Source: jacobinmag.com
This is a pretty big deal if this could go beyond a mere settlement for a segment of the working class and become a wider (global?) movement.
Reduction in working hours need to be a priority of socialists worldwide, from Europe and the US to China and South Africa.
This imperialism looks great.
Too bad this particular development is built upon imperialism rather than actual working class radicalism.
CRITICAL SUPPORT FOR BOURGEOIS RESISTANCE AGAINST PROLETARIAN IMPERIALISM
… How the fuck is this development "built upon imperialism"…? A movement going global is internationalism, not imperialism.
Why would a worker want this?
They just went from full time down to part time.
German industry relies heavily on the exploitation of basically all other European proles via the EU. How can you now know this?
Its mostly the same pay you dolt.
Deals like this usually involve an increase in wages in order to compensate for the shorter work day.
user all MEDC nationscever relied on imperialism.
A reduction in working hours mean you work less than previously for the same wage, otherwise it wouldn't make any sense.
South Eu here, I'm unemployed to permit metallarbeiter to work 5 hour a day. That's the situation.
Every existing industry relies on imperialism somewhat, this is a built-in feature of capitalism. Should German proles not seek the betterment of their conditions because of that…?
No, you’re unemployed to keep German billionaires and bourgeois in your country fat and happy
Sorry for being dumb.
That is very good then if wages stay up.
In these situations do new workers get hired to make up the hours that the current workers will be vacant from their positions or does the company expect current workers to work 'harder' to retain the level of productivity?
You can't read a sentence in a dialectical way and don't know shit.
Unfortunately, the latter does happen if it's not met with worker resistance. This often happened when working hours were "reduced" when Fordism what introduced. But yeah, if it goes as expected, the company usually hire new workers.
You're unemployed because the bourgeoisie's plans doesn't allow for you to get a job, not because German workers engage in class struggle.
Getting concessions from imperialists who are desperate to preserve their super profits isn't "class struggle." It's a form of indirect class collaboration.
meant for
That's not how it works.
I wish I had 28 hours work weeks.
Are you a third worldist? Because that reads like third worldism. Every victory achieved by the worker is effectively a "concession" from the bourgeoisie. What do you think workers should do? Be afraid of engaging in class struggle because it might be offset in some other way by the capitalist?
I feel like my brain should be swelling out of my ears.
Nice.
It's not exactly what it sounds like. The workweek isn't reduced for everyone. Just read the article, it's all explained in there.
What I do find particularly interesting is that I live in Germany and there was a lot of news coverage about the warning strike, the workers' demands. And also especially the employees take about how their demands would be illegal and that they tried (but failed) to legally stop the strike.
But there was very little coverage about this settlement. In fact, this thread is the first time I heard about it. And I don't believe that it's just me not having noticed the reports.
Jacobin is usually confused socdem salad, but this interview is good shit. Though I disagree with some advice by Klaus Dörre here:
What is even the point in trying to educate the educated? The workers like it, and that's good. The ruling class is over-represented in academia, of course it is harder to get support there. Suppose we would get more people in academia on our side, some guys writing newspaper columns, how would that change anything? If these professional opinion-havers change their perspective too much in direction of working-class interest, this will negatively affect their careers, they won't get the space in newspapers and talkshows they are used to anymore. And those academics who don't get a spot in big media currently because they already are too leftwing certainly won't get them after this change in attitude he would like to see.
>indirect class collaboration
is this indirect like structural in "structural antisemitism"? That is, a fancy word academics use for: not.
I think "structural antisemitism" makes sense as a concept, though I agree the wording is unfortunate because it makes it sounds like it's about Jews specifically when really it's not. Basically it refers to a form of vulgar anticapitalism that is heavily reliant on personifying capital and attributing malevolent intentions to these specific actors — all of the consequences of capitalism ends up being attributed to a few figures deliberately pulling the strings instead of being understood as the result of internal contradictions within capitalism. The issues we're faced with under capitalism are increasingly impersonal, so elaborating a narrative that explains these away by arguing they were caused by a very specific group of people whose elimination would solve the problem can be reassuring to some.
The reason why it's related to antisemitism is that historically, modern antisemitism (starting with Édouard Drumont) was the main strain of that type of worldview and to a certain degree remains so, though a lot of conspiracy theories (most notably those involving the Illuminati) also qualify. I mean, it's no surprise that so many Zig Forumstards pretend to be anti-capitalist — that's a direct legacy of Nazi rhetoric. The "structural" in "structural antisemitism" doesn't mean "indirect" at all, it means the worldview functions in a way that is analogous to modern antisemitism (and could potentially slide towards it, though it needs not do so).
There’s no point. When class struggle comes to the university these are the type of people who usually oppose it. If it wasn’t muh intersectionality there would be some other excuse.
German Comrade reporting in! The movement is really big and we, of course, welcome this. The thing is, the only big player in this movement are the Socdem and demsoc parties. We still are active in the movement but our influence isn't really big as of now ;/
Some of you would probably be upset if walmart workers wildcatted for an extra dollar an hour b/c that profit just comes from exploited chinese workers.
Yes they need to end capitalism entirely, but you have to start where you are
you're fucking cancerous.
tbh only one guy made that claim and he's getting roasted
You're a dipshit brainlet. Is this a step on the road to abolishing capitalism? Is this part of some broader revolutionary programme? Is this action taken in solidarity with workers elsewhere inside and outside of Germany? Will they use these gains to ensure the gains made by their fellow industiral workers in the Czech Republic or India or the US?
No?
Then it's not fucking class struggle you relentless dipshit.
Yes it is class struggle. The proletariat is not at fault for the ruling classes imaginary lines dividing the earth.
In fact sometimes despite these lines, isolated groups of workers actually practice solidarity. When automotive workers of VolksWagen were striking in Bratislava, they were supported by german automotive unions.
And in turn, striking german Amazon workers were countered with Amazon hiring workers in Prague, luring them with slightly larger wages which were still a fraction of german wages.
German workers have full right to demand humane treatment. Just because the bourgeoisie offloads those demands on less fortunate proletarians does not diminish the class-based motivation of the german workers.
There's a reason why workers in core imperialist countries are reactionary and it isn't just muh false consciousness.
Are you still part of the working class if you only work one (1) hour a week?
Workers in imperialist countries are born into them, molded by them.
The bourgeoisie when they started merely adopted the imperialism as the logical conclusion of the capital concentration.
Russia and Germany were core nations you dolt: they both had widescale communist uprisings.
made by leftypol gang
4U
Honestly at this rate we are headed for that regardless.
Of course it is class struggle. Just because it is not sufficiently revolutionary or internationalist does not make it something else.
You're still a prole even if you don't work — you might be unemployed (laid off, on leave, etc) or unemployable (disabled, unskilled, etc) — as long you're part of the class that is dependent on wage labor, even if welfare crumbs can slightly offset that state of affair somewhat.
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kek
This "muh global revolution instantly or you're porkie" is apex anarkiddie retardation, as even trots know better. You're also ignoring this could very well have a domino effect on other countries or industries.