The Couriers are Revolting : The Despatch Industry Workers Union 1989-92 by Des Patchrider [Review Extracts]

Dave from The Riders Digest June 200 p53:

The DIWU was "…loosely based on the anti- bureaucratic anarcho-syndicalist type of union that they have in Spain, France and elsewhere." This in short seems to mean they didn't fuck about. They certainly had more in common with direct action groups like Reclaim The Streets, than the postal ballot and block votes for Frank Dobson unions like UNISON and the TGWU.

The-24-page booklet is exactly what you'd expect from the title: a history of the DIWU between March 1st 1989 and July 20th 1992. However the blurb on the back makes it abundantly clear that it hasn't been written as a simple nostalgia piece for DR's - far from it.

Like the DIWU itself, this booklet has a wider cause beyond the tawdry ghetto of despatching; which in a nutshell is: "…a desire to set free the working class."! It is aimed at security guards and sweat shop workers as much as any of you; being published in the hope they could: "provide an example or inspiration for workers to organise similarly in other industries."

It is well written and easy to read and at £2 should be required reading for all downtrodden workers of the world Whether or not you agree with their politics or their actions, you've got to admire any group who tried to stand up to the despatch business.