> Work to Rule
>
> Almost every job is covered by a maze of rules, regulations, standing
> orders, and so on, many of them completely unworkable and generally
> ignored. Workers often violate orders, resort to their own techniques
> of doing things, and disregard lines of authority simply to meet the
> goals of the company. There is often a tacit understanding, even by
the
> managers whose job it is to enforce the rules, that these shortcuts
> must be taken in order to meet production quotas on time.
>
> But what would happen if each of these rules and regulations were
> followed to the letter? Confusion would result -- production and
morale
> would plummet. And best of all, the workers can't get in trouble with
> the tactic because they are, after all, "just following the rules.">
> full: http://www.anarchosyndicalism.net/theory/guide2da.htm
>
> Solidarity,
> Mike B)
Sorry, but the idea that workers in the US "can't get in trouble with [this] tactic because they are, after all, 'just following the rules.'"
is complete BS for millions of workers. They can and do get fired for this. Even if every employee does this management can fire the workers who they believe are responsible for "inciting unrest" as an example to the rest of the employees. I've seen it first hand and have had it happen to friends. Conditions for this type of action of very situation specific and are not an option for most workers in my opinion.
John Thornton
----------------------------
Courage mon ami. Revolutions with class conscious content don't happen from above. Unions of conscious workers don't happen because a bureaucratic organization sanctions them. It was once commonplace for all workers to be fired for even trying to organize a union. We stand on the historical shoulders of workers who had the courage to stand up for themselves. If we passively allow the authorities to set all the political agendas, we will lose even those historical gains on which we currently rely. I hear debt slavery is making a comeback, especially among the folks who live in what used to be the USSR and its former "satellites". Our dictators who art above us, don't have our interests in mind when they repeat, again and again, "don't do that." Work to rule takes intelligence and courage no matter where we are--even if we have a union : just ask the former air-traffic controllers of the Reagan era. After all, the women weavers of Ivanovo took an awful chance when they created the first Soviet. They had no laws, bureaucratic organizations or gods on their side. They did have courage.
Best, Mike B)
****************************************************************** "If a man rates all phenomena alike because he knows of no essence that would allow him to discriminate, he will in a fanaticized love of truth make common cause with untruth." NEGATIVE DIALECTICS--Adorno http://profiles.yahoo.com/swillsqueal
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