In a previous post, I discussed my suggestions for a Mutual Solidarity Union. Here, I wish to outline it more plainly; namely, I wish to go into detail about how such a Union would be structured. But before I make such specifications, it is important to once again define what a Mutual Solidarity Union is. A MSU can be defined as follows; a syndicalist union in which workers provide the entirety of their pay-check to a mutual aid fund, with each member receiving two allowances – dynamic one for essentials, static one for luxuries – which are allocated in direct correlation to the overall fund. Rather than negotiation, better conditions are secured through a tax levied upon the company. A tax which increases in relative proportion to the percentage of employees who are a member of the MSU, and is given discounts for a good workplace, bypassing the need for negotiations or concessions while forcing he hand of the capitalist using its most important thing to a capitalist- currency.
To begin, we must first understand that the MSU would be organized horizontally. At the lowest point of MSU organization, is a Chapter, which would cover a specific industrial region. Each Chapter would be made up of all MSU members who work in that industrial region. The Chapter is in charge of three things; assessing the quality of each factory in its jurisdiction, collecting the taxes, and facilitating strikes. Beyond this, each Chapter will also be in charge of assessing the Essential Allowance for each of its members. Importantly, a Chapter will be given its own smaller mutual aid fund, of which two-thirds of the money collected from taxes in its jurisdiction will go to, used exclusively for that Chapter’s operational costs (if able), with the remainder being split between all Chapter members evenly as a bonus. The intent behind this is two fold; for one, it gives further incentive for the capitalist to improve workplace conditions, as it provides a way for them to ‘starve’ the Chapter and hinder its operations, and secondly it means those who endure the most hardships receive the most, reducing the propaganda which can be used against the MSU.
To assess the quality of factories, one must learn to quantify the qualitative aspects, i.e, it is required to find a way to adequately represent the undesirable qualities in a monetary manner. Many techniques can be used for this. A method of which I discuss in my upcoming book, but I will summarize here; in a capitalist system, all conditions and actions have a long-term monetary effect1. It can be represented finely in the equation wherein t represents the total time the effects linger in whatever medium is required2, m represents the total monetary effect3, and v represents the value of the effects in the specific unit of time. For our purposes, v is the value we must know, as it can be directly corresponded to how large of a discount the company receives from their tax. In this specific case, if the tax (set by initial negotiations, as will be discussed later) is higher than v times the number of workers at the factory, then the difference between the two become the discount, i.e, v times the number of workers becomes the value of the tax.
V will be evaluated by three separate entities, conducting separate investigations; the union itself, the factory leadership, and a neutral third party. Each entity will conduct the investigation using their own methodology, and then discuss and negotiate the value, and come to an agreement with it. If the factory refuses the investigation, or if they refuse to negotiate; MSU workers at that factory will go on strike, and the value evaluated by the union itself will be the set tax, and the strike will only end once the tax is paid in full. To help enforce this; the MSU is encouraged to form a propaganda and disinformation division of volunteer workers, who will attempt to prevent the company from bringing in scabs, through propaganda and disinformation.
[To Be Continued]
1A Treatise On Political Consent, coming soon.
For our purposes, we will assume a month as the base unit of time, representing 30 days.
Found through a more complex mechanism, which will be discussed more thoroughly in my book A Treatise On Political Consent, coming out soon.