25, 26 and 27 January was held the founding congress of a new student union struggle,
Solidarity students, bringing South Student, Student Union Federation (ESF) and local
non-federated unions. Back on a busy weekend, the culmination of a long history.
The unification of control student unionism was figure sea serpent, always discussed, but
never completed. Since late January, it's done. A new organization after South Student,
the ESF and local union was born. Name: Solidarity students, union struggles. It all began
in the early 2000s. The reunification of UNEF in 2001, does not collect the entire student
unionism. Since 1995, there are unions in the South among students, who have joined forces
in 1999 in South Student. The new Unef aligned its positions with those of the former
UNEF-ID (Independent and Democratic): co-management, centralized bureaucracy.
Sections of the old UNEF called "SE" (Solidarity student) refuse to abandon their roots
in the struggles and create the ESF. The common South Student and ESF?
Ten years of division
The option of unionism struggle without giving up the concrete and daily aid of Students
considers that the most profitable strategy is that of self-organized struggles. Soon the
two unions work together. They remain divided. In a very few unionized (around 1% of
students are), this is a glaring weakness. FSE launches the end of 2005 the first call for
unification. This makes sense with the movement against the 2006 law known as "equal
opportunities", including the First Employment Contract (CPE). At the heart of this
massive movement, most activists and South ESF Student defend the same principles:
self-organizing struggles primacy of general meetings and decision-making bodies such as
coordination of movement, desire to go with the majority of students and students towards
a radicalization of the actions and claims, convergence with employee-es.
What then prevents a merger? Questions of principle, vocabulary, culture association,
which does not always translate into practice, broadly similar. For several years, several
meetings were held, which lead to nothing concrete, so it is better to know.
Three days of debate
Two meetings were held in 2008. But the process is mostly revived in November 2009 at the
Sixth Congress of South Student. It then changes the method: do not major national
meetings to dissect the principles, but work together with joint campaigns and training
times, to identify from where the divergences and convergences real. In June 2011, trade
unions and sections of the two organizations propose to take stock: schedule a conference
merger, in a limited time. They gradually convince a majority of activists and militants.
It is therefore a lengthy process mandated What completed the 80-es representing 26 unions
across France, from South Student, the ESF, local unions such as the Union
Interprofessional education workers (FTIR) Regional Institute of Social Work (IRTS) of
Rennes, or the Multicultural Association of Students of Besan?on. They used these three
days to lay the foundations of a new organization firmly focused on the struggles.
Its operation is one of the points that made the debate more. Struggle unionism is built
against pyramidal organizations and centralists. Some argued for a so flexible structure.
Simple self-managed real federation or network? The discussions led to the establishment
of a federal secretariat and working groups and committees. They get to work as soon as
possible on the central topics such as students and foreign students, doctoral students
and doctoral students currently struggle against precariousness in higher education and
research, and analysis of the new law that the government is preparing for this sector.
The new organization is structured as a federation to ensure coordination and at the same
time the autonomy of trade unions on the ground.
In the universities and beyond
In a difficult struggles reflux after several defeats, this new organization gives a new
impetus and will face significant challenges anchor a union practice field in
universities, but also expand its areas of intervention. The question of the scope of
unionization was another central debate. Considering the Students as Workers in training
students Solidarity wants out of the preserve of universities to organize all of these,
whether in university institutes of technology, IRTS, institutes training in nursing
schools, job training and so on. A large task to be carried out in conjunction with unions
Solidarity sectors concerned. Because the new organization has largely validated joining
Solidarity, marking a commitment to interprofessional practice unionism. His first public
appearance was also made on the occasion of the Paris demonstration boxes fight on January 29.
There will be hard pressed to defend the interests of students and students against the
attacks of the state and the employers against education. The new law taking shape for
higher education, in line with previous reforms, and agreements on competitiveness of the
labor market will be central to the work of the new organization.
An organization to build
Solidarity students adopted a charter expressing its fundamental positions, which should
enable all students and students who are identified to join. Will practice unionism social
transformation aimed at a radical change in society is reaffirmed. Solidarity students is
also attached to all emancipatory struggles as feminism, racism or ecology. But if the new
organization is not starting from scratch and can rely on the experience of its activists
and militants and logistics ESF and former South student, he still has a lot to do in
terms of structuring internal development claims. In the meantime, Solidarity Students
must be in its natural place: on the ground and in the daily struggles.
Aur?lien (AL Paris-Sud), Benjamin (AL Nantes) and Julie (AL Paris North East)
Home »
» France, Alternative Libertaire AL #225 - Universities Students Solidarity, a star is born (fr)