(en) France, Organisation Communiste Libertarie (OCL) - Courant Alternatif #242 - Hot summer in the Hostos! (fr, pt)

 [machine translation]

For a year that EPSM (1) of Caen is fighting against a financial recovery plan, it became 
a symbol of resistance to the restrictive policies imposed by different es health 
ministers, to pay shortage of hospital resources, and now the refusal of the 
criminalization of trade union action. ---- They think only as we think only care ... ---- 
It is only through the efforts of daily hospital, hospitals continue to operate. 
Everywhere the same degradation of working conditions (lower RTT slip tasks, staff 
reduction, working 12h ...), de-skilling of staff, stored in rank to fiscal adjustment 
variable. Quality of care is relegated to insignificant against the totalitarian 
juggernaut protocols and quality process. No question of humanity, but profitability! But 
for the ARS (2) and hospital managers, who dream more concerned with the politics of that 
figure care business leaders: "There still meat on the bone." What remains to scratch it 
is the "accrued benefits," pointed to by the Government, the Court of Auditors and the 
Hospital Federation of France, as an illegitimate relic of a bygone era.

A movement that has spread to win

Faced with this frontal attack, hospitals are struggling many (Sarlat, Angers, Beauvais, 
Digne, Sete, St. Ave, St Jean d'Angely, Marseille, Plaisir-Grignon, Korian White House in 
Paris, Guillaume Regnier in Rennes Paul Guiraud in Villejuif, EPSM in Caen, CHUM 
Martinique ...) and every day new mobilizations are emerging everywhere in France. Despite 
the revolt rumbles, the claims of hospital stay inconspicuous. It is with this realization 
that the employees and trade unions CGT and SUD EPSM Caen were to initiate a first General 
Assembly of hospitals struggling, April 4 at Caen. This first AG, which brought together 
representatives from over forty hospitals has led to the drafting of a call (see CA No. 
240 in May 2014) and stressed the need for coordinated action. The movement built: Second 
AG on May 22 in Nanterre, 57 institutions present, syndicated to the CGT, SUD, the CNI (3) 
militants, UFAS (4) ... or non-union, decided to move to the offensive. This was achieved 
by the "call of Nanterre," where it is decided to include a national mobilization to Caen 
on June 18 in support of EPSM Caen. Indeed, after December 19, 2013, in the police against 
the hospital who was the door of the hospital, the director attack unions in 
administrative court. SUD and CGT were sentenced on April 30, 1000 euro fine each for 
having prevented by twice the CTE and HSC to meet. Also, anyone who would prevent "any 
way" the conduct of proceedings faces a fine of EUR 500 per day. On 18 June, some 600 
hospitals, came by bus from Brittany and Paris and all of France, despite the strike at 
the SNCF, supported by SUD, CGT, FSU and UFAS (4) have demonstrated in the streets of 
Caen. Part of EPSM, the highest manifestation in color and very combative, went to the 
prefecture where a delegation has been received. She filed a motion asking the Ministry of 
Health not to minimize the anger of the hospital, deploring the prosecution and 
criminalization of their actions and demanding the repeal of the debt of hospitals and 
stop job cuts. During the picnic on the lawns of the prefecture, present different 
hospitals and unions and the entertainment took the floor. In the afternoon, the 200 
people present at the General Assembly chose to be called "Convergence of hospitals in the 
fight against H?st?rit?" logo is in progress to identify the movement all over France. The 
AG has decided to set up a liaison committee to ensure the information on ongoing 
struggles and coordination, this summer, actions oriented people, users and all hospital, 
a Thursday every 15 days, with a downbeat July 3. She wants the "convergence" with the 
institutions of social and medico-social and defense committees of local hospitals 
represented at the AGM. A national mobilization to the Ministry of Health on September 23, 
will be the next step. It is three weeks before the hearing on the financing plan for 
Social Security, which will determine the resources allocated to the health sector, 
private and public nursing home for the next year.??

Repression employer.

To impose budget cuts directions attacking the social gains and quality of care. A war of 
attrition against the militants and attacks the wallet is to muzzle the personal wrestling 
and unions. This shock employers of public service has all legal and disciplinary arsenal 
to silence any form of dissent organized: application of administrative tribunals, 
layoffs, assignments for interim relief, defamation charges, penalties ... Some examples: 
in Psychiatric Hospital Paul Guiraud in Villejuif, unions are assigned to occupation of 
premises; Arcachon, a militant is sanctioned by the government for exposing at a public 
meeting, the deterioration in his hospital care; Montauban, the unions have held assigned 
to the supervisory board hospital; EPSM to Caen, South and CGT are condemned to the 
Administrative Court for prevention hold pending and threatened a fine of EUR 500 per 
protester; Talence strikers are assigned to noise ... In the social and medico-social: the 
Anras (Association medical social) in Midi Pyrenees, defamation central business 
delegates; the Federation of Secular Works of Haute Savoie, dismissal Steward SUD and 
surveys militants, a private detective. Only a massive coordinated response and unitary 
institutions struggling is able to put an end to the criminalization of industrial action.

Attempts to coordinate struggles

In Caen on June 18, it is all the unions who were called to protest against threats to 
violate the fundamental freedoms to protest and to strike. Only FSU, CGT and Solidarity 
were present. Attempted three processions, intermittent, railway, hospital meeting at the 
prefecture, could not be realized. Intermittent attended the event. Users simultaneously 
organized a rally in support of the railway strike, they joined us in the prefecture. June 
19 at the Montparnasse train station, a hospital delegation came to show support for the 
railway strike and gave them a point decided the day before the AGM Caen Hospitals in the 
fight against H?st?rit?. In Caen, the Koordination of Intermittent Calvados occupy a place 
until late June and organized a march of 507 km. KIC called intermitent-es, temporary 
unemployed-honest-s,-es kicked, railworkers, employee-es EPSM, Caen and the region, prey 
to the same anti-social policies, to coordinate not to suffer without doing anything.

On the side of unions

The situation is different in different hospitals, but in most they are inter-union CGT / 
SUD who are the initiators of the struggles, where one of these organizations. If the 
South federation Social Health supported this early convergence of hospitals struggle, 
national CGT has little taste for coordination that may exceed it. Thus, although many 
unions CGT hospitals actively participate in this convergence, their federation disagreed 
at the first AGM of April 4 Caen, citing the difficulty of mobilizing and inviting us to a 
great demonstration of the CGT .. in September. On 18 June, the National CGT called for a 
mobilization with picket at each hospital, while their base unions joined the national 
event in Caen. In some places the protests are supported by FO or the CFDT. There is 
little that the Caen University Hospital who recently managed to abbreviations CFDT, CFTC, 
CGT, FO, SUD, UNSA, on top of a strike call, most wanted nowhere. The CFDT has long shown 
its collaboration with hospital managers. A EPSM Caen after participating in the 
mobilization of June 2013, the CFDT has negotiated in secret, during the summer with the 
direction, ready to let him crumbs. Since then, the CFDT has never stopped criticizing the 
fight and irresponsible trade unions which only increased the deficit of the hospital. A 
Paul Guiraud in Villejuif, the CFDT militants were ordered to leave the Inter leading a 
bitter strike with occupancy management and the courtyard since June 2 Union branch left 
massively CFDT and the struggle continues. Well-supported directors: SYNCASS-CFDT (5) 
involves the fact that the Directorate General of Health has received offer on June 17, 
the Inter-Paul-Guiraud, described as "union acting in the illegality. " He reiterated his 
support for the management of the institution and "regrets that the ministerial attitude 
does not ensure respect for the position of director." The CH-FO (hospital staff) provides 
that it "shall ensure that the authorities do not let 'alone in front' teams, management 
institutions, conduct essential to maintain the quality difficult reforms and efficiency 
of French hospitals, while budgets are lagging behind. " For its part, the Union of Public 
manageurs health (SMPS) expressed "deep concern at the plight faced by the management 
team," Paul Guiraud. "Given this situation, copy the increasing difficulty of Directors to 
conduct a peaceful social dialogue in the context of severe budgetary constraints, while 
the rule of law in their favor, the SMPS reiterates its commitment to respect, dialogue 
and accountability which that are at stake. He reaffirmed - and reaffirm - its total 
solidarity with all management teams who face physical and moral pressure in the exercise 
of their difficult mission. "

Only the struggle will pay!

The ongoing wrangle between hospital departments (supported by ARS, the government and 
some union conf?d?s) and personal fighting, will see the outcome in a national 
mobilization forcing the Ministry of Health to increase the financial allocations the 
establishment. It is time for action in each hospital on July 3, and then every 15 days 
during the summer. The determination of hospital several hospitals has prevented many 
"modernization" of being already staffing plan. And it is a victory!

Psych'O, Caen on 06/29/2014

link facebook page hospitals struggling

(1) EPSM: Public Establishment Sanity = psychiatric hospitals

(2) ARS: Regional Health Agency

(3) CNI: Nurse National Coordination

(4) independent health UFAS Federal Union (affiliated with UNSA) has over 7 departments

(5) SYNCASS-CFDT: National Union of directors, executives, doctors, dentists and 
pharmacists in public health and social and private-CFDT