Workers' Control Song

Would you choose to go back, working twelve hours a day,

Would you choose to toil more and a pittance be paid?

Will you stand in the union against the new right?

Or do you think on your own you can withstand their might?

The answer is written in our history,

If it weren't for the union, where would we be?

They say we've got problems, and the unions they blame,

Well, Franco and Pinochet, they said the same.

If our union they weaken, if our union they break,

Then where's our defense from becoming enslaved?

So would you choose bondage above liberty?

And if it weren't for the union, where would we be?

Franco, Spanish dictator between (939-1975, led the fascist revolt against the

Spanish Republic in 1936. . a

Proochet, Chilean dictator between 1973-1990, with U.S. support led the fascistic

revolt against the elected Chilean socialist government.

Song written for the “Songs of Working Life” project.

Workers' Controi Song

Well, the times were get-ting hard and the boss was getting tough; And no

‘came a fate-ful day when the work-ers made a stand.

Weil, the times were getting hard and the boss was getting tough;

And no matter how we slaved, still he said, “It's not enough!”

Ev'ry week the axe would fall, blokes were sacked on every hand,

Till there came a fateful day when the workers made a stand.

Now he’s lost his cushy job and the right to hire and fire.

For he thought that we'd give in and we all would scrape and bow,

But the workers took control and he's on the Susso now. *

O, we handed him his hat and we showed him the door,

And we told him a grin," You're not needed any more.

And we're not prepared to say that we hate to see you go,

For we did the bloody work, so we'll run the bloody show."

There's some women down the street toiling in the clothin trade;

Things were crook a while ago, now they really got it made: t

Then they fronts up to the boss and they send him packing too.

And it’s only just a start, for it's spreading every day.

Yes, it's really catching on so [ guess it's here to stay,

There's no need to fear the sack or to work until we drop: #

All we need to do is fire all the dead-heads at the top.

t crook: bad

# the sack: getting fired

This song was inspired by 20 years on the same job. 21