BY HARVEY McARTHUR AND KATY LEROUGETEL
MARSEILLE, France - In the wake of the strike wave and other protests against government austerity plans that swept France for much of December, workers here continue several local walkouts.
The nationwide strikes - led by a rail workers walkout - and the demonstrations that drew millions of unionists and youth into the streets forced the government to back off from attacks on rail workers and cuts in the retirement plans for public employees.
Under pressure from these actions, French prime minister Alain Juppé convened a "social summit" with top union officials and the employers association at the end of December. Participants announced no agreement, however.
Juppé insisted on further austerity measures and refused to postpone an increase in social security taxes set to go into effect in January.
"Financial markets applauded after Prime Minister Alain Juppé held firm to his program of French deficit reduction at a summit with labor leaders and employers," noted the International Herald Tribune December 23. "But most French leaders say bolder initiatives are needed to jolt the nation out of its mood of uncertainty and pervasive gloom."
Local strikes continuing late into December included postal workers in Caen (see accompanying article) and transit workers in Limoge. Some rail workers in Paris staged a 24-hour work stoppage December 30 on one rapid transit line to press demands for payment of wages lost during the strike and an end to sanctions against individual strikers.
The biggest action at present is the strike and occupation of bus depots by transit workers in Marseille, Francés second biggest city. Drivers here walked off the job December 7.
At the La Rose depot, Michel, who has three years' seniority, said, "Since 1993, all drivers are hired on a temporary basis. We have to work three hours more [than workers hired before '93] and we earn 1,000 francs less each month." Average wages run at roughly 7,400 francs (5 francs=US$1) a month for a 36.4 hour workweek, for workers with more than three years' seniority.
André, a bus driver with 30 years' seniority, was picketing at the same depot. In late November, he said, "the rail workers started with their strike and then everybody started protesting Juppé's plan. We joined the protests and it was a good time to press our demands."
As he handed out leaflets to shoppers in a mall December 27, striker Jean Carmignani described his reaction to the December 16 anti-Juppé demonstration of more than 150,000 in Marseille. "It was the same atmosphere as at the liberation of Marseille [from Nazi rule] in 1945," he said. "It was like workers had been freed from the pressures of their work," as they took to the streets.
On December 18, strikers blocked the tracks of the Metro rapid transit lines and won support from Metro workers to shut down public transit completely. On December 29, while negotiations were under way, management got some rapid transit trains operating by using scab drivers and hundreds of riot police to keep strikers off the tracks and station platforms. Local judges have summoned some 30 strikers to court to face charges of "interfering with the right to work" of scab drivers.
In response, strikers voted December 30 to continue their strike and depot occupation. They also called a solidarity demonstration at the courthouse January 2.
Negotiations are continuing
"This is the only transit system in France with two-
tier wages," said a driver picketing at La Rose. "If we
don't stop it, it will spread to others also."
Michel Mas, picketing at Capelette depot, stated, "Young workers are getting jobs later and later - not till they're 25 years old." Like many other drivers, he said they were striking "for the future," against the setting of a national precedent.
Two seamen dropped by the Arenc depot as Militant reporters talked with strikers there. "We're on our way to Algeria," they said, "but we couldn't pass by without bringing you something." They left a bottle of wine and cigarettes.
"The solidarity from the public has been touching," said Emmanuel Uguet, union representative at La Rose. He described the Christmas celebrations held at all four depots. "People we didn't even know brought us money, hot food, and presents for our children. Some, especially workers from the private sector, said they wished they could do what we are doing but they fear losing their jobs."
On December 28 some 600 strikers and a few supporters marched noisily through Marseille to press their demands for negotiations with the mayor. Many passers-by took union leaflets with a smile. A few angrily crumpled them up.
Up to 125 workers meet briefly in each depot in the morning to hear a report on the previous 24 hours and decide by hand vote whether to continue the strike. Workers' cafeterias in the depots remain open. Strikers gather there throughout the day to eat, discuss, and play cards.
Jean-Bernard Martinez, 31, said that whatever happens "we come out of the conflict with our heads held high, above all because we have regained what is essential: solidarity between traminots [transit workers]."
Tony Hunt from London contributed to this article.
MARTIGUES, France - The 185 workers at the E'lecticite' de France (EDF) power plant here, west of Marseille, occupied the plant for more than three weeks in December, demanding the restoration of 30 jobs and the granting of permanent status to those with temporary positions. Late on December 29, EDF ceded 10 new jobs and the occupation ended.
"At the start of the strike, we took over the control room and reduced output," said Jean-Pierre Charnay, a union delegate. "This was part of the national EDF workers strike against the Juppé plan - as well as our local demands."
After the bosses threatened legal action against control room workers, a general union assembly decided to occupy the entire plant. The company unsuccessfully sought to evict them.
Workers at other EDF plants returned to work as national protests wound down before Christmas.
Sitting in the strike office a few days before the settlement, striker Laure Greze described the solidarity expressed by neighbors and showed Militant reporters a video of the December 16 march in Marseille.
"It was grandiose," she said. "I'd only ever been on the big demonstration last year against the subminimum youth wage. Look there on the screen - you can see our contingent still waiting to begin the march and the first demonstrators are already walking home."
- K.L. AND H.M.