Since 1993 in France, workers’ pensions have been under attack by the capitalists. At that time, the amount of time private sector workers were required to work was increased from 37.5 to 40 years in order get retirement benefits at the age of 60. In 1995, the governement tried to attack the benefits of retired railways workers, while at the same time threatening closure of 6,000 kilometers of railways. These two attacks were fought-off by railways workers in a victorious 3-week strike. Twelve years have passed before this new attack on railways workers.
In 2003, the governement changed the pension terms for public sector workers so as to match those of their private sector counterparts. Railways workers struck in solidarity with public sector workers, but the general strike was defeated.
In 2007, the government is attacking the benefits of the last workers with good pensions: train drivers who get retirement benefits at age 50, and others who can get benefits at age 55 (railways SNCF, underground of Paris RATP, electricians EDF, etc.).
The first day of the strike, October 18th, was a great success: 75% participation in SNCF (railways) instead of the usual 45%, 80% of electricians, and 70% in RATP. However, this success was probably due to the call for only a one-day strike. Therefore, lots of managers, chiefs and other shy workers participated when they usually do not.
I work in the railways, where the main union, the CGT, wanted only a 24-hour strike. The second union, SUD wanted to have a strike of unlimited duration. Workers at some establishments where these unions are strong voted to continue the strike this week, but overall the movement is weak.
The railways workers federations decided a unlimited strike begining the 14th of november. The strike ended after 8 - 10 days. At the end of the strike, we were still 25% of strikers. This is a good number for an unlimited strike. But CGT leaders appealed to stop strike and negociate. Perhaps they were afraid to not be able to have enough strikers one more week. Only SUD wanted to continue.
The strike stopped because the majority of strikers voted it. The movement was democratic with general assembly of strikers where anyone can speak and vote. Some signs show that the main union CGT prefered the negociation than strike. The general secretary made a proposition to the governement of separate negociations for railway, underground and electricians 2 hours before the beginning of strike. The union leaders appealed to stop strike after 8 days and made lots of speeches to convince workers. The majority of workers trust their union and followed their advice.
Probably, union leaders are afraid by the Sarkozy governement. This governement is prepared to fight like UK Thatcher governement in 1984 against miners.
The new French President campaigned for election by dividing workers. He stated that public were more privileged than private sector workers. He promised to attack our pensions. The capitalists want to get rid of our retirement rights at 50 and 55, increase all workers’ retirement age. They promised to elevate the required 40 years dues (work contribution) to 41 in 2008 and 42 in 2012.
The media, owned by capitalists and state, campaigns every day to make private workers jealous of public ones. The problem of the union movement is that our members are more concentrated in public sector, and we therefore have great difficulties mobilizing private sector workers.
To sum up, we have three handicaps in this struggle.
- The governement attacks. It has choosen the ground where to fight (Pensions).
- The governement has conditionned all the population to say that railways workers are privileged than other workers. This has to effect. One is divide workers to prevent private sector to go on strike for their own pensions. The second is to put in the head of railways workers : it’s normal to have lower pensions like other workers.
- The main union CGT has more members in public sector than private so it is difficult to fight boss propaganda dividing workers. The bureaucracy is also afraid to fight and prefer negociate.
Will the strike begin one more time at the end of negociation ?
Currently, the only way for unity between private and public sector workers on this issue is to fight for an early retirement age for difficult works. The scientists said that manual workers have 7 years less to live than bosses. The unionisation of private workers has not been a focus of the labor movement in France. CSR militants are involved in territorial union organisations of CGT in order to organise private sector workers. We have recently written a document to train militants to do this job. However, the main obstacle is that the CGT abandoned the industrial unions in 1950 in favor of enterprise unions. As a result, union workers have developed a craft union mentality, and they are hesitant to involve themselves in Local Unions (Bourses du Travail).
CSR members have made some improvements in this area, but there is a lot more to do. For example, I participated in the cleaning union meeting of my town the last week. The union is so poorly organised that workers had no time to speak about the critical pension issue.
Kaou, Railway worker, CSR
In 2003, the governement changed the pension terms for public sector workers so as to match those of their private sector counterparts. Railways workers struck in solidarity with public sector workers, but the general strike was defeated.
In 2007, the government is attacking the benefits of the last workers with good pensions: train drivers who get retirement benefits at age 50, and others who can get benefits at age 55 (railways SNCF, underground of Paris RATP, electricians EDF, etc.).
The first day of the strike, October 18th, was a great success: 75% participation in SNCF (railways) instead of the usual 45%, 80% of electricians, and 70% in RATP. However, this success was probably due to the call for only a one-day strike. Therefore, lots of managers, chiefs and other shy workers participated when they usually do not.
I work in the railways, where the main union, the CGT, wanted only a 24-hour strike. The second union, SUD wanted to have a strike of unlimited duration. Workers at some establishments where these unions are strong voted to continue the strike this week, but overall the movement is weak.
The railways workers federations decided a unlimited strike begining the 14th of november. The strike ended after 8 - 10 days. At the end of the strike, we were still 25% of strikers. This is a good number for an unlimited strike. But CGT leaders appealed to stop strike and negociate. Perhaps they were afraid to not be able to have enough strikers one more week. Only SUD wanted to continue.
The strike stopped because the majority of strikers voted it. The movement was democratic with general assembly of strikers where anyone can speak and vote. Some signs show that the main union CGT prefered the negociation than strike. The general secretary made a proposition to the governement of separate negociations for railway, underground and electricians 2 hours before the beginning of strike. The union leaders appealed to stop strike after 8 days and made lots of speeches to convince workers. The majority of workers trust their union and followed their advice.
Probably, union leaders are afraid by the Sarkozy governement. This governement is prepared to fight like UK Thatcher governement in 1984 against miners.
The new French President campaigned for election by dividing workers. He stated that public were more privileged than private sector workers. He promised to attack our pensions. The capitalists want to get rid of our retirement rights at 50 and 55, increase all workers’ retirement age. They promised to elevate the required 40 years dues (work contribution) to 41 in 2008 and 42 in 2012.
The media, owned by capitalists and state, campaigns every day to make private workers jealous of public ones. The problem of the union movement is that our members are more concentrated in public sector, and we therefore have great difficulties mobilizing private sector workers.
To sum up, we have three handicaps in this struggle.
- The governement attacks. It has choosen the ground where to fight (Pensions).
- The governement has conditionned all the population to say that railways workers are privileged than other workers. This has to effect. One is divide workers to prevent private sector to go on strike for their own pensions. The second is to put in the head of railways workers : it’s normal to have lower pensions like other workers.
- The main union CGT has more members in public sector than private so it is difficult to fight boss propaganda dividing workers. The bureaucracy is also afraid to fight and prefer negociate.
Will the strike begin one more time at the end of negociation ?
Currently, the only way for unity between private and public sector workers on this issue is to fight for an early retirement age for difficult works. The scientists said that manual workers have 7 years less to live than bosses. The unionisation of private workers has not been a focus of the labor movement in France. CSR militants are involved in territorial union organisations of CGT in order to organise private sector workers. We have recently written a document to train militants to do this job. However, the main obstacle is that the CGT abandoned the industrial unions in 1950 in favor of enterprise unions. As a result, union workers have developed a craft union mentality, and they are hesitant to involve themselves in Local Unions (Bourses du Travail).
CSR members have made some improvements in this area, but there is a lot more to do. For example, I participated in the cleaning union meeting of my town the last week. The union is so poorly organised that workers had no time to speak about the critical pension issue.
Kaou, Railway worker, CSR
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