Working Class Decomposition and Gig Economy Work
On 8 May 2019 around 300 protesters, mostly Uber and Lyft drivers, blocked Market Street in San Francisco in front of Uber's international headquarters as part of a global strike by drivers timed to coincide with Uber's IPO. This brief analysis attempts to situate these struggles against working class decomposition, with its roots in neoliberal deregulation, and the rise of so-called "gig economy" work.
Strikes and victories for outsourced workers across London
Underemployment, casualisation and the future of work
There has been, for a number of years, in the UK, a growth in the use of zero-hours contracts, mostly in the so called "gig" economy but also in other sectors such as cleaning, hospitality. This article describes some of the tactics being used by bosses to increase their control and power of the workers and to weaken the ability of workers to organise and act to improve their position.
Port Adelaide struggles, 1928-1931
Photo gallery of the strikes and riots at Port Adelaide in Australia which began in 1928 when the employers introduced new working conditions. They cut workers' break time - when workers already did 16 to 48 hour shifts, and crucially strengthened the "bull system", whereby bosses would handpick workers. This meant not only workers having to wait around for hours each day to potentially not get any work but also that union workers could be denied hiring. Union leaders rapidly called off the action but workers continued to fight for three years.
‘It’s only the beginning’: UK McDonald’s staff take historic strike action
Spanish dockworkers prepare for strikes against job losses and casualisation
An account of the British Film Institute strikes, 2002
Building a fuckin' parking garage
A manual worker's account of day labour from The Best of Temp Slave!.
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