Unions, Strikes and Class Consciousness Today

Abstract

Despite all the real and apparent differences between Europe 150 years ago and today's capitalist world, two fundamental issues remain equally unresolved: the lack of fully-fledged and widespread socialist consciousness, and the absence of large-scale organization directed at fostering such consciousness. If Marx and Engels saw in the rise of class conflict the birth of such organisation, the moves towards some resurgence of class struggle may offer the opportunity for its rebirth - providing, of course, the socialist left can overcome its own isolation from the reality of this struggle. In many ways, we are faced with the same problems and limitations within the socialist movement itself as were the authors of the Manifesto.