Re: [Marxism] Guadeloupe: general strike spreads

[nada <dwaltersMIA@xxxxxxxxx>]

*PRESENTATION*

The following report is reprinted from/ ILC International Newsletter/ 
No. 322 (Feb. 6, 2009). Please note, as well, that a general strike has 
shut down the island of Martinique -- also a French "Overseas Territory" 
-- since Feb. 5. (A brief reference is made to this in the posting 
below.) A march of 25,000 people took place in the capital city of 
Fort-de-France, Martinique, on Feb. 9.

Meanwhile hundreds of additional French elite troops have been mobilized 
and placed on alert in Guadeloupe to pressure the population to back 
down, or to repress the movement in the event the general strike remains 
solid, as it has been since January 20. The memory of the 1967 massacre 
by the French occupation troops of more than 100 striking construction 
workers remains vivid in the minds of the people of Guadeloupe.

More than ever, this powerful strike movement needs our international 
solidarity. Please send your solidarity statement to the General Union 
of Workers of Guadeloupe (UGTG) and to the Collective of 49 
Organizations to:

Collectif des 49 Organisations
UGTG, Rue Paul Lacavé 97 110 Point-à-Pitre Guadeloupe
Fax : International : 011 335 90 89 08 70
Email : ugtg@xxxxxxxxxx

In solidarity,

Ed Rosario and Alan Benjamin
ILC - USA

********************

*
*
*GUADELOUPE*
*
*
*Second Week of the General Strike in Guadeloupe*
*
*
*The arrival of the French Secretary of State for Overseas Territories:*
*Does it finally mean real negotiations?*


Since January 20, a general strike has paralyzed Guadeloupe. Triggered, 
in unity, by all the trade unions and popular organizations on the 
island, which formed a Collective "Movement Against Exploitation" 
("Liyannaj kont pwofitasyon"), the strike's main demands are an increase 
in the minimum wage of 200 euros, an increase in social benefits, lower 
prices for basic staples and gas (which is 50% more expensive than in 
the French metropolitan mainland), and a freeze on rents. In total there 
are 146 specific demands.

These are 146 demands raised by workers and the working masses with 
their organizations. After the attacks by the representatives of the 
French government, who tried to break the negotiations, and after the 
most powerful demonstration yet, which brought together more than 60,000 
people in Pointe-à-Pitre, the French Secretary of State for Overseas 
Territories, Yves Jego, was dispatched to the island to try to end the 
conflict.

Are we really entering a phase of negotiations, to take into account the 
genuine demands of a population hard hit by the crisis?
"Without results, the strike continues. We are ready to intensify the 
movement if the strike assemblies want this," says a spokesperson for 
the Collective of 49 Organizations. "We presented a platform of demands. 
There is room for negotiation if the French government really wants 
this. Mr Jego told us, upon arrival, that he was carrying proposals with 
him. We will see what he has to offer, particularly regarding the 
minimum wage and minimum social benefits and prices. As in French 
Guyana, gasoline is more expensive here; Why? We want clear answers and 
transparency about this. Another example: Butter costs 80% more than in 
the mainland. Distributors make the law and we want this to change."

This mandate for change by the tens of thousands of strikers was 
carefully specified and quantified in their 146 demands. It is up to the 
Minister to respond.

-----
*In response to the call of the Collective of 49 labor organizations and 
popular organizations, "Liyannaj kont pwofitasyon," 65, 000 protested in 
the streets of Pointe-à-Pitre*
*"Against high prices and for more purchasing power"*
On this small island, 65,000 protested. A huge show of power was 
organized on January 30 in Pointe-à-Pitre, the main city of Guadeloupe, 
in response to the call of the Collective of 49 organizations "Liyannaj 
kont pwofitasyon" (Movement against exploitation).

On the eighth day of the strike "Against high prices and for greater 
purchasing power"  came this mobilization, the likes of which have never 
ever been seen on the island.

Tens of thousands of workers, activists and young people demonstrated 
last Saturday in Pointe-à-Pitre in response to the authorities' attempt 
to break the movement and block the negotiations in progress. They 
emphasized the platform developed in 146 points at the start of the strike.
Guadeloupe is now completely paralyzed. There is no bus circulation; the 
port, utilities, schools, university, department stores and most 
businesses and shops are closed. The district of Baie-Mahault, the heart 
of the business district, is deserted. The port activity is virtually at 
a standstill. It is a general strike. There is much confidence in the 
strength of the movement, the unity achieved. A port worker explains: 
"The authorities tried to say that the strike is over, that we're 
finished. But not only are we strong -- we are even stronger than 
before." A teacher spoke of the moment as "historic" and said also that 
"the strategy of waiting for us to give up will not work."

Arriving on Sunday February 1st, in the wake of this powerful show of 
force, the State Secretary, Yves Jego, immediately declared that he was 
"carrying proposals" and would "listen to everybody."

In an obvious attempt to divide the movement, he began by meeting with 
the managers of the gas stations and agreed to limit the number of 
service stations to 118 for three years. The reaction of all the 
strikers was summarized by this reflection of a bus driver: "If the 
French state can respond positively to the managers of the gas stations, 
then it can and should respond positively to the 145 other demands of 
the strike. "
*The authorities must stop blocking the negotiations*

On January 28, while negotiations had been going on for the past two 
days, the Prefect of Guadeloupe read a letter from Secretary of State 
for Overseas, Yves Jego.

The reading of the letter profoundly shocked the representatives of the 
trade unions and organizations present and the tens of thousands of 
Guadeloupeans who listened to the negotiations live on radio and television.

In his letter, the Secretary of State indeed threatened the strikers and 
the organizations with the legal sanctions and other forms of coercion. 
He said that a precondition for renewing negotiations was the end to the 
general strike. Secretary of State Jego then set out the proposals of 
the French government for this "dialogue": In response to the demand for 
an increase in the minimum wage of 200 euros, Mr. Jego offered "a 
premium of 200 euros in April (valid for the whole year) to 40,000 of 
the poorest households."

*An "unacceptable" decision*

In response to the demand of a general increase in wages and minimum 
social standards, Mr. Jego offered "the assurance given to all 
businesses in Guadeloupe that they will pay no payroll tax on all wages 
up to 1.4 SMIC (minimum wage). And on this note, the Prefect ended the 
"negotiations" meeting, while armed reinforcements arrived at Guadeloupe 
Transal in two planes from French Guyana."

The ultimatum proposal by Jego was rejected by the delegates mandate to 
negotiate with the authorities, and it was described as "unacceptable" 
by the Socialist Party MP Mr. Jalton and by the President of the General 
Council of Guadeloupe. The next day, 60 000 workers and young people 
demonstrated in Basse-Terre, reiterating the demands of the entire 
population.

********************

*Appeal of Unions of Martinique for a Strike on February 5*

"All employees affected are civil service, agriculture, baking, 
metallurgy, health, construction, factories, service stations, shops, 
hotels, janitorial and security services, Education, Post Office, CGSSM, 
CAF, cleaning , the banking sector. We are all concerned: retired, 
unemployed, people with disability ...

Since January 20, the masses in Guadeloupe have opened the path forward.
The time of unity and the mobilization has come. In all enterprises, we 
must organize general assemblies to prepare for this great movement. All 
on strike as of February 5!

*******************
*The message of the CUT trade union federation of Brazil, January 29, 
2009 (excerpt)*

"... The Central Confederation of Workers (CUT) of Brazil is in total 
solidarity with the general strike of our fellow workers in Guadeloupe 
and we call on the French government to immediately come back to the 
negotiating table with the organizations representing the workers and 
meet the demands put forward by the general strike. "

*Julio Turra*,
Member of the Executive Committee of the CUT

*********************
*
*
*"The employers and the representatives of the French state hope to have 
the strike peter out and then punish the strikers"*

*International Call of the 49 organizations and democratic workers 
organizations:*

"Despite the commitment signed on behalf of the French government, the 
official representatives left the negotiating table on Wednesday January 
28, 2009 with thinly veiled threats of repression; they had mobilized 
several dozen mobile troops, in addition to hundreds of other units that 
had arrived a week before.

The bosses ignore the workers' demands, despite the commitments they signed.

Elected officials subordinate their proposals, which are already far 
from satisfying the demands, to an agreement with the State, while the 
latter refuses to return to the negotiating table (...) .

Workers, the people of Guadeloupe do not accept this contempt.

Thus, a demonstration of more than 65,000 (roughly 15% of the total 
population of Guadeloupe) was held on Friday January 30, 2009, in the 
streets of Pointe-à-Pitre.
Yet, the French government continues to procrastinate.

Are they waiting for the strike to peter out in order then to repress it?

Dear comrades, dear friends,

On behalf of the international working class solidarity, on behalf of 
democracy, we again call for your support.

Guadeloupe Workers have the right to fight for their legitimate demands."

ADIM - AFOC - AGPIHM - Akiyo - AN BOUT'AY - ANG - ANKA - ASSE - 
ASS.AGRICULTEURS NORTHERN LOWER TERRE - ASS.LIBERTE EQUAL JUSTICE - CFTC 
- CGTG - CNL - COMBAT WORKER - Water Committee - CONVENTION FOR A NEW 
GUADELOUPE - COPAGUA - CSFG - CTU - ESPERANCE ENVIRONMENT - Faena SNCL - 
FOR - FSU - GIE SBT - KAMODJAKA - KAP Gwadloup - THE GREENS - MADIC - 
MAS KA KLE - Mouvman NONM - PCG - SGEP / SNEC / CFTC - SOS B / 
ENVIRONMENT Earth - SPEG - SUD PTT GWA - SUNICAG - SYMPA CFDT - travay é 
Peyizan - UDCLCV - UIR CFDT - UNSA - UGTG - UPG - UPLG - UMPG - VOukoum 
- SNUIPP - ADEIC.

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