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On this day, 11 July 1989, a huge strike began of miners in the Soviet Union demanding better food supplies, cleaner working conditions, adequate housing, better care of the environment in mining areas, and rights to share management of the mines.In March, two brief strikes occurred at the Lidiieka and Kirov mines in Donbass, Ukraine. In July a much bigger strike began in both the Donbass and the Kuznetsky basin in Western Siberia. Within a few days, the strike had grown to 100,000 workers, and threatened to become a general strike when sympathy strikes began.Most miners had returned to work by July 25, after officials agreed to most of their demands. These included more meat and soap, rights to share management and profits in the industry, and increases to pay, vacation time and other benefits.More information, sources and map: https://stories.workingclasshistory.com/article/7730/soviet-miners-strike* If you enjoy our social media posts be sure to check out our podcasts. In our flagship longform podcast, Working Class History, we speak with participants in social movements about their experiences, and our daily mini podcast, On This Day in Working Class History, has one of our anniversaries each day. We also have a website and map containing thousands of our stories with full sources. All of our work is funded by you, our readers and listeners, on Patreon. To learn more and support us check out our links in our bio.

Song of the Day 😇🌊: https://open.spotify.com/track/651ispiBLjBRkKL8XoOdXO

Abdullah Ocalan- Liberating Life
This 40 page document analyzes the historical struggle for woman's liberation, as is informed by the middle eastern struggle for women's liberation

Die Juso will Erbschaften über fünfzig Millionen höher besteuern. Das bringt die Superreichen in Wallung – und eine gehässige Debatte in Gang. https://www.woz.ch/!4YM9QXYC4A27

Good idea: friendship benches

https://apnews.com/article/mental-health-zimbabwe-park-bench-grandmothers-0a3611a7b800aa3628bd3abe53a131cb

Older people are at the center of a homegrown form of mental health therapy in Zimbabwe that is now being adopted in places like the United States.

The approach involves setting up benches in quiet, discreet corners of community clinics and in some churches, poor neighborhoods and at a university. An older woman with basic training in problem-solving therapy patiently sits there, ready to listen and engage in a one-on-one conversation.