(en) France, Alternative Libertaire AL #247 - When
construction workers resumed taste for action (fr, it, pt) [machine
translation]
A massive strike, which thwarts the subsidiaries division of BTP Vinci giant. The
never-seen for over thirty years in the Ile-de-France and in the building: nearly 700
striking workers blocked 5 major sites and nearly 2,000 workers who cross their arms.
Account of the strike by a trade union activist copy striker. ---- After the strike last
year at Vinci who had demonstrated the ability to mobilize workers for their demands, the
collective CGT-Vinci Ile-de-France decided before the mandatory annual negotiations (NAO)
began to organize a rally outside the headquarters of Vinci in Rueil-Malmaison, November
6, 2014. The CGT-Vinci group was particularly involved in this initiative, and more than
500 employees responded to the call. This strong engagement has encouraged many delegates
from various unions, including the CGT and CFDT, to consider an extension to this action.
January 7 delegates from 15 companies met in Rungis, in Inter [ 1 ]. Drawing lessons from
the strike last year it was decided that no NAO would be signed separately in each
subsidiary before obtaining an overall negotiation with the parent.
The sauce begins to take
A first information leaflet was widely distributed to the workers, claiming negotiations
with Vinci, with a deadline of January 28th.
A second meeting of the Inter was set for February 4, 2015. That day, the conclusion was
that the Inter Vinci ignorant and maneuvering to divide. But Vinci failed to divide the
Inter. In any business, no NAO agreement has been signed. Never before have so many
companies had conducted such a concerted collective action.
Attempts to divide Vinci
To stem the rising mass movement, Vinci, in some companies, proposed increases to prevent
the strike. Sogea, where trade unionism is strong, it has proposed 1.5% overall increase
for workers earning less than 2,500 euros gross, with the argument: "To 0.5% less than
what you are asking this not worth to strike ".
The answer was clear-cut: February 4, the Inter launched a slogan of indefinite strike
from Monday, February 9, 2015.
Employees have responded overwhelmingly to the call on construction sites and on strike
for wage increases and other related claims on the basis of a claim of 2% general wage
increase for all to a minimum. CFDT proposed 1.5% but the CGT has not accepted. Today the
practice has shown that it was a mistake to lower the level of claims.
The proposals of the directions of Vinci firms (between 0.3 and 0.5% average increase in
payroll) were mostly rejected by unions.
While the Vinci Group announces results 2.5 billion in 2014 and benefits from all
government measures (competitive employment tax credit, responsibility pact ...), it is
the wage austerity for employees!
Partial blockage and total
The first day of the strike, only blocking the movement of goods and concrete trucks was
organized. The second day, blocking was total. Except for everything concerning safety and
health. Included among the sites affected by the strike:
that of the Achères water treatment plant;
the site of the Canopy at the Halles-Châtelet;
that of the Arena in Nanterre;
Smarov the yard in Saint-Cyr-School;
Veolia site in Aubervilliers.
This strike was massive, unheard for over thirty years in the Ile-de-France and in the
building: hundreds of striking workers (nearly 700), 5 major projects blocked and several
other sites of Bateg companies Dumez GTM, Sicra Sogea-IDF, TPI, CBC ... Out of all of the
Ile-de-France, on large sites are nearly 2,000 workers who have not worked. This movement
has even sparked another strike for a premium site in NGE-Gantoli.
We start together, we finish together
After four days, the strike ended victoriously on Friday. The movement started
simultaneously on most major projects, ended just as simultaneously without fraying. This
is already a great collective mobilization of success.
The media silence was deafening on this massive strike a week.
The spirit of solidarity and tenacity in the strike organization (despite the lack of
preparation on certain sites) was incredibly high.
Emphasize the courage of combative comrades who rallied from 4 or 5 am throughout the strike.
Sympathy even among non-strikers
We must also thank the non-striking workers of some companies who could not work because
of blockages sites, and have expressed their solidarity with us. Despite attempts by their
leadership to mount against the strikers in the name of "freedom of labor" and who would
not pay. Also, the spirit of "one for all, all for one" basic awareness of belonging to
the same exploited class manifested with force.
To cope with the bosses, there was not as delegates, there was the working class.
Delegates were carried and pushed by the workers. So the NAO in Dodin negotiations were
held at the site of the strike, under the control of striking workers.
SMS ridiculous Vinci to staff elected
The CGT Construction Bois Furniture showed its solidarity. Several federal secretaries
have supported the strikers. Some bosses Vinci dared send the following SMS to staff
representatives: "Do not listen to people outside the company.»
Awesome! No Vinci company can only take decisions without the approval of the "central
power" outside, but we are asked not to listen to our comrades from the outside! The
bourgeoisie wants to avoid at all costs that workers act as a class, a collective force,
but as servile individuals. But there, too Vinci failed.
A great regional victory
Some think that we have not fully achieved our objectives. But to judge success or failure
should be considered the whole movement and its preparation. Without the success of
November 6, the preparation of the struggle, the formation of an inter-union, would we
have got what we got? It was a great regional victory that has no precedent and giving
hope to other major mobilizations, only guarantors of major success.
To think that one can go it alone is an illusion. The boss accused of refusing
individualized increases. But why is it coaxing to increase all employees? Is that he
knows it, that there is a contradiction between his boss Interest (win as much as possible
on the backs of workers) and raise wages. What workers earn more, that's what he earns
less! This is the eternal battle between the bourgeoisie and the working class as long as
there capitalist system of exploitation of man by man.
Our strike and success served as an example for other strikes on the construction site of
Achères, NGE in which workers got 150 euros per month premium that their bosses they
refused since July.
Collective Strength = results
Again, this strike have shown us that the question of organization and consciousness of
belonging to a group, class interests in stark contrast to those of the employers, are
fundamental. Where a struggle to be successful, it is a collective organized force exists,
and where there built an organized force, successful struggles can lead. Where there has
been an unwavering strength of trade unions stronger companies, consisting of convinced
activists, bosses bite their fingers.
To lead the fight properly, to have a class perspective and organize the fight in a
collective spirit, the militant worker must fight and in his class.
This struggle and the struggles of recent years have taught us the following fact: the
number of negotiations are not really as they are not based on any field work. Many
delegates do not trust the workers. They are on the unfavorable terrain of submission to
employers, in the systematic search for a compromise unrelated strength and that often
ends badly for workers.
The weak links in the fight
Employers and employees, we are not "social partners" as they would have us convinced. We
must not forget that we are not on a par with our bosses. While the strike was at its
highest, and we put in a strong position, some delegates, against the decision of the
Inter tried to negotiate alone or have not been able to resist due to pressure from their
bosses . This behavior early weakened the role of the Inter who could play its role as
central contact for negotiations and to coordinate the fight.
But the CGT delegates were firm and defended the principle: "We started together, we will
end up together. "You have to understand that this situation, which has weakened the
strength of the movement, is not the result of a behavior of one or two delegates" bought
by employers. " The character and individual behavior is secondary and is only an
illustration of the class-conscious state and the union.
Need for corporate union life
Often, in fact, there is no real company union that really works, but unionized
individuals. Even when the CGT is the only representative of a company, there is no
collective functioning. However the boss, with his strength and economic power,
discipline, service staff (HRD), the mobilization of frames (some executives admit "I am
obliged to follow"), its disciplinary rules, discriminating against leaders ... is very
well organized. We can not be said of the unions in many companies.
Some unions or delegates, instead of defending the public interest, defend their position
and their weakness or their interests are at the heart of their business. This behavior
leads workers to lose confidence in their strength, and it is not possible for them to
experience their united struggle to bend pipes employers.
Workers, supervisors and managers agents, which unit?
We know that the CFDT and the CFTC at national level are "partners" of the government that
enacts laws against the interests of workers. Nevertheless, we have worked to an inter
exists. Indeed, the unit of employees and trade union unity at the base supports the
struggle. We would have opposed it in the case, or if, during the fight, she had become an
obstacle.
Arose during the fight the problem of possible workers unity, supervisory and managerial
staff. The absolute unity between these three categories is a dream. Several reasons for
this. If formally these three categories have in common that employees, they do not play
the same role in production. The workers are directly in the heart of the production, they
have a close connection, direct the production. Foremen and managers are in office, they
have tasks that emphasize their individuality. The notion of Emeritus Individuele is well
accepted by them, instead of the workers.
The boss uses very well this difference in attitude to manipulate and divide the
employees. Nevertheless, it must be able to identify which can lead supervisors and a
fraction of the frames in the fight, or at least, to show solidarity. Excluding the
executives who will never solidarity with the workers because they are actually the
bosses. To conduct a joint motion, it is necessary to distinguish the claims of each and
the objective limits of the committed struggle.
Individual heroism in Achères
This is the fight that will reveal the positions of each organization and their tactics.
With the fight can also find out who was to do. The fight is both selective and unifying.
It helps to know who really want to fight.
An anecdote: a worker at Eiffage was supportive of the strike on site Achères. His boss
immediately decided to transfer him elsewhere. On the last day of the strike, the strikers
praised this act of solidarity and demanded the reinstatement of this fellow on the site
and threatened to continue the strike. Finally the worker returned to the site. This is
the solidarity between workers who helped. Beautiful illustration of an awareness of
belonging to the same class.
Provisional Conclusion: This is the fight that the workers are the concrete experience of
the class struggle, their consciousness awakens and consolidated.
Revolutionary gymnastics
Combative militants there a favorable ground for them to understand that all learning is a
win, but a temporary victory, constantly challenged by the employers or power. We must not
forget that the laws passed at the national level by Parliament without being forced by
the struggle of the workers are never in our favor. See the end of law the national inter
Agreement (ANI) or, at present, the law Macron . All in favor of employers.
That is why workers must raise their struggle not to be limited to local or regional
claims, but the rise nationally in a struggle of the whole class against the political
power of the bourgeoisie toward the goal toward which history the results, the abolition
of their condition of slaves of capital.
Trade union activist striker
[ 1 ] Y were represented federations CGT, CFDT, FO and CFTC, and delegates from the
following companies: Sogea TPI, Sogea-IDF, GTM-Building, GTM-TP, Dumez, Modern Building,
Bateg, Sicra, CBC, Botte Foundation, EMCC, Dodin CB, Small, Delair-CFD-Lainé Delau, Solumat.
http://www.alternativelibertaire.org/?Quand-les-ouvriers-du-BTP
