discrimination. In France in late January several millions of workers also took strike action and demonstrated in the streets and a further day of strikes is planned. Pupils. students and teachers are also mobilising.
The NPA supports every attempt to unite the different struggles into a general movement against the government and the bosses - a new "May 68" to defeat President Nicolas Sarkozy. On course, nobody knows exactly what will happen in the coming months. The rise in unemployment is usually ° Tan Nou offices and services were shut down and vital revenue from tourism badly affected. Hundreds of riot police flown in from France failed to interrupt the stoppages or quell mass demonstrations.
Leading the strike in Guadeloupe was the General Union of Workers of Guadeloupe (UGTG) and the various affiliates of the major French unions. Negotiations with local authorities, the employers' federation and
FRANCE: NPA considered to be a powerful obstacle to struggle because of people being afraid of losing theirs jobs. On the other hand there is a growing mood of rebellion among workers and the poor. With too little money and lack of respect for ordinary people while banks and corporations receive huge bailouts workers are saying, "That's enough!" What has already happened in Guadeloupe and Martinique - a general strike of 44 days in Guadeloupe and a strike that is still continuing in Martinique - can give people in France some ideas!
The New Anti-capitalist Party will work to regroup the political and social left in order to support struggles and will propose an emergency programme of practical measures to resolve the crisis in favour of ordinary people. This programme will be different from the proposals of traditional left wing parties and parties of the right because it will refuse to support capitalism by giving more money to the people and institutions the French government were handled by the LKP (Collective Against Super-exploitation) a coalition of 49 unions and grassroots organisations which put forward almost 150 demands for higher wages and improved social conditions.
The strike collective held frequent mass meetings to feed back to the people on developments in the strike, and posted reports on its website with photos and video presentations of speeches at major rallies and
page 23 of the scan
FRANCE: GUADELOUPE IL EST TEMP! msemble Yvan Zimmermann, nominated as head of the NPA list to contend the European elections demonstrations.
Equivalent demands to those of the Guadeloupe workers were raised by workers and community organisations in Martinique. The Collectif du 5 fevrier (February 5 Collective) mobilised demonstrations of up to 25,000 in the capital Fort-de-France as commercial zones were blockaded and the port shut down.
The strikes were soon making waves on the French mainland. In February, in an unsuccessful bid to defuse the angry protests, President Nicolas Sarkozy pledged economic aid and political reform. Meanwhile workers and students in Paris marched in solidarity with the strikers and Olivier Besancenot, leader of France's New Anticapitalist Party (NAP), visited Guadeloupe saying he hoped the protest movement in mainland France against the government's austerity programme would be inspired by their example.
The general strike in Guadeloupe ended 4 March when an accord was signed granting the strikers their top responsible for the crisis.
For instance, the NPA will demand a 300 euro increase in all wages and pensions. a minimum wage of 1500 euro a month, the abolition of VAT starting with basic commodities, a rent freeze and a campaign against superstores passing on price rises to consumers. A major demand is an end to redundancies and the defence of public service jobs especially in schools and the health sector. The NPA will also fight against privatisation, promoting social ownership based on the expropriation of banks and financial corporations and will campaign for a public banking system controlled by workers and consumers.
Political challenges
Winning support for such an anti-capitalist programme, demands a political perspective that is not linked now or in the future to the leadership of the French Socialist Party (SP). This is a very important issue because the NPA has to deal with other parties to the left 20 immediate demands and providing for negotiations on the remaining 126 mid-term and long-term demands. A matching accord followed in Martinique on I| March prioritising wage increases for the low paid and cuts in the price of staple items.
The agreement in Guadeloupe, called the Jacques Bino Accord in memory of the union activist killed during the strike, was declared a "first victory" by Guadeloupe's LKP strike collective. Among important concessions won were: a € 200 monthly increase for the lowest paid workers; measures to aid farmers and fishers; employment and training for 8,000 youth aged 16-25; jobs for 22 Guadeloupian teachers on the waiting list; €40,000 in compensation for truck and bus operators left out when urban and inter-city transport was reorganised; lower bank service rates on certain products for
individuals and small businesses;
a housing rent freeze and ban
on evictions; an average 6 per
cent reduction in the price of of the SP, mainly the French Communist Party (CP), and the Left Party (LP) recently set up by former SP senator Jean-Luc Melenchon. He declared that the Socialist Party had shifted irreversibly to the right and that nothing useful could be done by remaining inside it.
The Left Party has already agreed to be part of a coalition - called the "Left Front" - with the CP for coming European Parliament elections in June. The CP and the LP are putting pressure on the NPA to join this coalition but the NPA has refused any such alliance for presidential, general or local elections. This is mainly because the strategy of both the CP and LP is to strengthen their position in order to get back into office, including into national government where they would be willing to share power with the Socialist Party.
Regional elections are planned for March next year, nine months after the European elections. What would people think if the CP, LP and NPA stood joint water; improvements in union rights and provisions for cultural development.
Unions and employers are equally represented on a parity commission set up to oversee implementation of the agreement. The LKP has made it clear that action will be resumed if promises are not kept and is now pursuing its remaining demands.
The strike victories in the Caribbean made a huge impact on the French Indian Ocean island of La Réunion. There workers have been campaigning on similar demands since March in an attempt to deal with the soaring cost of living.
COSPAR, the alliance of 25 trade unions, parties and other mass organisations has mobilised some 30,000 people across the
island. One union leader, Ivan Hoareau, told Associated Press,
"We will lean on the victory in the Antilles (Guadeloupe and Martinique) to satisfy most of or
grievances. If we continue here,
it is to help our buddies in the
Antilles! The militant protest
movements in these "overseas
departments" of France have
23 candidates in the European elections and went on to build separate and competing slates for regional elections because the CP and the LP were on the SP slates? Voters would just think that all these parties. including the NPA, were not serious or principled.
So the New Anti-capitalist Party has proposed instead that all the parties to the left of the SP unite in action, such as supporting strikes, social movements, demonstrations against NATO and fighting against redundancies. In a longlasting coalition, class struggle has to be the first priority. If that kind of unity were successfully built, the next step would be to discuss forthcoming elections - regional elections as well as European elections - and independence from Socialist Party. For the NPA this approach may take longer but it will be a better way towards unity. François Coustal is a leader of the (former) LCR and editor of its newspaper Rouge shown the bosses that those they used to dismiss as 'the negroes are intent on an end to racial discrimination and are able to fight for justice. It may not be long before institutional changes to the islands' colonial status are on the agenda as well.
The UGTG unions are already calling for the independence of Guadeloupe. Seizing the moment when the strike ended in victory, the UGTG published on its website a resolution to this effect (first adopted at its 12th
Congress in April 2008). An extract reads: The interests of the working class, of the
Guadeloupian producers and creators, will be preserved
only through their engagement in the struggle for the national liberation of our country." SOURCES:
First Victory in Guadeloupe
General Strike: Movement Spreads to other French Colonies by
Richard Fidler:
http://lifeonleft.blogspot.
com/2009/03/mobilizationsvictories-in-overseas.html and
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