A new edition has just been released of Dare to be a Daniel, a short pamphlet that chronicles the rise of one of Britain’s earliest syndicalist unions. The pamphlet charts the rise of the French Cooks’ Syndicate, which sought to organise catering workers in the early part of the 20th century. The French Cooks’ Syndicate was formed as part of the so called syndicalist revolt that shook the British ruling elite in the run up to the First World War and beyond. The union was open to all catering workers and was run on democratic lines, with rank-and-file workers controlling and running the union without the need for full-time officials and union leaders. The tactic employed by the union was direct action, and the pamphlet outlines a number of disputes where imaginative forms of action, such as serving guests raw food, were used to defeat employers. Dare to be a Daniel is not just a historical document; it sets out methods of organising that are relevant to today’s hospitality workers, who are still forced to work in an industry dominated by poverty pay and casualised working conditions. The pamphlet outlines just what can be achieved if we get together as hospitality workers and take the fight to the employers.

For your free copy of Dare to be a Daniel, get in touch with us here at SFHWU.