outside of employment. Ive heard that electricians in south africa have been reconnecting houses that have had their elc cut as a result of not paying bills. However it appears that most courses are in excess of 3years and involve contracts at the end of training. Dont suppose anyone knows the trade?

#6
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ftony
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Joined: 26-05-04
Feb 15 2005 16:33

my housemate became a qualified electrician in one year. i'll (try and remember to) ask him.

In response to Nick, if you ever need any arc welding done, i have an A at GCSE metalwork. No, don't laugh, i'm sure i can remember the basics (even thought it was five years ago), but have no equipment (damn it).

#7
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Vaneigemappreci...
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Feb 15 2005 16:43

I would really appreciate if you did ask, if there is a one year qualifying course that would make it way easier, plus i think theres an opportunity to do some meaningful work with such skills

#8
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Joe Hill
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Feb 16 2005 00:20

A friend of mine has arc welding e*uipment and skills (Dundee), was a marine engineer, can do most trades.

#9
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phoebe
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Joined: 20-09-03
Feb 16 2005 09:57
Nick Durie wrote:
Comrades,

I am highly interested in forming a network of tradesmen and skilled labourers with a view to ultimately forming a syndicate.

No offence, but you lost me at the word "Comrades"...

Your style comes across as slightly jerky. Like "hello my good sir, I would like one and twenty of your english pounds if you please" kinda jerky. Maybe you want to tone down the rhetorical style a bit and just say things.

#10
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Lazlo_Woodbine
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Joined: 26-09-03
Feb 16 2005 12:18

And your style comes across as patronising and petty roll eyes

#11
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phoebe
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Feb 16 2005 13:23

I didn't mean to come across as petty. It's not something I'll bring up again. It's just if you're trying to connect with fellow workers then the tone in which you do it is relevant to actually having people listen to what you say. I tried to say what I was saying in a neutral an constructive manner (which is a damn site more effort than a number of other people put into critical posts around here).

#12
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Lazlo_Woodbine
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Feb 16 2005 13:30
phoebe wrote:
I tried to say what I was saying in a neutral an constructive manner (which is a damn site more effort than a number of other people put into critical posts around here).

Yeah, but I practise Zero Tolerance twisted

black bloc Mr. T

:greenblackstar: :greenblackstar:

#13
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AnarchoAl
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Joined: 29-05-04
Feb 16 2005 18:15

It'd probably make more sense to everyone else if they'd seen Nick chuckling away as he types.

#14
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Nick Durie
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Feb 17 2005 00:34
Quote:

No offence, but you lost me at the word "Comrades"...

Your style comes across as slightly jerky. Like "hello my good sir, I would like one and twenty of your english pounds if you please" kinda jerky. Maybe you want to tone down the rhetorical style a bit and just say things.

Zounds, yet again notwithstanding my utmost endeavours to the contrary you have joined the band of protestors 'gainst my usage of the word comrades. 'Tappears that my heretofore soundly held convictions vis-a-vis my compears within the anarchist movement and wider milieu have been roundly contraindicated! I am quite in a state of near apoplexy!

Well in all fairness to you I accept the point that the syntax i employ when I'm writing differs quite radically from my everyday speech, but as regards rhetorical language i don't quite follow. i'll use rhetoric mostly as a self-conscious backward glance at the communist movement of the past, and it will be quite self-conscious.

i don't feel that people should be constrained in the form of writing they use (we all have different linguistic and educational backgrounds, and we'll find our own medium) so long as it doesn't actually constitute a barrier to communication.. However, that said, I do object to the narcisstic and nasty tone that has become commonplace on enrager. These forums are in a very real sense the only real organ of internal debate and discussion within the anarchist movement (outside of Freedom newspaper, which I think is wholly unsatisfactory to use for this purpose, altho i seem to be alone in thinking that the purpose of agitprop is to convince the vast majority of the working class who are not signed up to anarchist cause of the pressing need for communism); as such they would be better used as a means of circulating position papers and having discussions on poltically salient topics, as well as netowrking events and organizing. I think that kind of use should be encouraged here, and I think to do that might need people to be "earnest" (who would have thought a communist would ever earnestly treat the subject of the class war with seriousness? How positively hackneyed! Don't you know we're all supposed to be post-leftists, maaaaaaaan!) and to treat each other as comrades (and maybe even use the word, so like whatehhhhvur!) and avoid in jokes and intellectual masturbation.

I already know of one solid comrade who has left these forums having becoming disillusioned with the laddish nonsense that passes for serious discussion of the practical exigencies of organizing the communist revolution, and she certainly didn't leave because I called comrades 'comrades'.

For Communism,

;red: Nick Durie :red:

#15
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Nick Durie
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Feb 17 2005 00:38
Quote:
It'd probably make more sense to everyone else if they'd seen Nick chuckling away as he types.

Quite. Altho on this occasion Ally Bally I was being serious. I am actually very interested in this subject.

Another idea was bounced my way as regards labour exchanges. It was a thought that a social centre might function as a physical space for a labour exchange, tying the tow ideas (syndicate and centre) togather in a way that will actually improve people's lives and provide decent employment, serve as agit-prop and be part of the building of an alternative infrastructure.

The idea wasn't mines BTW, and stems from comrade Hamilton of GAP, however i think it's something very cool to aim at.

Raise The Red Flag,

:red: Nick Durie :red:

#16
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Joe Hill
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Feb 17 2005 01:23

We did this in the CP and it was great for ordinary people in a practical sense.

(But don't let that get in the way of a good enrager middle class & nonsensical slagging...)

#17
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AnarchoAl
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Joined: 29-05-04
Feb 17 2005 02:44

I know you're being serious Nick, but be honest- you started with "Comrades," and probably read the first couple of lines outloud in a pompous voice p

And I'm sure, had I been there, I would have laughed. )

#18
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phoebe
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Joined: 20-09-03
Feb 17 2005 11:09
Nick Durie wrote:
i don't feel that people should be constrained in the form of writing they use (we all have different linguistic and educational backgrounds, and we'll find our own medium) so long as it doesn't actually constitute a barrier to communication.

Fair point. I think my problem with it was that a number of people have a similar style (or alternatively a "down with my peeps on the street" style which comes across similarly with a different target) and I'd gotten used to using that as a "this is going to be a pile of bollocks" detector to allow me to ignore things I don't need to read so I can get on with reading things that I do. I don't think the idea is a terrible one and as such thought it might be worth piping up about the style thing. Obviously you're welcome to write in whatever style suits your fancy and I didn't want to get in the way of that.

I agree with you on you're complaints about the whole "laddish" bullshit.

#19
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ftony
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Joined: 26-05-04
Feb 17 2005 16:42
Quote:
Ive recently considered training to become an electrician, a la mallatesta, its a trade and with a bit of luck i could use it outside of employment. Ive heard that electricians in south africa have been reconnecting houses that have had their elc cut as a result of not paying bills. However it appears that most courses are in excess of 3years and involve contracts at the end of training. Dont suppose anyone knows the trade?

okay, so this is what my housemate said:

he did a foundation course in electrical engineering through the Association of Electrical Engineers. He did an intensive 3 month course, that they now don't do, but there are six month courses available he thinks. Also, there are bursaries etc. available.

He also suggested you have a look at your nearest FE college, cos they've normally got stuff going on too.

#20
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Vaneigemappreci...
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Joined: 23-01-04
Feb 17 2005 16:55

cheers very much, i'l ay a butchers