France, Alternative Libertaire #226 - Automotive: PSA Aulnay indefinite strike (fr)

The fight against the closure of PSA Aulnay has reached a new milestone since January, 
with hundreds of employees are on strike-renewable. ---- Workers of PSA Aulnay decided to 
directly confront Peugeot-Citro?n is making indefinite strike in [ 1 ]]. It was not until 
the end of the "negotiation" for social things settle. Hopes to leave with compensation 
consistent flew. This has facilitated the convergence between CGT (defending rather 
significant compensation) and South-Auto (which promotes the maintenance of industrial 
sites and jobs) to which is attached the CFDT site. Recall that the majority union in 
Aulnay is the Independent Trade Union of Automobile (SIA), historically the remaining 
bosses. General meetings of 16 January involving several hundred people voted renewed 
strike continues at the time of writing this article.

Whether to maintain the site or to obtain more substantial benefits, only the relative 
strengths can live to win.

Expand the fight

Three major issues arise for reducing PSA and the government on the issue of the closure. 
The first: Confronting Violence employer. From the beginning of the strike, the bosses 
wielded intimidation and repression, to break a movement that gene: site of Aulnay has yet 
to deliver tens of thousands of cars before its planned closure. The bosses have used 
teams of scabs from other factories, managers who make the provocation, vigils, and 
slander. The management of PSA suggests that the strikers bully non-strikers (supported in 
this by Laurent Berger, the new boss of the national CFDT) and degrade the plant. Two 
strikers, the CGT union were dismissed mid-February for "serious misconduct" [ 2 ]]. 
Second challenge: maintaining unity and widen the struggle. Strikers, supported by trade 
unions are in a logic of convergence of struggles, going towards other boxes and other 
sites of the car. We must also continue to inform much of the strike which is currently 
the main resistance to massive job cuts in France [ 3 ]].

Financial solidarity

Third issue: Messages of support also are important for the strikers, the central point is 
that financial solidarity. More strikes and advance financial difficulties are felt. If 
management eventually release more crumbs, the temptation to stop the movement will be. 
Every euro counts. Several collective AL were already made public collections. Similarly 
to Saint-Denis, where local unions CGT and Solidarity conducted a common task of 
collecting and propaganda.

Finally, if the priority is clear that the maintenance of industrial plant and production 
tools in Seine-Saint-Denis, we can do without thinking long term, particularly in terms of 
requisition of the business ( self) and industrial restructuring: what and who are the 
products both in social terms (what do we really need?), in ecological terms?

Simon Laviec (AL Saint-Denis)

? To send support: salaries www.soutien-auto-93.org

[ 1 ] On the history of the struggle PSA Aulnay see " PSA Aulnay: ready to block the 
factory http://www.alternativelibertaire.org/spip.php?article4731 "(AL No. 215, March 
2012) and ' PSA: What alternatives to closure? 
http://www.alternativelibertaire.org/spip.php?article5008 "(AL 221 , October 2012). See 
also the press releases and leaflets AL collective Seine-Saint-Denis on the site 
[www.libertaires93.org-> www.libertaires93.org

[ 2 ] The petition in support of these workers, as well as information on the mobilization 
of [cgt-psa-aulnay.fr-> http://cgt-psa-aulnay.fr/

[ 3 ] See eg videos, leaflets, a rap video, etc.. on 
[solidaires.saintdenis.over-blog.org-> http://solidaires.saintdenis.over-blog.org/