The recent struggles of undocumented workers at "Chronopost," with
cooperation between the struggle delegates, the CTSPV (Collective of
Undocumented Workers of Vitry), SUD PTT 94, and SOLIDAIRES 94, deserve
special attention. In fact, since 2019, there have been two "Chronopost"
strikes, with a picket in front of the Chronopost agency in Alfortville
(94)[1]---- First strike in 2019 ---- In the early morning of June 11,
2019, striking undocumented Chronopost employees, accompanied by
supporters, invaded the parking lot of the Alfortville agency. For two
weeks, these undocumented workers occupied this parking lot day and
night without any shelter, under the eye of the police, harassed by the
bosses, security guards and dog handlers under the orders of La Poste.
From June 11, the occupation also took place in front of the doors of
the Chronopost agency in Alfortville, outside the agency, under tents,
with more than a hundred undocumented workers from other companies who
came to support their comrades installed in the parking lot. After 15
days of occupation, Chronopost obtained the evacuation of the parking
lot by order of the TGI of Créteil, but the judge dismissed the bosses'
request to evict the camp established in front of the agency site. As a
result, the undocumented Chronopost workers occupying the parking lot
joined the picket line in front of the agency. This picket line could be
maintained over time with the support of the CTSPV, SUD-PTT, and the
Solidaires union (both at the departmental and national levels). The PCF
president of the Val-de-Marne Departmental Council, the Socialist Party
MP for the constituency, the Socialist Party mayor of Alfortville, as
well as the FI MP and the PCF and Générations senators, parties (in
addition to the parties mentioned through their elected representatives:
PRCF, LO, NPA, UCL, etc.), and local associations lent their support to
an occupation that would last more than seven months.
It was a considerable challenge to manage this occupation for 220 days:
tents as the only shelter, day and night, without running water, in the
heatwave in summer and then, as winter approached, in the cold, rain,
and mud. It is thanks to the courage and strength of the undocumented
comrades - facing the constant risk of expulsion from the territory, the
hatred and arrogance of the bosses, the trying conditions of the
occupation - that a large movement of solidarity, organized by SUD-PTT,
Solidaires and the CTSPV was declared, supported by residents and
associations of the neighborhood and surrounding areas. It was thus
possible to supply the camp daily with water, food, hygiene products,
tents, tarpaulins and coal against the cold. This logistical effort,
this material organization of the struggle, and this daily presence of
supporters on the Alfortville picket line primarily mobilized the
Solidaires 94 union members. This highly demanding militant support,
given Solidaires' strength in Val-de-Marne, accompanied the ongoing
self-organization of their struggle by the undocumented workers. They
managed the daily life of a camp often bringing together 150 to 200
people, organized-within the framework of the CTSPV-the other
undocumented workers who came to join them and submitted their
applications, made decisions at general meetings regarding the conduct
of their struggle, appointed their spokespersons, organized security and
the animation of the demonstrations, etc.
The occupation of the site, which permanently brought these workers
together in a collective framework, although carried out under
physically difficult conditions for these comrades, played a decisive
role in the group's cohesion and the organization of numerous actions
throughout these 31 weeks:
demonstrations in front of the La Poste headquarters in Créteil, and at
the respective national headquarters of Chronopost, La Banque Postale,
and Groupe La Poste in Paris;
the invasion of Mission Intérim in Corbeil-Essonnes, demonstrations at
the national headquarters of Derichebourg in Paris, as well as at
companies (excluding Chronopost, Derichebourg, and Mission Intérim)
employing undocumented workers who came to support their Chronopost
comrades on the Alfortville picket line;
- demonstrations in Alfortville and Créteil, rallies in front of the
labor inspectorate in Créteil, the Ministry of Labor in Paris, and the
prefecture in Créteil; Co-organization of a meeting at the Bourse du
Travail in Paris, as part of the Solidarity March, bringing together
several hundred undocumented workers from the Île-de-France region;
regular support for the cleaning women fighting at the Hôtel Ibis
Batignolles; attendance at the Fête de l'Huma, the "Justice for Adama"
march in Beaumont-sur-Oise, and demonstrations/general meetings against
pension cuts (undocumented workers are workers first and foremost) in
Créteil, Ivry-sur-Seine, Paris, and more.
Regularization as a stage of the struggle
Seven months of mobilization led to the prefecture's decision to
regularize the status of the 27 Chronopost branches and the collective
submission for review of 129 non-Chronopost worker files. Discussions
with the prefecture were interrupted by the lockdown. They resumed in
May, but on a less favorable basis than the commitments made in January.
46 (out of 129) non-Chronopost worker files were obtained. This is
another historic achievement of this struggle: that workers outside the
targeted company are also regularized. It is the solidarity-based
approach to the struggle that made these regularizations possible.
Second strike in almost three years
On October 31, 2024, the picket line set up in front of the Chronopost
agency in Alfortville was cleared without prior notice. "Today, October
31, 2024, at 10:00 a.m., the Chronopost picket line in Alfortville is
being evacuated by police forces, on the orders of the interim prefect
of Val-de-Marne. The picket line was initiated on December 7, 2021.
Today, we completed the third year and 35th month of occupation. 1,059
days of struggle by undocumented workers in the cold, rain, and
sometimes heatwaves, to demand a residence permit. Only 32 applications
could be submitted in July 2023. 15 cards obtained and 17 applications
referred to common law, that is, to ordinary mistreatment. The
prefecture has consistently refused to take on any further cases, even
those that clearly met the criteria[2], again referring to common law:
incommensurable delays in getting an appointment, most of the time
unsuccessful requests, and interminable investigations. Today, at 8:00
a.m., without any warning, the police cordoned off the area. As we write
this press release, they are proceeding to remove the buildings shelter
by shelter using grabs that grab the entire building, including the
belongings inside, and place them in dumpsters. CTSPV - SOLIDAIRES - SUD
PTT press release
Let us remind those who are unhappy that the "picket" is, to this day,
still active. A demonstration takes place once a week either in front of
the Créteil prefecture (94) or elsewhere in the Île-de-France region
(Paris, 93, 92).
Some details and clarifications. There was indeed a strike by temporary
Chronopost employees in both cases. There was also the active
participation of other undocumented workers (known as "non-Chrono"),
especially during the demonstrations during the day and on the picket in
the evening. A picket that could count on 200 people sleeping on site.
Obviously, these supporters were not on strike, but could support the
struggle. In both fights, there was a collective submission of
applications for regularization of "Chronopost" and "non-Chronopost"
workers. The second strike was part of the same movements in the 92 (RSI
in Nanterre), and DPD in Essonne). If in Essonne, there was indeed union
support from SUD PTT 91, in Hauts de Seine, the support of the union
structures (Solidaires, Sud PTT) was outside the department. A fourth
picket was originally planned in the 93rd arrondissement. Due to the
lack of a union response to the CTSPV's demands, it did not take place.
Beyond the significant concrete results, there are several analytical
elements to note. The most vulnerable workers managed to self-organize,
maintaining leadership of the struggle through a collective (CTSPV) and
with the unwavering support of union members from Solidaires and Sud
PTT. Journalists were always surprised when they passed by the picket
site, being immediately directed by union members to the picket
delegates. The pickets also allowed them to visit certain employers to
obtain the necessary papers for regularization or to recover overdue
wages. It's not spectacular, but it's also how bonds of trust and
solidarity are built step by step.
We are part of the French working class.
[3]
These members of the working class were present at all the
demonstrations against the pension counter-reform. In the minds of the
delegates of the struggle and the trade unionists who actively support
it, this struggle is first and foremost a struggle of our social class
against the bourgeoisie that oppresses us.
This self-organization of precarious workers among the precarious, a
fragmented workforce confronted with a multitude of bosses and a cascade
of subcontracting, provides guidance to trade unionists that is far more
relevant than a hypothetical union restructuring and/or incessant
battles between "out of touch" organizations.
Of course, today, as always, the question remains how to rebuild a more
favorable balance of power to achieve other workers' gains.
IS
Notes
[1]On the OCL website, https://oclibertaire.lautre.net/spi... you can
find a lot of information. Including information on the DPD and RSI
struggles.
[2]Criteria falling under the defunct Valls Circular at that time...
[3]Statement by a delegate during a radio broadcast
http://oclibertaire.lautre.net/spip.php?article4489
_________________________________________
A - I N F O S N E W S S E R V I C E
By, For, and About Anarchists
Send news reports to A-infos-en mailing list
A-infos-en@ainfos.ca
cooperation between the struggle delegates, the CTSPV (Collective of
Undocumented Workers of Vitry), SUD PTT 94, and SOLIDAIRES 94, deserve
special attention. In fact, since 2019, there have been two "Chronopost"
strikes, with a picket in front of the Chronopost agency in Alfortville
(94)[1]---- First strike in 2019 ---- In the early morning of June 11,
2019, striking undocumented Chronopost employees, accompanied by
supporters, invaded the parking lot of the Alfortville agency. For two
weeks, these undocumented workers occupied this parking lot day and
night without any shelter, under the eye of the police, harassed by the
bosses, security guards and dog handlers under the orders of La Poste.
From June 11, the occupation also took place in front of the doors of
the Chronopost agency in Alfortville, outside the agency, under tents,
with more than a hundred undocumented workers from other companies who
came to support their comrades installed in the parking lot. After 15
days of occupation, Chronopost obtained the evacuation of the parking
lot by order of the TGI of Créteil, but the judge dismissed the bosses'
request to evict the camp established in front of the agency site. As a
result, the undocumented Chronopost workers occupying the parking lot
joined the picket line in front of the agency. This picket line could be
maintained over time with the support of the CTSPV, SUD-PTT, and the
Solidaires union (both at the departmental and national levels). The PCF
president of the Val-de-Marne Departmental Council, the Socialist Party
MP for the constituency, the Socialist Party mayor of Alfortville, as
well as the FI MP and the PCF and Générations senators, parties (in
addition to the parties mentioned through their elected representatives:
PRCF, LO, NPA, UCL, etc.), and local associations lent their support to
an occupation that would last more than seven months.
It was a considerable challenge to manage this occupation for 220 days:
tents as the only shelter, day and night, without running water, in the
heatwave in summer and then, as winter approached, in the cold, rain,
and mud. It is thanks to the courage and strength of the undocumented
comrades - facing the constant risk of expulsion from the territory, the
hatred and arrogance of the bosses, the trying conditions of the
occupation - that a large movement of solidarity, organized by SUD-PTT,
Solidaires and the CTSPV was declared, supported by residents and
associations of the neighborhood and surrounding areas. It was thus
possible to supply the camp daily with water, food, hygiene products,
tents, tarpaulins and coal against the cold. This logistical effort,
this material organization of the struggle, and this daily presence of
supporters on the Alfortville picket line primarily mobilized the
Solidaires 94 union members. This highly demanding militant support,
given Solidaires' strength in Val-de-Marne, accompanied the ongoing
self-organization of their struggle by the undocumented workers. They
managed the daily life of a camp often bringing together 150 to 200
people, organized-within the framework of the CTSPV-the other
undocumented workers who came to join them and submitted their
applications, made decisions at general meetings regarding the conduct
of their struggle, appointed their spokespersons, organized security and
the animation of the demonstrations, etc.
The occupation of the site, which permanently brought these workers
together in a collective framework, although carried out under
physically difficult conditions for these comrades, played a decisive
role in the group's cohesion and the organization of numerous actions
throughout these 31 weeks:
demonstrations in front of the La Poste headquarters in Créteil, and at
the respective national headquarters of Chronopost, La Banque Postale,
and Groupe La Poste in Paris;
the invasion of Mission Intérim in Corbeil-Essonnes, demonstrations at
the national headquarters of Derichebourg in Paris, as well as at
companies (excluding Chronopost, Derichebourg, and Mission Intérim)
employing undocumented workers who came to support their Chronopost
comrades on the Alfortville picket line;
- demonstrations in Alfortville and Créteil, rallies in front of the
labor inspectorate in Créteil, the Ministry of Labor in Paris, and the
prefecture in Créteil; Co-organization of a meeting at the Bourse du
Travail in Paris, as part of the Solidarity March, bringing together
several hundred undocumented workers from the Île-de-France region;
regular support for the cleaning women fighting at the Hôtel Ibis
Batignolles; attendance at the Fête de l'Huma, the "Justice for Adama"
march in Beaumont-sur-Oise, and demonstrations/general meetings against
pension cuts (undocumented workers are workers first and foremost) in
Créteil, Ivry-sur-Seine, Paris, and more.
Regularization as a stage of the struggle
Seven months of mobilization led to the prefecture's decision to
regularize the status of the 27 Chronopost branches and the collective
submission for review of 129 non-Chronopost worker files. Discussions
with the prefecture were interrupted by the lockdown. They resumed in
May, but on a less favorable basis than the commitments made in January.
46 (out of 129) non-Chronopost worker files were obtained. This is
another historic achievement of this struggle: that workers outside the
targeted company are also regularized. It is the solidarity-based
approach to the struggle that made these regularizations possible.
Second strike in almost three years
On October 31, 2024, the picket line set up in front of the Chronopost
agency in Alfortville was cleared without prior notice. "Today, October
31, 2024, at 10:00 a.m., the Chronopost picket line in Alfortville is
being evacuated by police forces, on the orders of the interim prefect
of Val-de-Marne. The picket line was initiated on December 7, 2021.
Today, we completed the third year and 35th month of occupation. 1,059
days of struggle by undocumented workers in the cold, rain, and
sometimes heatwaves, to demand a residence permit. Only 32 applications
could be submitted in July 2023. 15 cards obtained and 17 applications
referred to common law, that is, to ordinary mistreatment. The
prefecture has consistently refused to take on any further cases, even
those that clearly met the criteria[2], again referring to common law:
incommensurable delays in getting an appointment, most of the time
unsuccessful requests, and interminable investigations. Today, at 8:00
a.m., without any warning, the police cordoned off the area. As we write
this press release, they are proceeding to remove the buildings shelter
by shelter using grabs that grab the entire building, including the
belongings inside, and place them in dumpsters. CTSPV - SOLIDAIRES - SUD
PTT press release
Let us remind those who are unhappy that the "picket" is, to this day,
still active. A demonstration takes place once a week either in front of
the Créteil prefecture (94) or elsewhere in the Île-de-France region
(Paris, 93, 92).
Some details and clarifications. There was indeed a strike by temporary
Chronopost employees in both cases. There was also the active
participation of other undocumented workers (known as "non-Chrono"),
especially during the demonstrations during the day and on the picket in
the evening. A picket that could count on 200 people sleeping on site.
Obviously, these supporters were not on strike, but could support the
struggle. In both fights, there was a collective submission of
applications for regularization of "Chronopost" and "non-Chronopost"
workers. The second strike was part of the same movements in the 92 (RSI
in Nanterre), and DPD in Essonne). If in Essonne, there was indeed union
support from SUD PTT 91, in Hauts de Seine, the support of the union
structures (Solidaires, Sud PTT) was outside the department. A fourth
picket was originally planned in the 93rd arrondissement. Due to the
lack of a union response to the CTSPV's demands, it did not take place.
Beyond the significant concrete results, there are several analytical
elements to note. The most vulnerable workers managed to self-organize,
maintaining leadership of the struggle through a collective (CTSPV) and
with the unwavering support of union members from Solidaires and Sud
PTT. Journalists were always surprised when they passed by the picket
site, being immediately directed by union members to the picket
delegates. The pickets also allowed them to visit certain employers to
obtain the necessary papers for regularization or to recover overdue
wages. It's not spectacular, but it's also how bonds of trust and
solidarity are built step by step.
We are part of the French working class.
[3]
These members of the working class were present at all the
demonstrations against the pension counter-reform. In the minds of the
delegates of the struggle and the trade unionists who actively support
it, this struggle is first and foremost a struggle of our social class
against the bourgeoisie that oppresses us.
This self-organization of precarious workers among the precarious, a
fragmented workforce confronted with a multitude of bosses and a cascade
of subcontracting, provides guidance to trade unionists that is far more
relevant than a hypothetical union restructuring and/or incessant
battles between "out of touch" organizations.
Of course, today, as always, the question remains how to rebuild a more
favorable balance of power to achieve other workers' gains.
IS
Notes
[1]On the OCL website, https://oclibertaire.lautre.net/spi... you can
find a lot of information. Including information on the DPD and RSI
struggles.
[2]Criteria falling under the defunct Valls Circular at that time...
[3]Statement by a delegate during a radio broadcast
http://oclibertaire.lautre.net/spip.php?article4489
_________________________________________
A - I N F O S N E W S S E R V I C E
By, For, and About Anarchists
Send news reports to A-infos-en mailing list
A-infos-en@ainfos.ca
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