Nearly two weeks of national strike: it was a long time that the rail had not experienced
such a massive and sustained conflict. Many, many young workers have spent their "baptism
of fire". What policy lessons can be drawn from the point of libertarian communist view,
to guide the rest of our action? ---- For nearly two weeks, the railway and railway
workers went on strike against the proposed railway law and for the satisfaction of their
claims, internal to the company. ---- As for social, environmental and also functional
reasons, it is necessary to unify the public company split in two since 1997 (SNCF and
RFF), the law organizes a division into three separate companies! ---- The Department is
in full agreement with the head of the SNCF, Guillaume Pepy, who for years organized the
destruction of public service station: subcontracting to subsidiaries, into a worldwide
group of transport and logistics that actively contributes to the privatization of public
networks in other countries, attacks against the social rights of railway and railway
workers ...
Department and Department of Public company serve the interests of shareholders private
companies. Thus, the law decides the repeal of the regulations applicable to work
railworkers! So without this support from the railway regulations as union federations
will have to negotiate the future national collective agreement for the future rail
industry. The goal is obviously to apply to all employee-es rail (SNCF and private
companies) conditions tougher labor, the lowest possible rights.
The unitary approach promotes the launch of the action
In January, the federation SUD-Rail Interfederal proposed a national platform, carrier
including what will be the demands of the strikers throughout the movement:
reintegration of the whole railway system in a single public company that must stop
destroying as do Pepy and his band;
continued regulation of labor and SNCF status needs to be improved and extended to all
employee-es the rail industry;
Debt cancellation imposed for years to railway owned enterprises.
Three federations - CGT, UNSA and SUD-Rail - supported the unitary platform and
credibility to the prospect of a renewable national strike.
The fact that Unsa refuses to call the appropriate time has hardly weighed: the unitary
dynamic CGT / SUD-Rail, the long-term campaign conducted by many union teams to build a
rolling motion (SUD-Rail federally but also several unions CGT), the pressure of the
national demonstration on 22 May, allowed the appeal Interfederal CGT / SUD-Rail as of
June 10 evening.
The leaderisme night self-organization
Since the strike of winter 1986-1987 , the practice of general meetings of strikers has
become the norm for all renewable movement SNCF (and not only).
Libertarian communists have greatly contributed to this achievement: at the time, and then
for this to become the "normal" practice. But like all the others, this battle is never
definitively won: those who claim to "lead the struggle" instead of the strikers have not
renounced their elitist practices.
Without questioning the form "AG", and they transform them into small meetings where union
officials seul.es speak before we vote on their own proposals. This questioning of the
self-organization of workers in struggle, if it remains majority within the CGT, SUD-Rail
also key.
However, the dynamics of real AG also brought this strike.
The Left Front dessert fight
The strike also recalled that the Left Front was a useful tool ... to break the social
struggles. Overvaluing the role of its MPs, he supported the statements of Secretary
General of the CGT, Thierry Lepaon, which, from the fourth day of the strike, announced
the probable end of the movement before renewing more heavily at the end of one week.
So heavily that the CGT-Railroaders will is distinguished, including through a joint
statement with SUD-Rail!
The involvement of many and many young workers in this struggle, the importance but also
the difficulties of self-organization, coordination of general meetings (which should not
be confused with handling), the weakness of trade unionism which inter therefore, do not
respond quickly to the needs of sectors in struggle, the trap of institutions away from
direct confrontation with the government and employers, the role of users before, during
and after the strike, the report to non-strikers, the strike-breaking activism CFDT, and
many other issues still part of the balance sheet to be drawn together.
We will return.
Two lessons learned
A hot, we will highlight a two elements that seem important to all revolutionary syndicalists:
1. It is always possible to build and lead a renewable national strike! It is not nothing
to remember. But this requires a long preparatory work; the weight of the "struggle
unionism" in the rail sector contributes a lot.
2. This strike may be a turning point in the CGT / SUD-Rail reports, for the first time
with public officials CGT questions about the confederal line, Interfederal unit
maintained in the long term, a critical fact handling Left Front ...
Remains to be seen if this trend continues and especially if it is taken into account by
activists SUD-Rail, many of which have "grown up" as opposed to unsavory practices,
including CGT railway was customary.
Christian (AL Transcom)
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» France, Alternative Libertaire AL #241 - A first assessment of the fight (fr, pt)