A-Infos (en) Slovakia, Priama Akcia: Report on the activities of the union Direct Action for the year 2022 (ca, de, it, pt, tr) [machine translation]

The past year was quite varied and challenging at the same time. In addition to 
several problems at the workplaces, we prepared rather intensively for the 28th 
Congress of the International Workers' Association (MAP) in Spain. We supported 
several activities in Slovakia and abroad, participated in fundraising and took 
care of the preparation of the International Week against non-payment of wages. 
And that wasn't all. You can learn more from this annual report. ---- CAMPAIGN 
---- "Problems at work?" ---- At the beginning of the year, we  published an 
article about problems in a restaurant in Bardejov, where the employer refused to 
pay the employee's salary. We discussed the problem together and finally she 
managed to get the money.

We pointed out  other problems common in gastra - sexist behavior, sexual 
harassment and use of the female body in order to achieve better sales in the 
VEGAN KIOSK in Bratislava.

We also dealt with the problem of unpaid money and demanding compensation for 
damages in a restaurant business, where the boss also refused to reimburse the 
employee for extra hours worked. We clarified the possibilities of how to proceed 
and the employee decided to try it "for good". In this case, she was lucky and 
the problem was solved.

Another case also involved a woman working in a restaurant. After the termination 
of the employment relationship, her employer did not pay her the agreed salary 
and caused her a debt in the health insurance company. The problem is still not 
solved.

We were also contacted by a worker who was dismissed from the language school 
without notice. After our additional questions, communication from the worker did 
not continue.

In another case, we dealt with two workers for unpaid wages after they filed a 
criminal complaint, which apparently led nowhere. However, they decided to wait 
with possible joint steps to see how the investigation turns out.

A worker in another restaurant in Bratislava did not receive the tringelty for 
payment, despite the owner's promise. In our communication, we encouraged her to 
persevere in her demands, which paid off and the owner paid everything.

We wrote a summary of these cases as part of the Week against non-payment of 
wages 
here:https://www.priamaakcia.sk/Gastro-firma-mi-nechce-vyplatit-tringelt-co-s-tym-Priklad-z-praxe.html

In addition to these problems, people also turned to us with problems of a more 
community nature. In one case we discussed the possibilities of how to proceed in 
a neighborhood dispute, in the other case of bullying at an elementary school.

International week against non-payment of wages

The "week" was declared in 2019 by the International Workers' Association (MAP) 
with the aim of highlighting the phenomenon of non-payment of wages and the 
possibility of struggle using anarcho-syndicalist methods. From October 10 to 16, 
MAP unions drew attention to this problem in various ways. Our stickers and 
posters appeared in the streets of Bratislava and Kosice, and we published a text 
on the website about the cases of unpaid wages that we dealt with over the past 
year. We also reported on similar cases abroad and also reminded of the brochure 
in which we describe in detail how we solve problems at workplaces. You can find 
a summary of international activities during the Week here: 
https://www.priamaakcia.sk/Sprava-o-Medzinarodnom-tyzdni-proti-nevyplacaniu-miezd-10--16-oktober-2022-.html

SOLIDARITY ACTIVITIES

Union Courier in Russia

In early August, we published a call for solidarity with the Courier union in 
Russia and for the release of their imprisoned activist Kirill Ukraintsev. He was 
arrested in April for calling for mobilization on social networks against 
violations of labor rights in delivery services and taxi services. He faces up to 
five years in prison for "calling or participating in an unauthorized assembly 
more than twice within 180 days."

Financial support of WSF from Pakistan

Support of the activities of Workers Solidarity Federation to help people who 
came due to floods and their homes.

Financial support of Assembly in Ukraine

Also thanks to the financial contribution of the Priama Akcia union, it was 
possible to collect money for the communal heating project in the suburbs of 
Kharkiv before the coming winter.

Solidarity in the dispute of CNT-AIT in Spain against the company Carrozados Tecai

We joined the call of CNT-AIT Toledo and sent protest e-mails in support of a 
friend fired for union activities at Tecai.

ACTIVITIES RELATED TO THE CLIMATE CRISIS

We prepared and published an interview with a 14-year-old elementary school 
student about the mobilization for the climate strike at her school.

We organized a collective reading/discussion of the book Hope Against Hope, which 
deals with the libertarian-communist view of the climate crisis.

We were involved in the activities of the MAP working group, which was devoted to 
the anarcho-syndicalist view of the climate crisis, and we prepared some outputs 
for further discussion at the level of the MAP Congress.

WAR IN UKRAINE

We responded to the war by supporting internationalist activities in Ukraine and 
Russia and by translating statements opposing the Ukrainian and Russian states - 
a text from CNT-AIT Spain , an interview with KRAS - MAP Russia , an interview 
with the anarchist collective Assembly from Kharkiv .

DOMESTIC AND INTERNATIONAL MEETINGS

PA Congress

In May, an organization-wide PA meeting was held, where we evaluated various 
activities with the aim of improving functioning and planning the next period of 
activity.

MAP Congress

We participated in the 28th Congress of the International Workers' Association in 
Alcoa, Spain, where several points that we proposed for the agenda were discussed 
(they related, for example, to the climate crisis, the strategy for the 
development of small and starting anarcho-syndicalist organizations, but also 
other topics).

Open meetings in Bratislava, Kosice and Trnava

After the pandemic, we successfully resumed open meetings with our union for 
people who are interested in a class approach and want to join existing 
activities or come up with new ideas ( https://www.priamaakcia.sk/ 
Sprava-z-otvorenych-stretnuti-v-Kosiciach-av-Bratislava.html and 
https://www.priamaakcia.sk/spravy/Otvorene-stretnutie-zvazu-Priama-akcia-v-Trnave-a-Bratislava-27- 
a-28-10-.html ).

Contacts with anti-authoritarian collectives in Bratislava

We also participated in meetings that help to get to know people in other 
anti-authoritarian collectives in Bratislava better.

Informal events

We also met at recreational events - we organized two tourist trips and two 
barbecues.

May Day and barbecue in Vienna

On May 1, we accepted the invitation of the Vienna Workers' Union (WAS) for a 
picnic and participation in the May Day demonstration. More at: 
https://www.priamaakcia.sk/Prvy-maj-vo-Viedni-s-ucastou-slovenskeho-a-rakuskeho-zvazu-MAP.html

We also met WAS in Vienna in August, at a barbecue .

OTHER ACTIVITIES

Contact questionnaire

Thanks to the questionnaire www.priamaakcia.sk/zapoj-sa , we established contact 
with several people, even in regions where we do not currently operate.

Cultural and educational events

Our member was a guest in a discussion in Liptovský Mikulás dedicated to the 
problems associated with organizing at workplaces , where she shared experiences 
from specific struggles at workplaces together with other invitees.

We took part in the side events of the anti-fascist festival Povstanie zezí , 
where we had an information stand and helped with the preparation of the banner.

Demonstrations

We participated in two larger protests in Bratislava. In the first case, it was a 
protest against poverty organized by the Confederation of Trade Unions, for which 
we prepared a leaflet and a critical opinion .

In the second case, it was a protest after the murder of two people from the 
queer community , during which the systemic connections of oppression were also 
discussed.

PLANS FOR 2023

We plan to focus more on the "Problems at work?" campaign, for which we are 
preparing to edit promotional materials.

We believe that in the new year we will establish contacts with people in the 
regions as we have succeeded in the last two years (also thanks to the short 
questionnaire at this link: www.priamaakcia.sk/zapoj-sa).

We are waiting for the 100th anniversary celebrations of MAP, which will be 
connected with several internal and public events. The main events with 
international participation will take place in Bratislava ( March 4, FB ) and 
Kosice ( April 1, FB ), but they will not be the only ones and a lot will also 
depend on the interest of people in other regions of Slovakia.

We will continue with open meetings, practical workshops will take place, we have 
a lot of work ahead of us in the MAP working group dedicated to the climate 
crisis, but we will not miss the collective reading of interesting publications, 
and we are also planning other informal meetings.

Union Direct Action

https://www.priamaakcia.sk/Sprava-o-cinnosti-zvazu-Priama-akcia-za-rok-2022.html
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