French social crisis : the balance-sheet (fwd)

[Chegitz Guevara <mluziett@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Marc, "the Chegitz," Luzietti
personal homepage: http://shrike.depaul.edu/~mluziett
political homepage: http://shrike.depaul.edu/~mluziett/chegitz.html

"I just saved your fucking life Mom," YT said, "the least you could is to=
=20
offer me an Oreo."

Neal Stephenson's, "Snow Crash."

---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Tue, 16 Jan 1996 13:27:06 +0100
From: Ben et Creusa <creusa@xxxxxxxxxxx>
To: indwrk@xxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: French social crisis : the balance-sheet


French social crisis : the balance-sheet

=09France has just lived of the greatest social crisis ever seen from
the 30 last years, and even if the movment is stopped for the moment, we
can do an analysis of this movement :=20

=09During more than four weeks, public transports were completely
paralized, universities were in strike, and a large part of public
services too (education, energy, post, telecomunications...).=20

1) The theory of the Working Class's death failed. Workers are still able
to fight against capitalism and State.=20

2) Even if it's principally the public sectors' workers who are in strike,
we can note that a large majority of the Working Class support the strike.
Finally, this fight pass beyond the simple concrete demands : people is
boring to be obedient to the financier speculation and neverending
sacrifices.They want another future.=20


CNT in the Fight

=09The presence of the French CNT is remarkable. It's the only Union
which claims the General Strike. His main task has been to try to unify
the different fronts of strike ( workers-students, public-private sectors)
and to encourage the movement to claim self-management.=20

=09Students Sector : C.N.T has delegates in the National
Co-ordination (emanation of University General Assemblies). In some
universities, the CNT's influence is consequent (St. Denis, Nanterre,...).
=09
=09Public Sector :  At Posts, in Education, and in Health (where CNT
have unions sections), its members were at the mobilizations' front.=20

=09* Occupation of the Mail Centers in Lyon, Saint-Priest, and Satolas ;
=09* Occupation of hospital La Salpetri=E8re
=09* Apparition of CNT among the train conductors (strike's
investigators) ; etc.=20

=09Private Sector : The mobilization wasn't so consequent. However we
note that in two enterprises where CNT is active, there were sympathetic
strikes : FNAC and Cit=E9 des Sciences de la Vilette.=20

=09For the first time, the C.N.T. appeared in most of the media :
radio, TV, regional and national press. We observe that a particularity of
this movement was the emergence of the CNT. But we are also the target of
cops' provocations, and attacks from the Parti Socialiste, which don't
like to loose the control of the situation (above all in Universities).=20
=09CNT has reinforced it during this movment : it's had more
affiliation, sections and contacts, and as our union was unknown of a
majority of workers, it benefit now of the sympathy of a large part of
them.=20


Some characteristics of the movement

1. The movement passed beyond the corporatist interests. This was
generated by :
=09. fear about child's future
=09. workers have had enough of same neverending restrictions

2. More largely, in french society we've assisted to some sympathetic
initiatives :
=09. solidarity with poor people ;
=09. solidarity with homeless people (in Faculty of Jussieu, students
=09invited them to sleep and eat in the great amphitheater);
=09. solidarity with striking workers (people gave to workers some
=09food,...) ;
=09. solidarity with " care-less " people.
These actions reflected a relative population's self-management.

3. The private sector wasn't really striking, but was sympathetic with
public sector.

4. The happy strike's environment showed a great pleasure to meet
themselves: this pleasure was very popular and created a sympathetic
environment... to show his strength, to meet themselves in streets, to be
together (the main slogan was " Tous ensemble, tous ensemble!": " All
together, all together ! "), and especially to show that " we exist " (it
was the start of a class' conscientization).=20

=09Some striking workers will touch less than the quarter of their
salary for december. CNT organized a strike's cash-box and ask you for a
financiary solidarity (Soci=E9t=E9 G=E9n=E9rale 000 500 24 099, ordered to =
"CNT")

=09These strikes were out running the only particular interests. We
assisted sometimes to " solidarity strikes ". In all cases are we sure
that there is now a conducive space for the ideals' CNT and for our
syndicalism.=20


Bureau Confederal  CNT

Benjamin Preciado
31/12/95
_________________________________________
CNT - AIT
Conf=E9d=E9ration Nationale du Travail
Association Internationale des Travailleurs (IWA)
Bureau conf=E9d=E9ral
33 rue des Vignoles - 75020 Paris
T=E9l:33-1-43-72-09-54 FAX:33-1-43-72-87-02
http://www.altern.com/cnt
cnt@xxxxxxxxxx
________________________________________


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