WORLD WORLDWIDE EUROPE FRANCE - news journal UPDATE - (en) France, UCL Leaflet: Pensions, austerity, public services, and a war economy... What path to a victorious mobilization? (ca, de, fr, it, pt, tr)[machine translation]

 As we approach the thirtieth anniversary of the last renewable strike,

which lasted three weeks during the winter of 1995, it's worth recalling
its outcome: the withdrawal of a pension reform, the fall of the Juppé
government, and the political paralysis of employers' ambitions,
culminating in the dissolution of Parliament by President Chirac,
bringing to power a Socialist Party/Party/Green majority and Jospin as
Prime Minister. A renewable strike is like a tsunami for workers!
Juppé's ambition was to inflict on public sector workers the same defeat
that Balladur had imposed, alas without resistance, on private sector
employees two years earlier. Divide and conquer, classic. But here we
are: railway workers, EDF employees, teachers, local government and
hospital workers, refusing to give in. Three weeks of rolling strikes,
with as many general assemblies in the departments, massive
demonstrations in the snow, audacious blockades around prefectures, and
finally the last serious union victory before returning to isolated
strike days starting in 2010 that ultimately failed... until today.

War? What luck!

Against the backdrop of a major crisis caused by an exacerbated rivalry
between the dominant international bourgeoisies and unashamed
imperialist expansionists, the increased risk of war offers the Macron
government the ideal excuse to escalate its austerity policies, the
destruction of public services and social benefits. The patriotic
fanfare is unleashed: but are you ready to sacrifice yourselves for the
market share of multinationals and shareholders gorged on dividends? The
PDF leaflet to download
A calendar for mobilizing

In 2023, despite days of massive protests, Macron was able to impose
retirement at 64 with 43 years of contributions at a full rate. The
cause of the defeat is well known: no rolling strike, no democratic
general meetings to decide the future. Lack of sufficient leadership
from the inter-union movement, but no momentum from the grassroots
either. How can we rebuild collective trust, the kind that worked
wonders in 1995? By giving voice to popular anger, by rediscovering the
path to strikes for wages and against employer injustices, by rebuilding
a network of solidarity around combative unions, company by company,
city by city. Public sector union federations must give full scope to
April 3rd, which is sorely lacking in visibility as the date approaches.
The private sector can take advantage of this date to join the protests.
May Day, as ritual as it has all too often become, must be prepared for
in an exceptional manner. The date of June 5th remains in the spotlight.
During a parliamentary window, the NFP is expected to introduce a bill
repealing the pension reform. While we have no illusions about the
effectiveness of parliamentary jousting in winning, this date
nevertheless offers a visibility on which to build to rekindle the need
for struggle. And why not achieve a prolonged and victorious strike
movement before the summer!

https://www.unioncommunistelibertaire.org/?Retraites-austerite-services-publics-et-economie-de-guerre-Quel-chemin-pour-une
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