Workers’ Liberty
APRIL’06 MAY’68
French Students and Workers in Struggle
PUBLIC MEETING
“The student movement did not
start with a single blow. At first it
was just the students of Rennes
who dared to bet that their strike
would snowball, and who shut
down their university, on their own for a week. It
will be the same among the workers...” So resolved
the 300 university and high-school student delegates
who met in Lille on 1-2 April to plan the way
forward for the struggle in France.
Sacha Ismail –Solidarity Editorial Board, reports on the recent victorious protests and
strikes in France and will discuss what lessons they have for British workers and students?
Monday 15th May, 7-45pm O’Neills, Great George Street, Leeds
________________________
Why French Workers Won
From Solidarity 3/92 27th April 2006
For two months growing mobilisation of French students and workers confronted the
French government.
For two months, France’s right-wing government said it wouldn’t budge. It passed the
CPE — a measure allowing bosses to sack young workers without having to prove any
good cause — into law.
Then, on 10 April, the government backed down. It withdrew the CPE. Solidarity won.
Every single bit of the strike action that won in France would have been illegal in Britain.
Britain’s “most restrictive labour
laws in the western world”, as
Tony Blair smugly described them
in 1997 when promising to keep
them, forbid any strike action that
isn’t directly about your own terms
and conditions with your own immediate
employer.
To save the Health Service; to save
our schools; to help workers in
contracted-out jobs; to combat
privatisation; to win workers’
rights — we need solidarity action.
On 1 May workers marched in
London on a TUC-backed demonstration
for a Trade Union Freedom
Bill to re-establish some rights
to solidarity action. We should
make that the start of a huge campaign.

__________________
FROM IRAN TO FRANCE
From Solidarity 3/92 27th April 2006
Message of Congratulations and Solidarity of the Syndicate of
Workers of Tehran and Suburbs Bus Company on the victory of
the workers, students and people of France. 11 April 2006.
Over the past few weeks, the people of Iran, the working people,
students and our union, have been closely and with much
interest following the news from France, hoping in our hearts
for the victory of the just movement of the great workers’ and
students’ unions and the people of France.
The news of this movement was inspiring and exhilarating for
the imprisoned union activists in Iran. The Syndicate of Workers
of Tehran and Suburbs Bus Company extends its congratulations
and solidarity for this victory to the people of France and
in particular the workers’ and students’ unions.
We hope that as in your country the labour rights of the working
people in defence of their interests in accordance with Convention
87 of the International Labour Organisation (ILO)
would be fully realised in our country too as soon as possible.
In the hope of that day! With warm greetings and wishes for a
better world.