France, Alternative Libertaire AL #241 - Solidarity: A Congress for fighting unionism (fr, pt)

[machine translation]

Solidarity held its sixth national congress of June 2 to 5 With 110,000 members, union 
union embodies unionism both mass and class struggle, critical for battles to fight 
against the capitalists. ---- Three hundred and fifty representatives from professional 
associations (unions or domestic) and inter-departmental unions (Solidarity county) 
attended the Sixth Congress of Trade Union Solidarity union. Five resolutions were 
discussed, amended and approved; two debates without a vote completed the agenda dealing 
with the final seven themes: ---- the redistribution of wealth, building a society based 
on egalitarian social relations; --- Equality between women and men; ---- the maintenance 
and development of social protection; ---- defense, the expansion and democratization of 
public services; consideration of health; ---- the socialization of the means of 
production, self-management;

strengthening the union tool.

The consensus

Rather than seek majorities impose their choice on the minority (which actually does not 
apply if it does not suit him, weakening the organization and scope of decisions), 
Solidarity in the search for consensus is the rule. Of course, this can sometimes slow 
decision making; in fact, experience shows that this is seldom the case. This operation is 
a strength because it avoids disruptions and solidifies the union. It is in this light 
that took place on various stages of preparation of the congress resolutions guaranteeing 
broad consensus within Solidarity. This priority to research internal consensus is very 
political. Unlike some political forces who see the union a place of confrontation where 
you have to systematically bring about majorities and minorities vote, it is the assertion 
that it is in the union that are discussed and decide the policies, claims, actions, etc., 
and the will to make the location potentially gather all workers and all working as a 
standalone class.

development

The various structures of the union Solidarity union together just over 110,000 members. 
This is much less than the CGT or CFDT confederation, but the report is not that tall. The 
question of development is crucial for Solidarity today because it is that of scaling that 
is asked.

Regardless of the positions taken and the presence or absence in the business, most are 
familiar with employee-CFDT, CGT and FO; the fact is not the same for Solidarity (or 
South). For a unionism which, claims of class action and mass, it is essential to hold the 
two ends: stand firm on the practice, the claims and directions, but also to find ways to 
win fights and transform society weighing in the balance of power. Some have little 
concern this: those who Solidarity remains something of a historical accident because the 
future is a reconstruction from the top with the FSU and the CGT, and others for whom the 
radical merges with the comfort of being in itself, totally disconnected with the reality 
of the class struggle.

A balance between "public" and "private" has done in recent years, including a development 
in industry, commerce and urban transport. Almost all sectors are now covered, but some 
recently and still low (interim for example). The difficulty of living a truly 
inter-unionism remains. Too many activists believe that the inter-view is in local and 
departmental unions and not in the local union and the local union; it helps make outdoor 
activity interprofessional collective basis. As with the other unions, there is a real 
difficulty that professional structures emerge the material resources or time required for 
inter-activist.

The special place in the National Solidarity trade union landscape could be summarized as 
follows: during the congress-es are reached at the podium with representatives of the CGT, 
FSU, CNT-SO and CNT. Beyond this symbol, about unity, the final declaration [ 1 ] Congress 
calls "collect over time the trade union organizations, with their differences and their 
differences sometimes have in common to claim the unionism of struggle and action for 
social transformation, while others are fully within the framework of liberalism ". This 
is not the "unionism together" (with CFDT) advocated by the leaders of the CGT and the 
FSU, but an opening to all union teams assume class confrontation.

Socialization, self

Internationally, the Congress has validated the work done in recent years, marked in 
particular by the emergence of the international trade union Solidarity Network and 
struggles [ 2 ] which brings together more than sixty unions from Europe, the Americas, 
Africa and Asia. CGT of the Spanish state, CSP-Conlutas Brazil and TIE-Germany, with 
United, coordinate the activities of the network were represented at the congress, and the 
recent Confederation of Autonomous Trade Unions of Algeria (CGATA) and some structures 
professional showing the diversity of the International Labour Solidarity.

One of two "round tables" held during the conference focused on these topics. The National 
Secretariat of Solidarity said it is well to revive reflection and discussion on these 
issues in the union: not between "specialists", not between "nostalgic", but basically, in 
sections, unions and local unions. For this, an effort is necessary in collective 
appropriation of texts, positions, balance sheets already known; but this must be 
accompanied by concrete work on the realities of today, across every business, every 
service, every municipality, without disregarding the global society. Histories and 
cultures within Solidarity also illustrate this problem, but there is a common will to 
tackle this project and it is not nothing but a union of 110,000 members decided today ' 
Hui speak "self-management, socialization of the means of production, collectivization, 
nationalization, etc. "!

Between unionism whose "radicalism" is probably more homogeneous but too weak forces to 
influence the reality of social struggle at the national level, and a more powerful 
unions, but the majority accept integration into the political system and economic, trade 
union Solidarity union undoubtedly has a key role to play. This is an issue that can not 
leave us indifferent.

C. Mouldi (AL Transcom)
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[ 1 ] Summary of priorities union Solidarity trade union in the coming months, this 
statement includes specific objectives (Notre-Dame-des-Landes, Blockupy, Alternatiba, 
transatlatique Treaty Un?dic, wages and pensions, veto...) by placing them in a political 
process as a whole: national campaign "The capitalists cost us" anti-fascism, feminism, 
confrontation with management, role of institutions, etc. (Read on solidaires.org )

[ 2 ] To read about laboursolidarityandstruggle.org/site_francais/