On 3 November 2017 around 20 workers at the Delap Marshall Islands Fishing Venture (MIFV) went on strike. MIFV claimed that the strike was based on a false allegation that they had withdrawn the ability of employees to buy fish on credit from their salaries. They claim that one employee was denied a purchase because he had not worked sufficient hours.The Marshall Islands Journal reported that when "the employee was told he couldn’t charge fish, he became angry and told coworkers MIFV administration had stopped allowing employees to charge fish against their pay. The individual rounded up a group of workers for a meeting last Thursday night, and with the help of alcohol, pulled a successful strike the following day."In retaliation, the company fired two workers the following week.More information, sources and map: https://stories.workingclasshistory.com/article/7945/marshall-islands-fish-strikeOur work is only possible because of support from you, our listeners on patreon. If you appreciate our work, please join us and access exclusive content and benefits at patreon.com/workingclasshistory.See all of our anniversaries each day, alongside sources and maps on the On This Day section of our Stories app: stories.workingclasshistory.com/date/todayBrowse all Stories by Date here on the Date index: https://stories.workingclasshistory.com/dateCheck out our Map of historical Stories: https://map.workingclasshistory.comCheck out books, posters, clothing and more in our online store, here: https://shop.workingclasshistory.comIf you enjoy this podcast, make sure to check out our flagship longform podcast, Working Class History

On this day, 2 November 1917, the UK government issued the Balfour declaration, announcing its official policy to facilitate "the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people".The founder of political Zionism, Theodor Herzl, had approached Britain for support for of establishing a Jewish ethnostate in Uganda or Palestine because “the idea of Zionism, which is a colonial idea, should be easily and quickly understood in England.” The 1920s British governor of Jerusalem, Ronald Storrs, explained that the establishment of a colony would be “forming for England ‘a little loyal Jewish Ulster’ in a sea of potentially hostile Arabism”. It would also help protect access to the Suez Canal and Britain’s South Asian colonies.Many antisemites who believed that Jewish people did not belong in Europe also supported the move. Arthur Balfour himself had passed the Aliens Act of 1905 to stop Jewish people fleeing pogroms in Eastern Europe seeking refuge in Britain.Zionists established groups such as the Jewish Colonial Trust and the Jewish Colonisation Association (JCA) to raise money for Jewish settlers to purchase land and establish colonies in Palestine and other places like Argentina. When much public opinion turned against colonialism, the JCA renamed itself the Jewish Charitable Association.Leading Zionists like Vladimir Jabotinsky were clear about what their project entailed:“Every native population in the world resists colonists as long as it has the slightest hope of being able to rid itself of the danger of being colonised. That is what the Arabs in Palestine are doing, and what they will persist in doing as long as there remains a solitary spark of hope that they will be able to prevent the transformation of ‘Palestine’ into the ‘Land of Israel.’"Zionist colonisation… can proceed and develop only under the protection of a power that is independent of the native population – behind an iron wall, which the native population cannot breach."More information, sources and map: https://stories.workingclasshistory.com/article/11643/balfour-declarationLearn more about British colonialism and Palestinian resistance in episodes 86-87 of our podcast: https://workingclasshistory.com/podcast/e86-87-class-struggle-in-palestine/And learn more about Palestinian history in these books: https://shop.workingclasshistory.com/collections/books/palestineOur work is only possible because of support from you, our listeners on patreon. If you appreciate our work, please join us and access exclusive content and benefits at patreon.com/workingclasshistory.See all of our anniversaries each day, alongside sources and maps on the On This Day section of our Stories app: stories.workingclasshistory.com/date/todayBrowse all Stories by Date here on the Date index: https://stories.workingclasshistory.com/dateCheck out our Map of historical Stories: https://map.workingclasshistory.comCheck out books, posters, clothing and more in our online store, here: https://shop.workingclasshistory.comIf you enjoy this podcast, make sure to check out our flagship longform podcast, Working Class History

On this day, 1 November 2008, thousands of Boeing machinists won their 2-month strike. The walkout was costing Boeing $100 million a day, and ended when the company and the union agreed a 15% pay rise over 4 years and increased ability for the union to challenge outsourcing.More information, sources and map: https://stories.workingclasshistory.com/article/8140/boeing-machinists-win-strikeOur work is only possible because of support from you, our listeners on patreon. If you appreciate our work, please join us and access exclusive content and benefits at patreon.com/workingclasshistory.See all of our anniversaries each day, alongside sources and maps on the On This Day section of our Stories app: stories.workingclasshistory.com/date/todayBrowse all Stories by Date here on the Date index: https://stories.workingclasshistory.com/dateCheck out our Map of historical Stories: https://map.workingclasshistory.comCheck out books, posters, clothing and more in our online store, here: https://shop.workingclasshistory.comIf you enjoy this podcast, make sure to check out our flagship longform podcast, Working Class History

On this day, 31 October 1978, 30,000 oil workers went on strike in Iran marking one of the early actions of the Iranian revolution. The oil workers, as well as the workers' and women's movements in general, would have a large role to play in the revolution until they were crushed by followers of the religious fundamentalist Ayatollah Khomeini. More information, sources and map: https://stories.workingclasshistory.com/article/10395/iranian-oil-workers-strikeOur work is only possible because of support from you, our listeners on patreon. If you appreciate our work, please join us and access exclusive content and benefits at patreon.com/workingclasshistory.See all of our anniversaries each day, alongside sources and maps on the On This Day section of our Stories app: stories.workingclasshistory.com/date/todayBrowse all Stories by Date here on the Date index: https://stories.workingclasshistory.com/dateCheck out our Map of historical Stories: https://map.workingclasshistory.comCheck out books, posters, clothing and more in our online store, here: https://shop.workingclasshistory.comIf you enjoy this podcast, make sure to check out our flagship longform podcast, Working Class History

On this day, 30 October 1919, residents of the Pennsylvania Working Home for Blind Men demanded higher wages for their work, threatening to strike the following week if they weren't granted. The visually impaired men made brooms, whisks, carpets and other goods, and their home had increased the rent with no increase in their wages. They formed a union and affiliated with the American Federation of Labor. The boss told the New York Times that the men "like the rest of the world, have got strike fever". More information, sources and map: https://stories.workingclasshistory.com/article/10337/visually-impaired-strike-threatOur work is only possible because of support from you, our listeners on patreon. If you appreciate our work, please join us and access exclusive content and benefits at patreon.com/workingclasshistory.See all of our anniversaries each day, alongside sources and maps on the On This Day section of our Stories app: stories.workingclasshistory.com/date/todayBrowse all Stories by Date here on the Date index: https://stories.workingclasshistory.com/dateCheck out our Map of historical Stories: https://map.workingclasshistory.comCheck out books, posters, clothing and more in our online store, here: https://shop.workingclasshistory.comIf you enjoy this podcast, make sure to check out our flagship longform podcast, Working Class History

On this day, 29 October 1831, widespread rioting began in Bristol in response to the defeat of the second Reform Bill, which would have expanded the right to vote. Over £300,000 worth of damage was done to the centre of Bristol and there were over 250 casualties in three days of rioting. The events in Bristol were part of nationwide unrest due to the defeat of the Reform Bill with riots also taking place in Nottingham, Derby and elsewhere. In 1832, the Great Reform Act was passed, which extended the vote to any man owning property worth £10 or more.More information, sources and map: https://stories.workingclasshistory.com/article/10131/bristol-riotsOur work is only possible because of support from you, our listeners on patreon. If you appreciate our work, please join us and access exclusive content and benefits at patreon.com/workingclasshistory.See all of our anniversaries each day, alongside sources and maps on the On This Day section of our Stories app: stories.workingclasshistory.com/date/todayBrowse all Stories by Date here on the Date index: https://stories.workingclasshistory.com/dateCheck out our Map of historical Stories: https://map.workingclasshistory.comCheck out books, posters, clothing and more in our online store, here: https://shop.workingclasshistory.comIf you enjoy this podcast, make sure to check out our flagship longform podcast, Working Class History

On this day, 28 October 1916, conscription to the army in Australia during World War I was narrowly defeated in a referendum by 51% to 49%. Labor prime minister Billy Hughes, a former union leader, had vigorously attempted to introduce conscription. He blamed the revolutionary union the Industrial Workers of the World for the defeat. The IWW had been extremely active in opposing conscription and the war. Hughes responded by banning the organisation and arresting and jailing many of its members and activists. A second referendum was held the following year, and defeated by an even bigger margin. Find out more in our podcast episode 19 about the Australian IWW here: https://workingclasshistory.com/podcast/e19-the-iww-in-australia/Our work is only possible because of support from you, our listeners on patreon. If you appreciate our work, please join us and access exclusive content and benefits at patreon.com/workingclasshistory.See all of our anniversaries each day, alongside sources and maps on the On This Day section of our Stories app: stories.workingclasshistory.com/date/todayBrowse all Stories by Date here on the Date index: https://stories.workingclasshistory.com/dateCheck out our Map of historical Stories: https://map.workingclasshistory.comCheck out books, posters, clothing and more in our online store, here: https://shop.workingclasshistory.comIf you enjoy this podcast, make sure to check out our flagship longform podcast, Working Class History

On this day, 27 October 1948, a two-week wildcat strike of New York City brewery workers had grown to 3500 people. Two of the city's brewers then decided to abandon the Board of Trade's collective position and agree to the strikers' demands to drop a punitive scheduling system which gave drivers insufficient time to unload their vehicles. Meanwhile, 10 breweries went on the offensive, suing the United Brewery Workers union for up to $10 million each, despite the union ordering the strikers to return to work, and requesting injunctions against pickets. But the workers held out.More information, sources and map: https://stories.workingclasshistory.com/article/9957/nyc-brewery-strike-growsOur work is only possible because of support from you, our listeners on patreon. If you appreciate our work, please join us and access exclusive content and benefits at patreon.com/workingclasshistory.See all of our anniversaries each day, alongside sources and maps on the On This Day section of our Stories app: stories.workingclasshistory.com/date/todayBrowse all Stories by Date here on the Date index: https://stories.workingclasshistory.com/dateCheck out our Map of historical Stories: https://map.workingclasshistory.comCheck out books, posters, clothing and more in our online store, here: https://shop.workingclasshistory.comIf you enjoy this podcast, make sure to check out our flagship longform podcast, Working Class History

On this day, 26 October 1983, the Northwood and Pinner hospital in England was occupied by its workers in protest at its proposed closure, led by matron Jean Carey. From the following day, they ran the hospital themselves collectively and eventually the workers won, and it stayed open for a further 25 years. More information, sources and map: https://stories.workingclasshistory.com/article/9867/northwood-and-pinner-occupationThis is one of hundreds of stories featured in our book, Working Class History: Everyday Acts of Resistance & Rebellion, available with global shipping: https://shop.workingclasshistory.com/products/working-class-history-everyday-acts-resistance-rebellion-bookOur work is only possible because of support from you, our listeners on patreon. If you appreciate our work, please join us and access exclusive content and benefits at patreon.com/workingclasshistory.See all of our anniversaries each day, alongside sources and maps on the On This Day section of our Stories app: stories.workingclasshistory.com/date/todayBrowse all Stories by Date here on the Date index: https://stories.workingclasshistory.com/dateCheck out our Map of historical Stories: https://map.workingclasshistory.comCheck out books, posters, clothing and more in our online store, here: https://shop.workingclasshistory.comIf you enjoy this podcast, make sure to check out our flagship longform podcast, Working Class History

On this day, 25 October 1983, the Hayes Cottage Hospital in England was occupied by its staff and run under workers' control in protest at its proposed closure the following week. A leaflet about the occupation issued at the time stated: "This action was taken after a lot of thought but it was clearly the only way to stop the closure after other avenues had been exhausted."The reaction of the people of Hayes has been really magnificent. We have had visitors coming round with food, supplies and money…"G.P's connected with the hospital are to start admitting patients again so we will be running just as before. Certainly, the patients in the Cottage Hospital are solidly behind the work-in. Fifteen of them have signed a petition demanding the retention of the hospital and one patient has insisted that if any attempt is made to move her she intends to die in the ambulance".The workers self-managed the hospital until December, when the health authority caved in and agreed to keep it open. The hospital remained open until the 1990s, when it was turned into a nursing home. More information, sources and map: https://stories.workingclasshistory.com/article/9783/hayes-cottage-hospital-occupiedOur work is only possible because of support from you, our listeners on patreon. If you appreciate our work, please join us and access exclusive content and benefits at patreon.com/workingclasshistory.See all of our anniversaries each day, alongside sources and maps on the On This Day section of our Stories app: stories.workingclasshistory.com/date/todayBrowse all Stories by Date here on the Date index: https://stories.workingclasshistory.com/dateCheck out our Map of historical Stories: https://map.workingclasshistory.comCheck out books, posters, clothing and more in our online store, here: https://shop.workingclasshistory.comIf you enjoy this podcast, make sure to check out our flagship longform podcast, Working Class History