2012-01-01 Global Strike May 2012

Submitted by Anna Harris

MAYDAY! MAYDAY! It is obvious we are headed for disaster unless we change course drastically, and we don't have a lot of time. A project is being discussed internationally in the Occupy movement - Global Strike May 2012. What we are proposing is a continuous strike, a permanent withdrawal from the current system, a signal for all those who feel their work to be meaningless and unsatisfying, to switch to alternative means which are beneficial to the whole community, to support themselves and their families. In order to make this feasible this alternative system needs to be up and running by May 2012. Outrageous! Impossible! I agree with you. Nevertheless it has to happen if we are serious about moving from this morally bankrupt and physically damaging path we are on, to a sustainable system that puts people before profit. Join us on Take the Squares Network https://n-1.cc/pg/groups/1010883/15m-global-strike/. and please pass around to friends and colleagues.

From n-1:

Every day the trade unions, students, and retirees are more and more mobilized for transnational coordinated strikes against the budget cuts and financial dictatorships.

In Europe and the United States, millions of people are taking to the streets to defend public services and denounce the lack of democracy and austerity plans.

There were 1.000.000 in Athens on October 19 and other general strikes on November 10 and December 1. On the 28th/29th of July the people’s assembly called for a massive general strike without the unions for the first time. The same occurred in Barcelona the 29 of September. Two months ago trade unions in Portugal called a small strike for the public sector, but on October 15, an assembly of 6000 people voted for general strike. The unions consequently changed their mind and decided to call for a general strike. There were student actions in the UK on November 9th and 23rd, including occupations in collaboration with OccupyLondon. A major public sector strike took place on 30.11.11. with 2.000.000 people taking the streets. This was supported by OccupyLondon and also by European unions outside of the border.

How can the global movement of peaceful revolutions collaborate and inspire this general indignation?

We opened the debate in the IX Squares Meeting where we spoke about our local situations (problems/forces) and shared our first ideas about concept, content, duration, date, logistic etc.

We concluded that general strikes should play a pivotal role in the transition to a new way of living, if we want to reform the institutions or build our own ones. We need the skilled qualified people to work on it. So we have to meet them in their institutions (schools, hospitals, factories…) within common actions, debates and flier-posting. Inviting them to join our working groups and alternative projects.

We can invite all the squares/assemblies to work on these alternatives, sharing knowledge on a global platform. We should link as many local projects, unions and workers with the aim to mobilize for transnational general strikes.

If we want to create a new world soon, we need to activate alternatives right now.

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