This August The Commune in London has staged a series of meetings on communist organisation, and we have already looked at the examples of Kamunist Kranti in India and 1960s-70s Italian group Potere Operaio.
The final meeting in the series is on Big Flame, a British libertarian Marxist group in the 1970s. The discussion will be led off by a worker active in Merseyside car factories at that time. All welcome – the meeting is from 7pm on Monday 30th August at the Lucas Arms, Grays Inn Road, near King’s Cross (note change from original venue).
Big Flame was born in Liverpool, although it was influenced by the Lotta Continua group in Italy.
It encouraged both discussion of ‘social’ issues above and beyond workplace struggle – for instance the group’s strong feminist streak – as well as the need to organise workplace solidarity ‘base groups’, for example with workplace bulletins at Ford in Halewood and Dagenham.
In 2009 ex-members established a blog featuring archival material and discussion of the group. See here for a general summary of the group, or follow the sidebar links here to see more specific Big Flame propaganda.
While as a short-lived organisation Big Flame lived in a definite historical context, we want to discuss the group’s record and what lessons we can learn for the movements of today. What is the value of autonomous organisations? How do different groups of workers support each other? How do we relate to (or ‘defend’) the local state and welfare provision?
Come and join the discussion. Email uncaptiveminds@gmail.com to register your interest or request more info.
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