October 2013 issue of Fightback now online

Welcome to the October 2013 issue of Fightback.

In September, Unite defeated an effort by fast food giant KFC to sack its disabled workers. This came after a more compromised win in the battle for improved pay and conditions at McDonald’s.

There are some important observations to draw from these partial victories. The first observation is fundamental to what Fightback stands for; collective organisation, collective struggle, are needed to improve our conditions.

Secondly, workers and progressives must stand against all forms of oppression. Disabled workers are often portrayed as having basic mental or physical conditions, impairments that define them as people. In reality, capitalism disables bodies, by structuring society in such a way that only certain kinds of bodies can gain access, by ranking people, setting up a competition best summarised as a ‘race to the bottom.’

Finally, these victories were partial. While unionised McDonald’s workers gained in security of hours, the gain in wages was minimal. Both corporations continue to exploit workers and degrade the environment. This underlines the importance of having a long-term strategy, an aim to eventually out-maneouver and smash the McDonald’s of the world, a collective memory of previous victories and losses. This is why socialist groups like Fightback exist.

2013 October Fightback