FT-CI

Europe

Initial comments on the strike in France

23/10/2007

The strike has been very strong in transport over land, the axis of
the Sarkozy government’s attack on the "special [retirement]
provisions," and the backbone of the French workers’ movement today,
especially among the railway workers. The success of the strike call by the unions was particularly obvious on the trains, since only 5% of the scheduled runs in the country were made, and the management of the
railway firm SNCF acknowledged that almost three quarters of their
workers (73.5%) joined the strike. This percentage is higher than the
1995 strike, supported by 67% at the most difficult moment of the
conflict, which shows the massive nature of the present strike. In its
turn, urban transport appeared "severely disrupted" in Paris, with
most subway lines paralyzed or nearly so, but also in a large number
of the 28 other cities where the unions had made the strike call. The
only line that was running well was 14, which is completely automated.

However, the most significant thing is the fact that there were
numerous assemblies in the railroads where it was voted to continue
the strike, promoted in large part by SUD-Rail and FO, against the
opinion of the majority leadership of the CGT, that was only proposing
a "24-hour strike." This is the case at all the train stations in
Paris, as well as in Lyon and Marseille. It is most likely that many
trains will remain on strike tomorrow (and it is also likely that
problems on the Paris Metro will continue). This is very encouraging;
it shows the intention of the rank and file to fight more seriously,
but it is not yet the beginning of a strike of indefinite duration. It
is anticipated that new assemblies will meet on Monday.

Some 25,000 people marched in Paris, mainly from the CGT (railway
workers, subway workers, bus drivers, and electricity workers that
were also affected by the anti-retirement measures proposed by
Sarkozy). There were demonstrations throughout France (a total of 130)
in several big cities, where, according to the police, 150,000 people
participated, and 300,000, according to the unions. There were also
solidarity strikes by workers not directly affected by the special
provisions, like postal workers, telecommunications workers, workers
from unemployment offices (the employees of these offices, Assedic and
ANPE, are opposed to a plan that would combine both entities), and
educational workers, but in that sector participation was reduced.

Although the government kept a conciliatory profile, with the Minister
of Labor, Xavier Bertrand, insisting that the reform "will be
progressive" in the special provisions, and that "the strike is not
impeding the dialogue," Bertrand is unwilling to hand over anything
essential. He added that without the reform, "no one can guarantee"
that the workers covered by those provisions will be able to collect
their pensions "in five, ten, or fifteen years." In the morning, the
presidential spokesman, Laurent Wauquiez, had said it more clearly:
"we cannot yield" on the matter of increasing the period of
contributions that gives the right to a complete pension for those
workers, a period that the reform will increase from 37.5 years to 40,
to bring them in line with workers under the general provisions. For
his part, Bernard Thibault, General Secretary of the CGT [union
federation], called on the government to begin "real negotiations."
Next week there will certainly be government meetings with the union
leaders.

Finally, it is significant that this strike in France happened during
the strike by train drivers in Germany, the first conflict that shows
a clear break with the policy of wage moderation of all these years. A
real turning point for the main country in Europe.

Translation by Yosef M.

Related articles

No hay comentarios a esta nota

Newspaper

  • PTS (Argentina)

  • Actualidad Nacional

    MTS (México)

  • EDITORIAL

    LTS (Venezuela)

  • DOSSIER : Leur démocratie et la nôtre

    CCR NPA (Francia)

  • ContraCorriente Nro42 Suplemento Especial

    Clase contra Clase (Estado Español)

  • Movimento Operário

    MRT (Brasil)

  • LOR-CI (Bolivia) Bolivia Liga Obrera Revolucionaria - Cuarta Internacional Palabra Obrera Abril-Mayo Año 2014 

Ante la entrega de nuestros sindicatos al gobierno

1° de Mayo

Reagrupar y defender la independencia política de los trabajadores Abril-Mayo de 2014 Por derecha y por izquierda

La proimperialista Ley Minera del MAS en la picota

    LOR-CI (Bolivia)

  • PTR (Chile) chile Partido de Trabajadores Revolucionarios Clase contra Clase 

En las recientes elecciones presidenciales, Bachelet alcanzó el 47% de los votos, y Matthei el 25%: deberán pasar a segunda vuelta. La participación electoral fue de solo el 50%. La votación de Bachelet, representa apenas el 22% del total de votantes. 

¿Pero se podrá avanzar en las reformas (cosméticas) anunciadas en su programa? Y en caso de poder hacerlo, ¿serán tales como se esperan en “la calle”? Editorial El Gobierno, el Parlamento y la calle

    PTR (Chile)

  • RIO (Alemania) RIO (Alemania) Revolutionäre Internationalistische Organisation Klasse gegen Klasse 

Nieder mit der EU des Kapitals!

Die Europäische Union präsentiert sich als Vereinigung Europas. Doch diese imperialistische Allianz hilft dem deutschen Kapital, andere Teile Europas und der Welt zu unterwerfen. MarxistInnen kämpfen für die Vereinigten Sozialistischen Staaten von Europa! 

Widerstand im Spanischen Staat 

Am 15. Mai 2011 begannen Jugendliche im Spanischen Staat, öffentliche Plätze zu besetzen. Drei Jahre später, am 22. März 2014, demonstrierten Hunderttausende in Madrid. Was hat sich in diesen drei Jahren verändert? Editorial Nieder mit der EU des Kapitals!

    RIO (Alemania)

  • Liga de la Revolución Socialista (LRS - Costa Rica) Costa Rica LRS En Clave Revolucionaria Noviembre Año 2013 N° 25 

Los cuatro años de gobierno de Laura Chinchilla han estado marcados por la retórica “nacionalista” en relación a Nicaragua: en la primera parte de su mandato prácticamente todo su “plan de gobierno” se centró en la “defensa” de la llamada Isla Calero, para posteriormente, en la etapa final de su administración, centrar su discurso en la “defensa” del conjunto de la provincia de Guanacaste que reclama el gobierno de Daniel Ortega como propia. Solo los abundantes escándalos de corrupción, relacionados con la Autopista San José-Caldera, los casos de ministros que no pagaban impuestos, así como el robo a mansalva durante los trabajos de construcción de la Trocha Fronteriza 1856 le pusieron límite a la retórica del equipo de gobierno, que claramente apostó a rivalizar con el vecino país del norte para encubrir sus negocios al amparo del Estado. martes, 19 de noviembre de 2013 Chovinismo y militarismo en Costa Rica bajo el paraguas del conflicto fronterizo con Nicaragua

    Liga de la Revolución Socialista (LRS - Costa Rica)

  • Grupo de la FT-CI (Uruguay) Uruguay Grupo de la FT-CI Estrategia Revolucionaria 

El año que termina estuvo signado por la mayor conflictividad laboral en más de 15 años. Si bien finalmente la mayoría de los grupos en la negociación salarial parecen llegar a un acuerdo (aún falta cerrar metalúrgicos y otros menos importantes), los mismos son un buen final para el gobierno, ya que, gracias a sus maniobras (y las de la burocracia sindical) pudieron encausar la discusión dentro de los marcos del tope salarial estipulado por el Poder Ejecutivo, utilizando la movilización controlada en los marcos salariales como factor de presión ante las patronales más duras que pujaban por el “0%” de aumento. Entre la lucha de clases, la represión, y las discusiones de los de arriba Construyamos una alternativa revolucionaria para los trabajadores y la juventud

    Grupo de la FT-CI (Uruguay)