On Wednesday, 20th April, Priama akcia organized a protest against the practices of OTTO Workforce. The office in Banská Bystrica was visited by almost a dozen activists. We wanted to express solidarity with the workers who have been cheated by the agency. With this action, Priama akcia also joined the IWA Days of Struggle against Borders and in Solidarity with Immigrant Workers.

On Friday April 8, Priama akcia organized its second visit to the OTTO Workforce office in Prešov. We gave the staff a symbolic red card addressed to the management of the agency. We reminded one of the employees (see photo) in the branch that since our first visit some of the workers did receive some money which the company refused to pay before, but not all the demands were fulfilled, therefore we will continue to inform people about the practices of the company at home and abroad. We do not think this was the last red card for OTTO.

After two meetings with the management of OTTO Workforce in Holland this week first concessions have been made. Thanks to the international campaign of the Dutch organization Vrije Bond, ZSP (IWA Poland), and Priama akcia (IWA Slovakia) OTTO paid out some (but not all) money it owed.

On 14th January, Friday morning, Priama akcia – Bratislava (IWA/AIT Slovakia) organized an action in support of the workers from SWLK. Together with other individuals we visited the embassy of Korean republic in Bratislava and protested against prosecution of SWLK members. We were received not by the ambassador Seo Seok-soong himself, but by the embassy’s councellor Kim Gyuyoung. The meeting lasted for over an hour and after we explained the reasons and aim of the protest the representative promised to inform the ministry of foreign affairs in Seoul. We continue appealing to people in Slovakia and Czech to send e-mails until Sunday 16th January 22:00 CET to the judge handling the case. More information and a model letter (including English version) can be found in the following article.

Priama akcia handed out this leaflet at the demonstration against government austerity measures organized by the biggest union confederation on 12th October 2010 in Bratislava. It was the third union action in the autumn preceded by around 1500 strong demos in Košice (1st October) and Žilina (8th October). Over 5000 unionists met in the capital. You can download Slovak version in PDF here.

The following article was published in Slovak at the end of February, and thus does not contain information about current developments. It explains the anti-worker practices in Slovak branches of South Korean company Yura Corp. The article also contains a leaflet of Priama akcia in solidarity with the workers which was distributed in the region.

Today, on January 28th, Priama akcia - Bratislava organized a solidarity action with FAU Berlin (IWA/AIT Germany). Ten people (members of PA and other FAU supporters) met in front of the German embassy in Bratislava, Slovakia, to protest against the ban imposed on FAU-Berlin which de facto forbids FAU-B to work as a union. The action is part of the International protest days called by FAU between 29th-30th January.

Around 20 workers left the welding shop in Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Czech in Nošovice near Frýdek-Místek (Czech Republic) during their shift on Tuesday 1st of December 2009. One day later there was an hourly wildcat strike in assembly hall at the same company. On 3rd December workers in Huyndai subcontactor Dymos organised an hourly work stoppage too. On 7th December the union called a “strike emergency” (a symbolic pre-strike measure to warn the management that unless they start negotiations a real strike action will be called) in Hyundai. We informed about these strikes on our website on 3rd of December. In this article we try to sum up what actually happened, what positive and negative results we can see so far and how other workers can help.
UPDATE 15/12 - agreement was reached (see "discussion" to this article)

The article was published as a press release for 11th September 2009. Today the whole world recalls the attack on the World Trade Center buildings in New York. We also commemorate the day when a real disaster and the death of several thousand people took place. As a result of the attack the issue of the fight against terrorism was opened at large, which some frame as a "security or freedom?“ dilemma. A dilemma, which we believe is false, or more precisely - ideological. It represents a tool that forces one to choose between one or the other.

On 14th September, Priama akcia – Bratislava members and supporters (around 10 people) visited the Embassy of Serbian Republic and Embassy of Ukraine in Bratislava. Our aim was to protest against absurd charges in both cases: the case of Serbian anarchosyndicalists and the case of community and syndicalist activists in Ukraine.

On Monday, September 7th 2009, Priama akcia-Bratislava (IWA-AIT) organised a solidarity action in front of Serbian embassy in Bratislava.

Today the local group of Priama akcia organized a protest meeting in Bratislava. Our members and other activists delivered protest letters to the consul Mr. Byong-do KIM. In discussion with him we expressed our disagreement with acts of Korean police and we expressed our solidarity with the workers. Mr. Byong-do KIM who is familiar with the situation promised that he would inform Foreign Ministry in Seoul about the protest.

In November 2008 Priama akcia started to monitor the effects of the financial crisis on Slovakia. We hope our activities will inspire others to do similar things in their countries. We started with our first activities in November 2008 and the second phase was launched in February 2009. In addition to leaflets, posters and a questionnaire, we have also set up an online discussion forum which is unique because of its working class perspective, and created an interactive online map which illustrates how many people were or are planned to be made redundant since October 2008 (also where and by what firm). We have also written or translated articles linked to the crisis and posted them on our website (e.g. about temporary agency workers, direct actions, and more).

A short and incomplete summary of actions organised in Slovakia and Czech during the last week of August as part of the IWA campaign in support of Federico Puy - a teacher and FORA-IWA member sacked from Red Cross branch in Buenos Aires.

On Monday 30th June Priama akcia – IWA Slovakia organised the second protest action in the seat of Slovak branch of Lionbridge or as Irish folks called it - „Lying Bridge“. First news show that the action week initiated in cooperation with Polish anarchosyndicalists slowly brings its first results. What is needed now is to push even harder before 4.7.2008 when the trial starts!

On 4thJuly 2008, a trial starts between Jakub G. and the Polish branch of Lionbridge (LB). From 30th June till 6th July there will be a week of actions around the world against anti-union practices of LB. The case may be critical to syndicalist activities not only in Poland but also globally. Priama akcia (IWA/AIT Slovakia) would like to ask you to show your solidarity with Jakub in Poland. There are several ways to do so in each country.

As Priama akcia informed in December 2007 a nonhierarchical union was founded in Lionbridge Technologies in Warsaw, Poland. On 12th February, Jakub G. - member of the union - was sacked. The dismissal came shortly after the official announcement of existence of the union in the company. Jakub told us more about the case in the following interview.