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| Solidarity Federation (UK) | |
|---|---|
| Name | Solidarity Federation |
| Abbreviation | SolFed |
| Formation | 1994 |
| Predecessor | Direct Action Movement, Anarchist Communist Federation |
| Type | Political organisation |
| Purpose | Syndicalist organisation, activism |
| Headquarters | United Kingdom |
| Region served | United Kingdom |
Solidarity Federation (UK) Solidarity Federation is a British syndicalist organisation formed in 1994 from a merger of the Direct Action Movement and the Anarchist Communist Federation. It describes itself as an organisation of revolutionary anarchists committed to class struggle across workplaces and communities, drawing on traditions linked to the Industrial Workers of the World, Syndicalist movement, and Spanish Revolution. The group has been active in trade union disputes, anti-fascist campaigns, and international solidarity with movements such as those in Greece, Spain, and Latin America.
The federation emerged from a 1990s reorganisation of British anarchist currents, uniting activists from the Direct Action Movement and the Anarchist Communist Federation amid debates influenced by events like the fall of the Soviet Union and the rise of Global Justice Movement protests. Early activity included participation in the 1990s campaigns around the Miners' Strike (1984–85) legacy, solidarity with the Zapatista uprising in Chiapas, and engagement with anti-capitalist mobilisations that converged at actions such as the Battle of Seattle protests. Throughout the 2000s and 2010s the federation organised in workplaces, participated in demonstrations against British National Party, and supported campaigns responding to austerity measures linked to policies from Tony Blair era and later Conservative administrations.
Solidarity Federation advocates anarcho-syndicalism and revolutionary anarchism, emphasising direct action, workers' self-management, and federative organisation inspired by the CNT during the Spanish Civil War and the IWW in the United States. Its platform references concepts from figures and currents such as Errico Malatesta, Rudolf Rocker, and Emma Goldman, while rejecting Leninist vanguardism associated with groups like the Bolsheviks. The federation promotes dual power strategies akin to the Paris Commune tradition, endorses rank-and-file organising within unions like the Trades Union Congress affiliates, and supports internationalism connected to struggles in Greece, Portugal, and Argentina.
Organisationally, Solidarity Federation is structured into local groups and industrial networks that coordinate through a national federation congress and rotating mandates, drawing on federalist practices similar to the IWW's industrial organising and the CNT's local federations. Internal structures include working groups for campaigns, a national organising committee, and affinity-based organising reflecting traditions used by Direct Action Movement predecessors. Membership practices emphasise collective responsibility, agreed points of unity, and a commitment to workplace organising rather than parliamentary participation, contrasting with parties such as Socialist Workers Party (UK) or Labour Party (UK).
Activities range from workplace disputes, recruitment drives in sectors like transport and hospitality, to community-based anti-fascist actions against groups including the British National Party and demonstrations connected to events such as the 2001 Oldham riots. The federation has mounted solidarity campaigns for international struggles in Venezuela, Greece, and Spain, supported anti-deportation movements linked to No Borders organising, and taken part in direct actions aligned with Reclaim the Streets and No Global protests. Publications and outreach include workplace bulletins, pamphlets on organising tactics, and involvement in large-scale protests like those around the G20 summit and demonstrations against policies credited to figures such as Margaret Thatcher.
Solidarity Federation has maintained relationships with a range of anarchist and leftist organisations including contact with networks like the International Workers' Association affiliates, tactical cooperation with groups such as Antifa collectives, and occasional joint campaigns with trade union rank-and-file groups and socialist organisations. It has had tactical disputes with parties like the Socialist Workers Party (UK) over protest strategy and differing approaches to union work. International links extend to federations in Spain, Greece, and the United States anarcho-syndicalist milieu, while domestic collaborations have included local community groups and migrant-rights organisations.
The federation has faced criticism from mainstream trade union leaders and parliamentary socialists for its refusal to participate in electoral politics and for direct action tactics seen as confrontational by organisations such as the Trades Union Congress. Controversies include disputes over tactics during anti-fascist protests where clashes involved organisations like Combat 18-opposition activists, internal criticisms mirroring those directed historically at anarchist groups regarding transparency and accountability, and public debates over methods during demonstrations like those targeting G20 summit venues. Police responses and arrests at some actions have provoked scrutiny from media outlets and law-enforcement debates tied to events involving the Metropolitan Police.
Local groups have operated across cities including London, Manchester, Leeds, Bristol, Glasgow, and Brighton, producing newsletters, workplace bulletins, and journals influenced by historical publications from the CNT and IWW. The federation's publications and pamphlets address tactics, strike support, and theoretical analysis drawing on writings by Emma Goldman, Errico Malatesta, and contemporary activists involved in movements such as the Global Justice Movement and anti-austerity campaigns. Collective outputs have been distributed at events like Notting Hill Carnival outreach, union meetings associated with Unite the Union branches, and solidarity stalls at demonstrations.
Category:Anarchist organisations in the United Kingdom Category:Syndicalist organisations