The Bike System Workers occupied the factory for 115 days. During this period, these workers managed the production with international solidarity. But they did not succeed in sustaining it.
This event took place in 2007 in Germany, and became one of the most successful actions of the working class due to its request for international solidarity. However it had remained only an action and was not able to spread itself as an alternative against capitalist system which was closing workplaces and transferring them to other countries where there is no limit to exploitation of the workers
The Bike System Workers occupied the factory for 115 days. During this period, these workers managed the production with international solidarity. But they did not succeed in sustaining it. This type of action has disappeared from the memory of the working class for a long time in the highly advances West. Under the deep influence of both right and left reformism, workers have not learned or have forgotten how to find the appropriate way to deal with their issues. For several decades the job of the worker has been confined to either work and work or pay Unions’ dues; and the rest of the decision-making etc became the duty of the Unions' officers.
In Germany after the world war two there has been massive amount of reconstruction to repair the damages and destruction caused during the war resulting in economic boom for the capitalism, this was termed “economic miracle”. The mega-concerns used advanced technology resulting in efficiency of production and consequently, reduced production time, and made possible mass production with lower expenditures. This enabled the expropriation of labour that had not been paid. This issue determined the price of commodities by calculating the average time of production which provided for the maximizing of the profits. On the other hand, where capitalism received enormous profits they were able to share a tiny bit of the surplus-value with the workers, that is, the working class of Germany received a tiny bit of the expropriation of labour that had not been paid for. Consequently this resulted in higher standard of living. This recovery instead of motivating workers to move forward to demand reduced working hours, better working conditions, retirement benefits, etcetera; disarmed the working class which became numb and inactive. There were no more talk of workers’ councils or worker’s solidarity, nor any self-management with worker's control; these became items of the past. Additionally all anti-capitalism and abolition of-wage-labour activities that Marx had shouted about never came to the thought. The nightmare of capitalism had fallen on society as this was the best method of production and way of life.
Despite all of this, the Bike System workers had a positive experience, working together, of equal, of self-management and they realized that work can be dynamic, enjoyable and Most importantly without exploitation. During those 115 days of occupation and self-management, they received many messages of solidarity from across the world, from America, Africa, Asia, and Europe. This made them more determined and happier. The Bike Strike had sent bicycles to America, South Africa and Brazil. This solidarity felt good like a smile after a painful moment.
But as it has been said, these workers were not considering to consolidate their action or to offer an alternative to capitalism. They thought without a capitalist buyer they could not survive. These workers did not have any horizon but the horizon of capitalist production. Because they could not a find buyer, they carried out a symbolic action which brought positive impact and outcomes
One of the workers was saying "We gained something from our action; we are proud of this action as it has brought us self consciousness; we are showing what is happening to us and we understand when a person works twenty years on the same production line,they becomes slow. That person cannot even recognize their real intuition." We comprehend the alienation and fetishism in a society that has turned into the norm of society.
"The bike system produced immense solidarity which cannot be wiped from the memory. We will never forget it Now we have something to tell our grandchildren. We were just a tiny company in Nordhausen where worker occupied the factory."
Another worker was saying "I would do this action over and over again because I want to show that this situation is intolerable. We made a small storm in the entire country which could inspire other workers in other places or factories to do the same. Maybe in the future they could succeed. We experienced how we can be together in a very difficult situation. Nobody wants to lose such an experience."
"Now I know if something like this happens somewhere else and my colleagues want to strike to protect their work place and job, I will step forward and help them financially to continue with their struggle.
There were many discussions among workers regarding how to pursue and continue with this strike. Only a few of them were members of the Trade Union; there were some Union representatives from the Metal industry which were acting in two different directions. On one hand they were supporting the workers but on the other hand they were attempting to control them. However the workers realized to be organized is the best and the most important issue is unity and workers solidarity.
The idea of the self-management of production of the Bike Strike System was presented by anarcho-syndicalists and had been accepted by the workers. These workers did not have any problem being supported by the left and the anarcho-syndicalists, and welcomed them. The workers established an association which had to be active for at least two years. Other workers including office staffs, purchaser, buyers and sales staffs joined the action with the factory workers. The association was paying the utility bills and the workers' wages. Each worker was paid â¬360 for 36 hours work per months so that they could claim supplementary benefit from unemployment office.
They contacted a lawyer and discussed the occupation. In the West, everything is about the law. The dominant culture is a pacifist culture. Even when they want to break the law, they have to justify it in legal terms.
Working in a factory without a boss or management was agreed by all. However, for production they needed at least 8 to 10 million Euro initial capital which the workers did not have. Because of the workers' solidarity and to overcome this problem they were able to ask their customers for payment in advance. In This way, they solved the issue for symbolic production of the bicycles.
These workers learned that to solve a problem, they needed to have a collective discussion with analysis. They discussed why the occupation could not be successful. Why is the policy of government against financing these workers for sustainable production? Why should self-management not take place and not be successful?
What they have learned from these discussions was – if we succeed in occupying the factories it is an example for other workers who will do the same.
That would be the expropriation of capital moving towards a revolution. However, this experience could not and must not consolidate and continue; but remembered as an example of the direct struggle of the working class against the attack of capitalism. The working class only in its own struggle against capitalists can gain consciousness and learn as seen from this experience. They'll discover the role of the capitalist government, understand the meaning of solidarity and the necessity of class unity and only then anti-capitalism struggle for abolition of wage - labour becomes easier. This will be become the tool for the workers and worker activists to help achieve above demands quicker.
In retrospect, directing workers' actions against capital and their consequences are either successful like Argentina or Mexico, or not successful; either way they can be used for a worker's movement to progress in the future.
