The Tradition of Workers' Control

by Geoffrey Nielsen Ostergaard

Workers' control of industry, a phrase coined by the Guild Socialists, recalls the libertarian aspirations of the first rebels against the slavery inherent in the capitalist mode of production. A history and analysis of the workers in Britain who own and control their workplaces....

Genres: History, Politics, Labor

154 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1997

Reviews

[Dimitrii Ivanov · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very thorough and yet concise exploration of the syndicalist elements in the British socialist theories, with a particular focus on guild socialism. The pamphlet with the main text that gave the book its title was to be published in 1957 but was delayed by 40 years. Edited somewhat eccentrically, with about 1/3 of the book being material by other authors, most notably editor Brian Bamford, who provides updates on what happened to those syndicalist elements since the early 1960s. The cover is embarrassing, but the collection is very worthy overall.

[Spicy T AKA Mr. Tea · Rating 2 out of 5]

A series of essays by Ostergaard looking at workers' control in the UK--specifically the different kinds of radical labour movements and the failures of parliamentary socialism vs anarchism. An in-depth look and critique of British labor.