14th september reading group: why do workers form trade unions?

Monday 14th from 7pm at the Artillery Arms, 102 Bunhill Row, near Old Street station, London

The Commune’s next course of reading groups is entitled ‘Schools for communism?’ and is on the subject of workplace organising and theories of trade unionism.

14th21stsept

Following a recent series on ‘communism from below’, this autumn we will look more closely at how the working class organises and the limitations of different means of struggle.

The first session will be on the themes:

– What relations underlie the exchange between capital and workers?

– What mechanisms do management use to try and get workers to produce more for less money?

– In what different ways have workers organised to resist this? Of what particular importance are trade unions as a means of organising?

The recommended  reading material is:

Karl Marx’s Capital: Volume 1, chapter 6, ‘The Sale and Purchase of Labour Power’

Harry Braverman’s Labour and Monopoly Capital pages 24-41 (large file)

All welcome. we encourage free debate and do not set down any ‘party line’ –  typically the discussion is based around the set texts and questions but also turns to practical implications in the context of today. Email uncaptiveminds@gmail.com for more info.