AS part of the structural decisions made in '07 to allow full freedom of association - steadfastly opposed by the 'harder' Leninists in the party, labor has been allowed to freely organize. Two labor federations comprise 97% of the unionized workforce:
Industrial Fellowship of Socialist Workers - 9,987,406 members Nov '09
Agricultural Workers and Parcelers for RESPECT - 1,186,404 members Oct '09 (estimated)
Store owners and operators, and others who are 'self-employed', with authority from the State, generally do not participate in a labor federation. Just 7,000 of the 300,000 members of the military are unionized, all belonging to the IFSW, with the rest participating in unofficial 'military councils' that meet with and discuss issues of concern with their officers of authority.
The IFSW is the official, state-sponsored federation of workers. Of its nearly ten million members, 9.1 million live in the North, and 7.7 million live in greater USSL City. The federation has thrice-annual conventions, and workers vote directly for leadership and policy planks without interference from the State. The State recognizes the IFSW as the labor extension of the CPUSSL, and directly subsidizes it, but does not set union policy; likewise, the IFSW has only limited direct influence over State policy. The IFSW elects one of the nine members of the Board of Governors, with the other eight members not democratically elected.
The AWPR is an exclusively Southern, non-State labor union that was established in November 2007 and has grown steadily since, comprised mainly of Southern agricultural workers on State-owned and operated factory farms. It has become a political movement, taking advantage of widespread Southern discontent with the Communist government.
The AWPR is a democratic union, with 231 local chapters that vary from six to 60,000 members. Members vote directly to elect local leadership, which in turn meet regularly in NSSR City to decide policy and strategy. No official national leadership exists, but Ronn Joplyn has been recognized as the de facto head of the federation since 2008, and it the representation of Local 231, the unit representing the workers of Plant Pavillion, the largest farm-factory in the South, located six miles North of the Mieske Province.
Joplyn's prominence has consistently risen, and he is seen as the face of the growing Southern resistance movement. The party's platform decries the 'exploitation' of the Southern land and workers by the Communist 'military dictatorship'. It calls for 'removal of the 180,000 military personnel stationed in the civilian Southern lands' and, failing that, 'Southern self-determination independent of the Capitol'.
With the Southern standard of living consistently falling, calls for action have been increasing in volume. Support for an AWPR general strike is estimated to be between 72 and 76% by opinion polling. Leadership of the federation has yet to endorse or officially discuss such an action, but reports suggest calls for a general strike will be the centerpiece of the scheduled April 4th meeting of AWPR local leaders in NSSR City.
Workers assigned to 'full employment' - i.e., 7 hours/day Monday-Thursday, or 5 hours/day Monday-Friday in a state owned and operated factory are granted a 'full ration', which comprises 3000 calories/day of food for the worker, guaranteed housing, social services (health care, dentistry, access to libraries and education), and between $600-$1100/month of discretionary income, varying based on occupation and locale. All children are guaranteed housing, food, education, and social services until age 17 or through completion of education.
If AWPR workers were to go on strike they would lose housing rights within a month, lose food rations, and all social services. Union strategy must account for this, so the AWPR has been vigorously attempting to organize hospitals and trade ports located on the Western Coast, in the port cities of Rutlydge and Lyndon Sanby.
The leadership of the CPUSSL is well aware of the implications of a general strike and is engaged in strategic struggle with the AWPR over the ports and hospitals, attempting to organize. Last month Daniel Netanyahu announced a $2.4 billion per year 'stipend' for members of the IFSW, for the encouragement of 'union action and activity'. The stipend comes with no rules or regulations, however, and essentially is an addition to the discretionary income of IFSW members, which was already an average of $287 higher than AWPR members and $164 higher than nonunion workers. The aim of the initiative likely is to incentivize membership in the IFSW, and, concurrently, loyalty to the State and the Communist Party.
The battle for control of the South is in force. If the AWPR cannot gain control of enough of the ports, medical centers, and farm-factories, it is unlikely a general strike would survive as striking workers would have no source of food, medical care, nor other essentials and services.
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