[machine translation]
European elections are over. Technocrats in Brussels and governments prepare in the
shadows and ultra liberal unprecedented attack against the employee ? e ? s ? is ? s
unemployed, precarious, for the benefit of profit discretion. The European Union and the
United States negotiate in secrecy and opacity, a Trade and Investment (APT). This treaty,
which the stakes are high for multinational and catastrophic consequences for the people,
requires a response of the exploited ? e ? s up to the attack. ---- Issues: profit
unhindered ---- The purpose of the treaty is to reach an agreement to establish a free
trade area covering approximately 8OO million inhabitants ? e ? s and 50% of GDP. If
multinationals with the active complicity of the European Commission are responsible for
the APT, the United States quickly rallied to the project and even grow to go faster and
farther to fill their trade deficit and meet the growing influence of China.
The Treaty is not intended to lower trade barriers which are very low but the
harmonization of regulations, recognition of trade and financial rules on both sides of
the Atlantic on based on US rules, delete all standards to protect humans (precautionary
principle, environment, freedom...) resulting from political struggles that are all
obstacles to free trade. It is aimed at the liberalization of public procurement,
intellectual property and investment.
The treaty will the tutelage of European economic governance for the benefit of
multinational corporations.
Proponents argue that extending the treaty exchange opportunities will source of wealth.
Maybe! But for whom? The US and European multinationals will explode their profits and
even more so that no obstacle will intervene in their both commercial and financial
development. However, we should expect a challenge models and acquired social and cultural
aligning the regulations with the lowest bidder.
There is also a secret report which is a cooperation project in the field of freedom,
security and justice, that goes beyond what currently exists: increased surveillance of
personal data in all its forms (voice, video, digital, various fichages...).
Secret negotiations and lobbying
Treaty negotiation is done in complete silence and darkness, although leaks have through
internet to know the general sense. Politicians (PS and UMP among others) are maneuvering
to hide all the attacks they are negotiating in hand. The people are not informed and will
not be consulted (the Constitutional Treaty has served as an example) and unions are at
the margin.
But multinationals are putting pressure on the European Executive Board to adopt their
proposals in form of texts to endorse.
CONSEQUENCES: The aim of the treaty is to bring the European institutions, States and
peoples to market, multinational corporations and their shareholders by removing all
barriers to free trade. This is a coup Liberal magnitude. The consequences are serious for
the people:
In agriculture, the small farmer ? s ? e ? s ? rice will not withstand competition from
multinational agribusiness, especially since US companies are protected by the Farm Bill
(law production support in case of difficulties). Small farms disappear even faster today.
The impact on product quality are obvious. Hormones, GMOs, chlorine, antibiotics are fed
to develop in the context of a loss of "_normes protectrices_" and the health of the
consumer ? s ? rice will be more threatened in the longer term. More care reimbursement by
social security in France does not exist in other countries like the United States. It is
therefore predictable medium-term view to develop the de-care reimbursement and medicines
and accelerating the privatization of health care.
Threats to the environment are no less important: Increased trade will result in increased
energy consumption, extraction of raw materials, but also the exploitation of shale gas,
the widespread use of chemicals, harmonization of safety standards at the bottom.
In the social sphere the Treaty does not provide charter on the rights of the employee ? e
? s ? is ? s unemployed and precarious. Instead, the philosophy of the Treaty aggravating
constraints profitability and competitiveness, lead to increased pressure on social
rights, working conditions and wages. What about the minimum wage?... CDD, insecurity will
grow and will become the social norm.
Finally, the settlement of disputes concerning the legal protection of investments will,
by special courts called for arbitration to multinational corporations. IL suffice to say
that a company established by a State "_menace_" standard investment and free trade for
said State be sentenced to a fine record. This mechanism already exists in the NAFTA
treaty binding the United States, Canada, and Mexico (eg extraction by hydraulic fracturing).
Finally, another treaty was negotiated in secret; one who seeks the privatization of
public services: TISA (Trade In Services Agreement - Agreement on Trade in Services).
What fight? the convergence of social struggles
Once again, elections have proven that they do not change anything, but to strengthen the
operating system. There is nothing to expect from the party of liberal governments, social
democrats or conservatives, nationalists left and right united in a common consensus on
the total commodification of the economy and society. Including financial capitalism sole
purpose the pursuit of profit by all means, and the State to protect, by repression, the
privileged classes, as well as its own interests. Politicians want to change society is to
change a lure that always postpones the necessary social revolution.
So it is urgent to find the terrain of class struggle. The construction of the power
relationship that allows us to move from passivity to the collective action of
confrontation with the government. As such, it is urgent to organize collectively before,
during and after the fight. It is not enough to advocate self-organization in the leaflets
and brochures, collages, but it is also and above all the practice in the struggles
(strike committees, sovereign assemblies, coordination and collective...), with local
unions when possible. Boost direct democracy, the practice of mandating controllable and
rotation of mandates, direct action aimed at achieving our goals without going through the
institutions, linking claims of rupture that actually involve systems of domination and
allows immediate demands to criticize and act against state and bureaucratic facing the
commercialization of the company solutions.
The state of our strengths and weak influence both in companies and in society does not
currently allow us to influence the social movement, even if it is in the social struggles
that our practices and proposals may develop. However, it is urgent to implement all the
possibilities of a large social response, outside institutions and build in struggles now,
the basics of free, equal and inclusive society of tomorrow.
Similarly, federation struggles in inter-professional, but also European, and
international levels is vital for winning battles that involve the ultra liberal treaty,
the future treaty on the liberalization of public services and beyond capitalism and the
state. As such, we must share our analysis and our experiences, proposals, strategies, and
find convergence of struggle, even with organizations that do not fully share our ideas.
However, we can from now, build and develop alternative projects that put into action the
self and fight racist and sexist reactionary ideas (anti-fascist and anti-suppression
group, help, squats, ath?n?es, etc...)
CONCLUSION: This brief overview of the Treaty does not necessarily mean that the current
European and national social and political economic situation should not be fought, but
the commercial and financial capitalism facing its crisis, restructures wearing an
unprecedented attack with the active complicity of states. The beneficiaries are the
multinationals and profit. The urgency of finding the necessary convergence of struggles
at the local level but also internationally if the hydra of the brown plague threatens us...
Xavier (Montpellier)
Valerian (Toulouse)
Camille (Lyon)
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