(en) France, Alternative Libertaire 12th Congress AL
(Castillon-du-Gard, 2015) - A review: From the UTCL to Alternative
Libertaire (fr, it, pt) [machine translation]
The genesis ---- Out with libertarian communism strongly tinged with ultra-left ideology
of ORA (Anarchist Revolutionary Organization), the collective for UTCL born in 1974 and
published the first issue of his newspaper all Aux Power Workers (TLPAT) in May 1976. The
first congress of the organization UTCL in 1978, followed by the merger with the OCA
(Organization Anarchist Combat, after the Anarchist Coordination). ---- Leaning against a
class struggle design, UTCL is built on a base and a workerist mass practice of will. The
analyzes and reflections are screened of "historical dialectical materialism" and always
face the field experiences. ---- Thus, UTCL she achieves a synthesis between the positive
contributions of the current libertarian worker, Bakunin, Marx, non-dogmatic Marxists and
self-management, and refuses exceeds platformism anarchists taboos, as abstentionism
principle.
The end of the 70 matches at the end of the illusion of the impending revolution. The UTCL
then turned in the building of a revolutionary strategy in non-revolutionary period of
political extension in social struggles facing social democracy in the unit with not only
libertarian forces. This strategy, developed in the libertarian communist project marks
the specificity of UTCL within the libertarian movement.
Mass practices and control axes
Its presence in the labor movement is reflected primarily through investment in trade
unionism which are prohibited practices against-power, self-organization of its
workers-union members or not, and inherited conceptions of anarcho syndicalism and
revolutionary syndicalism. The activists of the opposition against UTCL animate refocusing
in force in particular in the CFDT, promote the emergence of coordination and are its
many-to work towards the creation of new unions (SUD).
The anti-militarism, support for soldiers' committees, and a strong involvement in the
RNVAA (National Rally for the truth about the accident in the army) are an important area
of struggle at a time when conscription still exists.
The UTCL is also engaged in a campaign against the military-school agreements and
military-cultivation wanted by the PS that promote the military and contributes to the
militarization of society. Moreover it has in its ranks, just as the young anarchist
collective that is close to her, conscientious objectors and also supports their fights.
Internationalist and anti-imperialist, the UTCL forges links on the 5 continents with
organizations, unions, collectives and anarchist or anti-authoritarian magazines,
especially in countries of the Eastern bloc (see the seminar in 1981 "In Kronstadt in
Gdansk 60 years of resistance to state capitalism").
Anticolonial, it strongly supports the struggle of the Kanak people and occupies a
significant place in the AISDPK (Information Association and support the rights of the
Kanak people). The activists working with independence Kanak on different fight related
fronts with the FLNKS (National Front of Kanak Socialist Liberation) and some of its
components (such as Palika, Kanak Liberation Party), the EPK (Popular Schools Kanak ), and
USTKE (Union of Kanak and Exploited Workers). When occurs the first Gulf War in 1990, it
is without hesitation that the organization denounces and participated in the opposition
movement.
Small organization and great upheavals
The world is changing: it is time to take stock. The fall of the Berlin Wall invalidates
the work with organizations from the Eastern bloc countries. Much of structures in
connection with the UTCL explode if atomize or are absorbed by the new realities.
After the Matignon, links with the Kanak movement has faded without the UTCL is reached
will stimulate a debate around his self-managed libertarian project.
The term libertarian for the rights of homosexuals s (see the brochure The Right to
caress) was embedded in the inter-class movement that developed then.
The UTCL faced in the development of SOS Racisme, an offshoot of the Socialist Party,
which then imposed a moral and largely compliant with anti-racism anti-immigrant es PS
government policy.
The reflux of the struggles of the 80s, made it difficult to register in the duration of
action, political influence, despite the excitement of many struggles in which the
investment of activists of UTCL operates far from a advanced design but in the profound
respect for actors and actresses of the movement, whatever they are. An attitude that has
often earned the activists of UTCL confidence-workers of her and other activists
organized-es, but also reflects the development strategy of deficiency. The activists have
failed to resolve the contradiction between the refusal to be recruiting sergeants and
organizing the necessary construction.
The proliferation of local and union investments amid basisme harmed intervention and
public expression empowering visibility.
Investment in trade unionism, almost exclusive, came at the expense of other control
fields, such as that of women, confined to the trade union sector, or ecology, limited to
nuclear power. As for the education sector, it develops a collective apart with activists
unorganized es around the Zero magazine Conduct which has close links with the brother of
the FA industry.
These realities made it difficult to integrate activists ve-s-asset out companies and
schoolboy-do-s and students with lesquel for it-s was created CJL (Collectif Jeunes
Libertarians), revealing strengths and weaknesses of UTCL.
From the Margins, build a new organization
The UTCL was no longer the right tool for this new era and this is all the activists of
the organization were thus launched their own name a Call for a libertarian alternative in
1989. Three general assemblies together, on the basis of individual participation, the
activists of UTCL, the CJL, the activists gathered es in associations, magazines and
unorganized-es-es libertarian met in unit movements. The Manifesto for a libertarian
alternative is adopted in AG 18, 19 and 20 May 1991. At the fifth and last conference in
June 1991, activists of UTCL, es invested in building G, pronounced its dissolution.
By means of collective struggles and the passing of time, gradually blurring the rancor
and internal doctrinal oppositions to various libertarian movements, it seemed possible
then a reunification process, at least partially. Discussions with OCL have advanced from
both sides the need to conceive the struggle of the working class exclusively in the
company or also exclusively outside company.
The many-his libertarian communist activists unorganized-es-es but grouped around
magazines, collective - Review anarchist communist Tribune (TAC), COJRA (Organizing
Committee for the days of anti-authoritarian thought) review Black and Red, the CLATM
(anticapitalist struggle Collectif de Thann-Mulhouse), coffee... the Black-headed Gull -
are regular partners of struggle and convergence seems possible. The discussion became
possible with some FA sectors where tensions are diminishing (contacts between unionists,
Sales Fight! To the bookstore Monde Libertaire, joint work on education...).
All actors in the Call for libertarian alternative does not meet the new eponymous
organization, but it ultimately brings more activists that UTCL. If the new organization
has not managed to rally some old hands of libertarian communism, political development
conducted over two years has attracted a new generation of activists out with some
workerist mythology.
Among the objectives sought by the new organization:
Investment in trade unionism in the public sector enterprises but also in private;
The defense of anti-authoritarian practices and direct democracy;
Setting up in mass movements and work with non-libertarians components;
The organizational development strategy;
The pursuit of an internationalist expression and reconstruction (new) international links
in pursuit of anti-imperialist and anti-colonial designs;
The expansion of our interventions on the grounds of workers' fight-off its business:
housing, social rights, rights of foreigners, struggle of women, ecology, anti-fascism,
the struggles of the educated youth,...;
Policy coherence between different sectors of intervention.
http://www.alternativelibertaire.org/?De-l-UTCL-Union-des-Travailleurs
