(en) France, Communistes Libertaires CGT - NCF strike: report libertarian CGT (fr)

Activists libertarian communist CGT engage below the assessment and the lessons they draw 
and they strike. ---- Thank you to all for the broadcast: 4 pages in PDF HERE. ---- 
Assessment of the SNCF strike ---- by libertarian communist CGT 
http://communisteslibertairescgt.over-blog.net/ ---- The strike was followed variously, 
according to the categories of employees, but it reached a professional renewable movement 
a high level of participation, given that it had been called by the CGT, FO and SUD-First 
and that after three days, CFDT and UNSA waved victories torn from the Ministry of 
Transport. Note that if UNSA filed a notice and joined the strike in places, the CFDT 
early condemned the movement, providing support to non-strikers and strikers dealing with 
extremists . Specifically, with a strike rate that can be estimated at 25% for more than 9 
days, with peaks in stock and in maintenance workshops and a strong participation of young 
railwaymen, we can consider that the movement was profound .

Confederal strategy that turns its back to the action of strikers
We saw the confederate strategy of "action and negotiation" at work in this conflict. 
First CGT railway is directly went to sit at the negotiating table when the government 
announced that the bill would not move in outline (new division of SNCF and overhaul of 
the collective agreement) . In the evening, the secretary general of the CGT railway, G. 
Garrel, announced "this text is largely enriched [...] this is a positive point" leaving 
the continuation of the strike in the hands of railway ... but destabilizing the 
transition bases union which no longer knew what to think. The shot was corrected 
internally and the strike was largely renewed the next day. From there, it is Lepaon 
himself enters the battle, co-signing a open letter to Holland with Garrel and publicly 
saying " we can overcome the crisis this weekend , "even though the government sent a 
shot anti-dam strike with the argument of the tray and the strike knew his first weekend, 
after which renewed can be complicated. Waste of time, the government was determined to 
lead his antisocial project, as usual, it is time that the CGT noticing and supports 
stronger action by employees. In the end, it will PCF whistle the end of the strike by the 
parliament accept an amendment that does not change the essence of the problem and will be 
rejected, like the others, by the CGT and SUD , but will be taken up by largely against 
dogs media guard. And unfortunately taken Thursday, June 18 in several deposits by some 
activists Cgt Railwaymen to encourage the resumption of work in the tradition of 
subservience to union parliamentary action.

To return to the confederate strategy, it was not good for building a confederation not 
strike until the outcome of the claim, but rather to a sudden pressure by a few days of 
strike, to obtain amendments, it would have significant manner, the bill, showing that she 
was better than UNSA (recently spent 2 e union SNCF before SUD) negotiates cold.

Isolate UNSA / CFDT non-strikers

Outstanding issues: the strikers they organized tours to other non-striking employees or 
actual strike once passed they were returning home to the most? Pickets were they present 
(in large deposits?) And small?

These questions raise the ratio of non-strikers strikers. Obviously, we need to protect 
natural and legitimate reaction to want to blame those who were not on strike. However, it 
is important for trade unionists class to distinguish between what are at railway UNSA and 
CFDT one hand and the questions and doubts of railwaymen who have not joined the strike. 
And that in order to strengthen in the future a greater balance of power within the SNCF 
winning union fighting those who will realize the harmfulness of railway law. In short, 
the strikers do not isolate themselves after the strike but continue to wear well from 
their colleagues all directions daily battles against managers and small heads.

What democracy in the struggle?

It should be noted the CGT / South Rail union unity that allowed the railroad fight can 
last and grow, show a union camp at the SNCF clearly opposed to both management and other 
unions. The general assemblies of the coup were primarily instances of validations 
decisions Union AG (often organized just before the strikers AG) and motivations of the 
strikers, especially with occasional interventions of employees of other companies. The 
main challenge of the AG was suddenly participation strikers, which unfortunately waned, 
albeit slowly, during the strike.

One can only note the absence of strike committees which, without replacing trade unions, 
led in the past to root movement, deepen protest issues raised, to guard against attempts 
to divide emanating from any national union leadership or maneuvering politicians as we 
have seen in the latter case with the famous / smoky Pcf amendments at the meeting.

Popularization of the reasons for timid strike

A key to a possible victory of the strike limits has been, besides the media, employers, 
government and parliamentary manipulation from the PCF, the non-ability to popularize the 
reasons for the strike direction of users outburst, and for each union feds a real 
difficulty in having built first a battle plan in terms of interprofessional solidarity in 
CGT confederation as indeed in union union Solidarity. In fact, the two feds did not 
expect that depart on railway cutting, but rather on the negotiation of the collective 
agreement.

Some tentative support rallies held in several cities and Paris were unfortunately too 
late to reverse the tendency to isolation and can give a new life to doubts and fatigues 
of a portion of railroad in renewable, as indeed it is pose any renewable movement of this 
magnitude.

This is noteworthy because the strikers were not reflected carried by a general movement 
against a government project (1995, 2003). We could try an analogy with 2007, but the 
reasons for the strike at that time not mingled the defense of the pension railway. And in 
2010, attempted to take over refiners strike had not taken.

But on the merits, we can only see setbacks in terms of strategy to implement in an 
unfavorable context for the struggles as the propertied classes and their government 
lackeys do and will do anything to break any social movement that would be a thorn in the 
side of the widespread deregulation of social rights and public goods. These declines are 
to be found also in the very self-centered culture of unionism SNCF union culture bastion 
of the fort with its positive aspects (culture of pride trades, wrestling, etc ...) and 
negative (corporatist vision with the inability to conceive a mass scale popularization of 
the strike outside the company).

Other assessments of the strike:
CGT-Railroaders: 
http://www.cheminotcgt.fr/new_site/essentiel_actu/module_service_public_ferroviaire/media/4_pages_bilan_reforme_coul.pdf

Trade Union Front of Class:
http://www.frontsyndical-classe.org/2014/06/dissipons-l-enfumage.html

Libertarian Alternative:
http://www.alternativelibertaire.org/?Un-premier-bilan-de-la-greve


Libertarians to CGT?

This blog is the expression tool libertarian communists who advocate the CGT, where 
they defend a perspective renewal of revolutionary syndicalism, the founder of our 
confederation movement, and the unification of trade unionism of struggle and social 
transformation.

We fight the current confederal orientation of the CGT and act for an alternative to this 
approach emerges. We do we claim any trend or fraction formalized within the labor movement.

However, the turning point in our confederation in recent years towards a flanking unions 
or co-management, encourages us to form a common front with all labor and all those who 
claim and practice of class struggle, professional and interprofessional, around claims 
and the struggle to bring them to fruition.

Committed to union democracy and federalism that will remain in place within the CGT, 
respectful of the mandate given by the members and adherent structures which they and they 
participate, libertarian communists belong to a founder and current constituent of the CGT.

Trade unions, as the first organization of working class resistance, have a dual and 
contradictory character.

Mass organizations aspiring to consolidate all the exploited around their immediate 
demands, they remain subject to political domination of employers who pushes for greater 
integration with the state apparatus.

In this battle is not ideological, we do not share the idea that there would be bad 
directions corrupted face an adherent base whose "purity" that would equal the will to fight.

Rather, it exists at all levels of our organizations a contradiction between a class 
unionism whose goal is to end capitalist exploitation and accompanying unionism whose 
purpose is to adapt the working world which produces the wealth in globalized market 
economy that would make it seem insurmountable.

That is why we do not intend to work in simple opposition to our current directions but 
alternative thereto, for the unity of the social movement.

To join the libertarian communist CGT: communisteslibertairescgt@gmail.com

This blog is run since 2011 by the CGT trade union activists,
Communist libertarian sensibility. It aims to contribute to the reconstruction of a class 
struggle unionism, mass and democratic in the CGT which passes through a single 
alternative of all anti-capitalist activists of the CGT.
Resolutely for the Unification of class struggle unionism,
we are for unity of action.