This is an edited excerpt from Dario Azzellini’s new book, An Alternative Labour History: Worker Control and Workplace Democracy, just out from Zed. Photo: the recuperated Fabrique du Sud in France (by Jean-Luc Bibal).
During
the first decade of the current century, factory occupations and
production under workers’ control seemed to be limited mainly to South
America, with a few exceptions in Asia. It was beyond the imagination of
most workers and scholars in industrialized countries that workers
would or could occupy their companies and run them on their own.
Nevertheless, the crisis that started in 2008 put workers’ control back
on the agenda in the northern hemisphere. In the course of the current
crisis, factory occupations occurred throughout Europe, especially in
France, Italy and Spain, but also in other countries, including
Switzerland and Germany, and in the US and Canada. Nevertheless, in most
cases the occupation was a means of struggle and not a step toward
workers’ control. In some better organized cases workers achieved their
demands, in others the occupations were a result of spontaneous
indignation over factory closure or mass dismissals and the struggles
fell apart without any concrete results.
the first decade of the current century, factory occupations and
production under workers’ control seemed to be limited mainly to South
America, with a few exceptions in Asia. It was beyond the imagination of
most workers and scholars in industrialized countries that workers
would or could occupy their companies and run them on their own.
Nevertheless, the crisis that started in 2008 put workers’ control back
on the agenda in the northern hemisphere. In the course of the current
crisis, factory occupations occurred throughout Europe, especially in
France, Italy and Spain, but also in other countries, including
Switzerland and Germany, and in the US and Canada. Nevertheless, in most
cases the occupation was a means of struggle and not a step toward
workers’ control. In some better organized cases workers achieved their
demands, in others the occupations were a result of spontaneous
indignation over factory closure or mass dismissals and the struggles
fell apart without any concrete results.
The economic crisis that began
in 2008 has put workers’ control and workplace democracy back on the
agenda in the countries of the northern hemisphere.
in 2008 has put workers’ control and workplace democracy back on the
agenda in the countries of the northern hemisphere.
