(en) France, Alternative Libertaire AL #249 - April 9: Build
a massive strike (fr, it, pt) [machine translation]
Since January the development of strikes here and there evidence of an existing rage. On
April 9, the number of protesters assembled in Paris will be watched closely. But it is
the number of strikers who will tell if the 9 just expand the list of some vain days or if
we finally hold the starting point of a social ascent against austerity. ---- Passed in
force (49.3) in the National Assembly, the law is now Macron shuttle with the Senate,
where the right is a lot of fun with the idea to "improve" the text that many deputies UDI
/ UMP were about to vote for rescuing Valls against the "rebellious" PS. The Senate
pushing even further the anti-people measures. ---- Simultaneously, the government plans
to pass a law endorsing the claims of the MEDEF on the "social dialogue" while even the
CFDT refused to be associated with measures that will reduce the capacity of delegates in
enterprises. But that's not all! Before the summer must be buckled trading on
supplementary pensions where the MEDEF proposes, after the freezing of pensions decided
for 2015, to reduce reversion pensions to widows and lower pensions from 62 to 67 years.
It's the return of retirement from the dead! Not to mention the negotiations in June of a
"mini-CDI" revocable at any time to "liberate" hires in SMEs.
Exit the routine activist
Finally, Mr. Rebsamen, Minister of Labour, was shown before the Senate on March 11,
explaining that the employment contract is not always a relationship of subordination. Now
all labor law in France is based precisely on this "class" approach recognizing guarantees
to employees because of the existence of this subordination. The law recognizes that an
employee seeking to sell their labor power to a capitalist is in a weak position. This
blunder Rebsamen was laughed all lawyers into the columns of the Figaro! But in trade
union circles, nobody laughs because bosses and liberal contest since 1791 ... the legal
recognition of employee alienation by opposing the vision of an option's agreement between
free and equal citizens. An overhaul of the Labour Code by deleting this philosophical
base fully meet the expectations of the MEDEF. So blunder or trial balloon?
The principle of a day of action in the spring was worn in internal discussions at the CGT
during the crisis of the confederal office, wanted by the Confederal Congress FO and
proposed by the Inter Solidarity: it will be on April 9th. FSU will rally later after
complicated internal debates. But after a litany of action days half missed the last two
years, the question being debated among the employee-es and even in union teams: how
effective these days repeated every quarter?
For since the failure of the movement of pensions in 2010, workers know the intransigence
of governments to implement the measures austéritaires. Everyone understood that
demonstrations are not enough to stop the steamroller. So it is a much more daring
combination of strikes and blockades that we can make ourselves heard. 9 is only useful if
it is the starting point of a much more resolute mobilization in the forms of action.
For April 9 we be useful, it must be built as a massive strike day. Let's stop with the
plane-plane events which come only delegates and retirees. The call confederations
maintains in this regard, as always, a soft focus. It is up to professional associations,
trade unions support the strike call, energize union collective enterprises for delegates
to do the job, turn in the workshops and services, distributing leaflets at the entrance
boxes to convince their colleagues. Assemblies of staff, hours of employee information,
words taken from the canteen ... must first get out of the militant routine to create a
positive atmosphere.
The will to overcome trade union divisions, real also must also guide the militant teams.
Thus, in a series of cities in Ile-de-France, inter-union and inter AG were held. There is
still time to multiply such initiatives until the last moment.
Rage against injustice
There will not be a bit serious strike on the single issue of government austerity
measures. The objective to put a stop seem out of reach for employees who do not want to
lose a day's work for a purely symbolic issue. This is why the collective union protest
must put books of each workshop, every business, every branch of industry in the heart of
the strike, 9. This is unfortunate but employees are not on strike pleasure. They need two
additional conditions: rage at injustice that endures and hope that the strike finally
solve the problem.
Now just multiply the struggles since January. Largely ignored by the national media, we
must dissect the regional press to perceive echoes. Safeguarding employment, working
conditions (including hires needed to keep workloads), anti-union repression are the main
engines. And wages, especially because many private companies are starting mandatory
annual negotiations (NAO) earlier this year.
Reacting employees
April 9 should help revive all these fights not just to scale boxes. In the joint
committees employers / unions that manage collective agreements and minimum wages grids,
patterns often show the same intransigence in their own companies. And mid-March to the
agreement of the shipping companies of press subscriptions and advertising mail: When the
bosses announce "zero" for salaries, all trade union delegations refuse to continue the
session and leave the room. Rest succeed in reacting employees of the companies concerned.
Against pessimism and defeatism, we must remember that even passed laws may fall when the
movement is strong enough. Thus the CPE voted yet has never been applied. And if notaries
events have reduced Macron, workers should do it too!
It is the responsibility of the Inter-confederal give a positive sign even before 9. Alas
it is likely, given the fragility of the Inter, that the sign will not come. Yet for the 9
gives confidence would have other appointments are already announced. It is up to union
teams to show fighting spirit of anticipation and sense of unity. It is now that we must
set options for action for a gradual increase of the social movement.
The recent past must learn. Spaced events of the days are no longer sufficient face of a
determined government. It forces us to hit harder. This is the debate of conviction to win
in our unions. And then we can prepare the employees and the unemployed to renewable
strikes, blockades of industrial areas and freight platforms, the occupancy of power ...
Jean-Yves (AL 93)
http://alternativelibertaire.org/?9-avril-Construire-un-mouvement-de
