WORLD WORLDWIDE FRANCE News Journal Update - (en) France, UCL AL #337 - Syndicalism, Eolane in Angers: How to win struggles for wages (ca, de, fr, it, pt, tr)[machine translation]

 The question of wages remains one of the priorities of a very large number of

workers in the current context of inflation. Many conflicts continue to erupt
regularly. As at Eolane, a metallurgy company located in Angers, where an
exemplary strike was carried out. ---- A little less than 200 employees work in
this factory where electronic cards are manufactured. They are mostly women, most
of whom have been paid the minimum wage since the last increases in the minimum wage.
As part of the company's mandatory annual negotiations (NAO), the CGT union
section demanded a 150 euro increase per month for everyone. In reaction to the
first ridiculous proposals from the management (4.5% increase, or 76 euros per
month for the lowest salaries) a strike started. It lasted four and a half days,
and it allowed the strikers to obtain a 120 euro increase as well as payment for
two days of strike action. This was a first important victory for the strikers.
Yet nothing was written in advance, not all wage strikes are victorious, hence
the importance of studying more closely four ingredients that can make victories
possible.

Claims that unite
Of course, above all, we need demands that hold water, demands that are both
ambitious and seem achievable.

In terms of wages, it is important to ask for general increases in basic wages,
and to refuse what the bosses often prefer to offer us, namely individual
increases (given at the head of the client) and bonuses (not subject to
contributions social, not taken into account for the calculation of rights).

It is also preferable to ask for a uniform amount of increase (for example at
Eolane : 150 euros for everyone) rather than a percentage which favors the
highest salaries. Finally, a last demand that it may be appropriate to make in
each wage fight is the signing of a review clause to reduce the time before the
next increases. In the current context, this is important because the increases
we obtain can be caught up by inflation in just a few months.

Self-management and workers' democracy
It goes without saying, but a strike is effective above all by the participation
of a very large majority of employees, which makes it possible to really block or
considerably slow down production. Then, it must be led by the strikers.

The Eolane strike was followed by almost all the workers and was renewed every
day to the vote. The decisions concerning the responses to be given to the
management's proposals, or concerning the actions to be taken, were voted on. On
the last day, a six-person strike committee was elected comprising CGT activists
and non-union members, and management was told that they would now have to
negotiate with this strike committee.

This really allowed all the strikers to feel like actors in the strike, and to
implement actions, in particular the blocking of trucks. This will also have been
decisive in demoralizing the management.

A strong union and solidarity
It was the first real strike movement for a long time at Eolane. The small team
of the CGT section was therefore inexperienced and had few means, but there were
good links between it and the local structures of the CGT (the Syndicat des
Métaux d'Angers and the Union locale d'Angers). . She was therefore able to
benefit from their support and experience.

With several comrades we took turns throughout the conflict to try to be as
present as possible, to propose methods of organizing the strike, to give
opinions on the conduct to be adopted over the course of events. We made our
networks work and provided logistical support to equip, animate and supply the
picket line. We publicized this strike, which brought delegations from several
other clubs and sectors in support. We were able to obtain information on the
level of stocks of parts from Eolane at its customers where the CGT is also
established to give morale to the strikers.

It is in these moments that we realize the importance of overcoming corporatism
and of building our union structures on a daily basis, in particular our branch
unions and our local unions, and how useful this can be in making victorious battles!

Free yourself from the schedules imposed by the bosses
On the last day of the strike, it extended to the other Eolane site in the
department, located in Combrée. The dynamics of the Angers strike prompted the
employees of Combrée to go on strike, even though the NAO of their site had
ended. In the end, the increase won thanks to the strike was extended to all the
other French factories of the group. This shows that we have every interest in
freeing ourselves from the negotiation calendars set by our bosses. Even if an
agreement is signed, even if a law is passed, we can still mobilize and win !

We can learn from this strike that even in a small or medium-sized company, where
the management constantly repeats that it has no money, and in which there is no
tradition of struggle, it is possible !

We can also remember that going on strike for a week, even with low wages, is a
possible sacrifice that pays! The Eolane workers reminded us of this ! And it is
good to have it in mind when we are currently hearing many employees justify
their non-participation in strikes against the pension reform by the financial
cost that this represents. Trade unionists even take up this justification to
explain why the rates of strikers are not higher, but the real reasons are to be
sought elsewhere.

Guillaume (UCL Angers)

https://www.unioncommunistelibertaire.org/?Eolane-a-Angers-Comment-gagner-des-luttes-pour-les-salaires
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