The debate between the seven candidates in the conservative primary has, unsurprisingly, shown that they agree to make us work harder, and to cut taxes for the rich and the corporations. As for Hollande, after ridiculing himself with his book of confidences to reporters, he now dares to go back to Florange and tell new lies, but is only met with contempt from the workers. But while these puppets are getting agitated before the presidential elections, the attacks continue: layoff announcements are multiplying. Hundreds of thousands of jobs are threatened. Job insecurity is becoming commonplace.
Bosses lay off, but in their current newspeak they dare call it “voluntary departures” as PSA management did today. What they mean by “on a voluntary basis” is that we push you out in many different ways: new position a few hundred kilometers away, new unmanageable shift schedules pressures and harassment from the managers, etc. That’s for employees on permanent contracts. The other ways to layoff is simply to end temp worker’s assignments and not to renew fixed-term contracts, these two categories of employees often representing more than 60% of the workforce of a site.
Everywhere, downsizing and aggressive management result in general exasperation, in both private and public sectors. Eventually, all this anger will have to be expressed collectively.
Bosses and politicians want us to be resigned and divided
Valls, Sarkozy, Le Pen and others use the terror attacks to stress racist ideas against muslims and migrants. According to them, France is on the verge of being submerged by migrants, even though the number of migrants admitted to France is ridiculously low (19,506 asylums granted in 2015). But while some mayors and the far right held rallies in various cities against the welcoming of migrants, fortunately, the counter-demonstrators were more numerous each time.
They also oppose the workers to the poorest, even though half of those who are entitled to welfare give up because of all the red tape. The state saves €5 billion on their backs, more than what it makes from the wealth tax!
Let’s get together!
Last spring, the bosses and their government have felt the wind of change with the mobilization against the Work Law. Since the end of the movement, they are hoping to take revenge and are multiplying attempts to intimidate us.
Trials and sentences against employees follow each other. The latest provocation comes from PSA Poissy management who just initiated proceedings against six CGT militants who had demanded the upgrading of an assembly line. Not to mention Air France activists whose dismissal was upheld, allegedly because company executives got really scared and lost their shirts…
So the working class must mobilize again, starting where the movement against the El Khomri law had stopped.
On October 19 and 20, let’s show our solidarity with Goodyear workers in Amiens
This week, the former Goodyear employees are calling for solidarity from workers of other sectors, during the appeal trial of eight of their comrades. These eight workers are threatened by nine months in jail for fighting against the closure of their factory. The rally should help denounce all cases of disciplinary or judicial punishment and start a counter-attack.
These two days will be a time of gatherings, a convergence of all employees exposed not only to repression but also to layoffs and job cuts. The upcoming mobilizations will be prepared by coordinating our efforts now.
