Martinique has been experiencing a major popular movement against the
high cost of living since the beginning of September (1). On November 5,the prefect announced the lifting of the curfew in this overseas
department, but demonstrations and urban riots remain very much in
people's minds. ---- The agreement of October 16 ---- After a month and
a half of popular mobilization against the high cost of living initiated
by the RPPRAC (Rally for the Protection of Afro-Caribbean Peoples and
Resources), an agreement was reached on October 16 between the prefect
(representative of the colonial state), the president of the CTM
(territorial community of Martinique) and the bosses of the large-scale
distribution. This protocol of "objectives and means to combat the high
cost of living" was quickly endorsed by the deputies of the DOM, its
mayors, etc. But the RPPRAC, which was represented in these
negotiations, refused to sign the agreement and called for the fight to
continue.
Once again, the signed agreement benefits the capitalists of the big
brands. The demands made by the movement were an alignment of prices
with those in mainland France (which are around 40% cheaper than on the
island). The protocol only provides for a 20% price reduction from
January 2025, and on only 6,000 to 7,000 products, while the brands
display 40,000. And this reduction results from the elimination of VAT
and the regional tax on the octroi de mer (2) granted by the State and
the CTM. The octroi de mer is a tax on imported products which,
according to the Court of Auditors, contributes "to the increase in
prices for many basic necessities not produced in the French overseas
departments and territories, and has the effect of maintaining a
dependence on imports to guarantee a certain level of tax resources for
local authorities".
As usual, the employers of the brands and other importers are committed
to passing on these reductions by cutting into their "meager" margins.
But the mechanisms put in place to ensure that these measures are
applied are still opaque. Nothing in the protocol provides for
constraints or sanctions against brands that do not comply with them. It
would still be necessary for there to be transparency in their affairs
and business. As Prince Salina said in Visconti's The Leopard,
"everything must change so that nothing changes".
"Essom nou pli fo"
There were several thousand demonstrators on November 3 in the streets
of Paris. Demonstrators in solidarity and dressed in red - the colour of
the Martinican revolt in the fight against the high cost of living and
against the "pwofitasyon". The demonstration was unable to approach the
Ministry of Overseas Territories, but the leaders of the RPPRAC, who
were present, received a warm welcome from the West Indian emigrants,
but also from Guyana, Réunion, Kanak... A real celebration of solidarity
that was appreciated in Martinique. "Essom nou pli fo" (Together we are
stronger), shouted the demonstrators. A slogan that deserves to be heard
and taken up much more widely.
The fight continues
The employers are delighted with the new agreement, as is the president
of the CTM, who describes it as "historic", because he probably thinks
that he can, through this means, restore calm to his island. On the
other hand, the RPPRAC and the population in the fight consider this
agreement to be a fool's bargain.
When it was made public, it was learned that products such as chicken,
meat, fish and fresh vegetables had been excluded from the list of
foodstuffs whose prices were to be reduced. As early as October 19,
thousands of demonstrators, again at the initiative of the RPPRAC, took
to the streets to express their discontent and decide to continue the
mobilizations in order to obtain a reduction in the prices of ALL food
products. The same happened on October 26, when the CGTM and CDTM unions
joined the movement. Unable to march towards the headquarters of the
Hayot group, protected by the repressive forces, the demonstrators,
after many clashes with the gendarmes and CRS in large numbers, reached
the outskirts of the Decathlon and Mr. Bricolage stores (which belong to
the same group), forcing them to lower their shutters. Similarly, the
next day, a smaller demonstration led a Carrefour hypermarket to close
all day, despite the many trucks of gendarmes. At the same time, young
people, rebellious and angry, in solidarity with the movement, erected
roadblocks and tried to block major roads. An estimated 300 businesses
(small or medium-sized) and shops were looted or set on fire, 600
vehicles burned; public infrastructure was damaged and 1,500 jobs were
lost or threatened with loss, according to the employers' association.
Thus, neither colonial repression nor the signed agreement have slowed
the determination of the angry population. Anger that risks flaring up
again following the amputation of the 250 million euros of annual
allocations intended for the Overseas Territories in the government's
2025 finance bill.
Strengths and limitations of the RPPRAC
The RPPRAC only appeared via social networks after July 2024, and it
became known to the general public through the ultimatum it addressed in
September 2024 to the bosses of the large-scale distribution and to the
French State. It demanded the indexation of food prices in Martinique on
those of France.
In 2009, collectives comprising members of unions, political parties and
cultural associations - the LKP (Lyannaj kont pwofitasyon, "collective
against exploitation") in Guadeloupe and, to a lesser extent, the K5F
("February 5th Committee") in Martinique - paralyzed the Antilles with a
general strike aimed at denouncing the high cost of living and
"pwofitasyon". The RPPRAC, which initiated the current movement in
Martinique, on the contrary wants to be outside the spheres linked to
official intermediary bodies. It does not define itself as a union or a
political party. And while, for their part, the CGTM and the CDTM filed
a notice of a renewable general strike on September 16, only three weeks
after the start of the protests, no clear and unified slogan has been
put forward by them to unify and strengthen the mobilization, while many
employees from multiple sectors are present, participating and
responding to calls to demonstrate. Hence a certain ambient
confusionism, the discourse fluctuating between populism and calls for
equality in the name of democracy - as shown by certain slogans:
"Martinique for the Martinicans", "Martinique is France", "We are French
citizens, we must pay the same prices as in France". Social movements of
course contain contradictions because their components are diverse. But
the sole denunciation of the "békés" and others as profiteers (which is
true) masks the local political cronies who also benefit from the rents
of this situation. We can also question the functioning of the RPPRAC,
which is far from integrating the bases of direct participatory democracy.
And in Guadeloupe...
Since September 15, a conflict has opposed the management of EDF-PEI
(Production électricité insulaire) and the CGT of Guadeloupe. This
conflict concerns an agreement signed in February 2023 (after two months
of strikes, all the same) where the workers demanded in particular that
their remuneration be brought into line with labor law, unpaid wage
arrears and the taking into account of hours to be used for retirement.
On October 24, the director of EDF-PEI summoned one of the strikers, who
was then at his post, to an interview with a view to a sanction or even
dismissal. Faced with this provocation, the angry strikers who
nevertheless managed to limit power cuts in order to penalize users
less, all left their workstations. This act of "punch" resistance caused
a total "blackout" of 12 hours throughout Guadeloupe (because the island
must produce its own electricity). In response, the prefect
requisitioned non-strikers and the power was restored within 24 hours.
But, on the night of October 25 to 26, people from the neighborhoods
took advantage of the darkness and the situation, despite the curfew in
force, to loot, steal and ransack 11 stores, including a supermarket, a
bank and jewelry stores. As is right, employers, merchants and
institutions rebelled against the strikers and the consequences of these
"irresponsible and criminal" acts; on the other hand, we heard very few
complaints against the management of EDF-PEI which, through its
provocations and actions against the strikers, is nevertheless largely
responsible for the situation.
At the end of October, a summary judgment prohibited three employees
from entering and blocking access to the control room of the -Jarry-
power plant, or from committing acts of obstruction, under penalty of a
penalty of 500 euros per day and per person. And while, during
negotiations, workers and their union representatives struggle to have
their rights respected and applied: the commitments already made by
management, EDF-PEI has raked in 93 million in profits on their backs in
2023.
But we must emphasize its ability to have been able to reach and unite a
population of scattered and invisible proletarians who have turned away
from politicians and their promises. They are anonymous, socially
downgraded with limited incomes, with or often without jobs. Often
single mothers. These forgotten people, especially among the youth,
whether they are educated or not, have no future and have long suffered
the miseries resulting from the colonial policy of the French state. Let
us recall that the poverty rate is 5 to 15 times higher than in France.
The leaders of the RPPRAC pride themselves on speaking "in the name of
the people and acting for the people", it is true that they have been
able to capture a collective feeling of dissatisfaction and protest
against the high cost of living and "pwofitasyon". This problem of the
high cost of living had already been denounced during the powerful
movement of 2009, but, emptied and diverted, it had only led to the
"quality-price shield" law voted in 2012. Like previous angry movements,
the current mobilization also has in the background social inequalities
- pensions, salaries and social minima stagnate where the cost of living
soars -, environmental and health problems (chlordecone bequeathed by
banana bosses and colonialists), the defense of cultural identity, etc.
Rodrigue Petitot, "Le R", president of the RPPRAC, was placed under
judicial supervision on November 15 pending a trial on January 21 for,
among other things, "incitement to rebellion".
But the RPPRAC has also highlighted the inertia of intermediary bodies,
the inability of union and political representations to provide answers
to the immediate problems of this population today on the move. And, in
addition to once again denouncing the profiteers of always, this
movement has forced the institutions integrated into the system and the
State to take hold of "its" problems and to make them -THE- priority.
An example to follow for us in France, especially after having learned
about the economic and social program of the new Prime Minister Mr. Barnier.
Decaen, October 10, 2024
Notes
1. Read CA No. 334 (November 2024): "Martinique: high cost of living and
anger".
2. The octroi is an interregional customs tax that was partially
repealed in 1791. It was definitively repealed in mainland France in
1943, but remained in force in the DOM-TOM. This tax impacts prices to
Martinique by 5% to 10%.
http://oclibertaire.lautre.net/spip.php?article4321
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