(en) France, Alternative Libertaire AL #245 - European
network of alternative unions and basic: internationalist Weekend in
Toulouse (fr, it, pt) [machine translation]
The European Network of alternative unions and base continues to work with projects
combining short and long term. It met in Toulouse on the weekend of November 15 and 16 and
has demonstrated its growing vitality, such as structures that are members. ---- The
European Network of alternative unions and base had arranged to meet in Toulouse on 15 and
16 November. These working weekends for deciding actions, to adopt resolutions and conduct
a process of reflection. In Toulouse, about fifty delegates representing almost all member
organizations: Confederaci?n General del Trabajo (CGT), Solidaridad Obrera and
Confederaci?n Intersindical of the Spanish State, Intersindical Alternativa de Catalunya,
ICU, SIAL COBAS, COBAS ADL, IF COBAS Italy, South Vaud in Switzerland, Student Trade Union
of Belgium, TIE[1], Germany, OZZ IP Poland, Solidarity and CNT-SO for France.
They decided to call together the event and the blocking of the summit of European heads
of state to be held in Brussels on 19 December, as the initiative Blockupy Frankfurt
around the European Central Bank in early 2015. It s' is to include in a single initiative
while showing, in the street, the existence of a revolutionary syndicalist pole at the
European level.
Anchor at the base
Internationally as national, building forts interpros movements requires an anchor at the
base, close to the realities on the ground. This is why the network continues to work with
branches of education, students and industry / logistics met in Toulouse. Work also exists
in the railways and health. The Network has also decided to link local interprofessional
structures in border areas.
He confirmed his support for various struggles (Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions against the
Israeli state against the dam Sivens...) and launched a campaign for the defense of trade
union rights, including the right to strike, called into question many European countries.
Strengths and weaknesses
A text was adopted on the European situation and the union strategy, embodied in another
campaign that will take the theme "Capitalist cost us! ". Begun at the previous meeting in
March 2014, an important work on self-management and alternatives to capitalism continues;
a call to action "for a European public service built on the basis of democratization,
socialization and self-management" is derived.
Weaknesses remain; certain inherent to the Network, such contacts insufficiency with trade
unionists in Eastern Europe. Others refer for example to the lack of structuring a "trade
union left" in the French CGT, contrary to what is done in Germany (through TIE and
others) or Italy (with an e It Sindicate 'ostra cosa in the CGIL). But, along with the
establishment of the International Union Network of solidarity and struggle[2], that the
European Network knows some vitality for a year. It brings together several organizations
that weigh in the social struggles of their country. National interpro strike on 14
November in Italy, calling almost all the "base unions" is one example.
Christian (AL Transcom)
[1] Transnational Information Exchange brings together some of the "union left" German.
[2] See "A union network struggle" in the AL No. 228 of May 2013.
http://www.alternativelibertaire.org/?Reseau-europeen-des-syndicats
