attention brothers and sisters, the colonial power is about to step up its game in guadalupe, it is time to turn the dial up:blackcon_soldier_ta on those:whitedevil:,guadalupe and martinique are still under colonial rule of slimey french bastards!
GUADELOUPE
United General Strike Since January 20, 2009
A collective of 47 organizations constituted at the initiative of the UGTG trade union confederation has established a platform of 120 demands
Since January 20, 2009, Guadeloupe has been paralyzed by a general strike called by a collective of 47 organizations constituted at the initiative of the UGTG (the biggest union confederation), which has brought together all the workers and peasants unions, as well as political parties. This collective has established a platform of 120 demands "against over-exploitation."
Guadeloupe has been ravaged by the capitalist crisis, which is aggravated by the colonial domination of the French state. To give one example: A liter of gasoline is 50% more expensive than in the mainland because of the special taxes established by the French state, which implements the EU directives.
On December 16 and 17, 2008, mobilizations took place. It was after this that the collective called for a general strike beginning on January 20 because the demands were not met. Obviously, the strike has tapped into the aspirations of the workers faced with the same policies and offers the path of struggle for unity around this platform of demands.
This mobilization in a Caribbean island on the American continent joined the deep movement of workers and peasant masses of Latin America and the Caribbean in their struggle against the neo-colonial oppression. It is no coincidence that, at the rally held on Saturday January 24 in the streets of Pointe-à-Pitre, one of the most applauded messages was sent by the union and political organizations of Haiti, including the Autonomous Confederation of Haitian Workers (CATH), which said: "We give our support to the fight you are organizing in your country for change, for the decline in the price of gasoline at the pump and against the precariousness of wages. This struggle is that of all the peoples of the Caribbean and that of our country, Haiti, a country ravaged by American capitalism and French colonialism... "
As stated by the Secretary General of the UGTG, Elie Domota, "The UGTG is not the only organization involved. We felt it necessary to go all the way by inviting all political and cultural organizations to struggle alongside the workers."
* * * * *
25,000 Demonstrators in the Streets of Pointe-à-Pitre on January 24
On Saturday, January 24, at the invitation of the Collective against overexploitation, 25,000 protesters gathered in the streets of Pointe-à-Pitre, despite the scarcity of gas that limits travel. Indeed, the 115 service stations in the island have been closed because of the strike. All stores, malls and schools are closed, and utilities are no longer guaranteed, including road transport of passengers.
On Sunday evening, January 25, thounited snakesnds of demonstrators, again, marched on the streets of Pointe-à-Pitre in response to the appeal of cultural associations that have supported the strike.
The immediate mobilization imposed the opening of negotiations. Thus, a first meeting took place on January 25 between representatives of the community, supported by thounited snakesnds of protesters, the prefect, Mr. Nicolas Desforges, representatives of employers and local politicians.
The group presented its platform of demands. The meeting lasted until midnight. There were still about 2,000 workers present outside of the building. But neither the bosses nor the prefect had anything to offer, apart from the demand to stop the movement.
Local elected officials have tried to deflect the demands of the strikers by suggesting that the regional council discuss possible measures.
The news was announced that the prefect had sent in two Airbuses with hundreds of mobile guards, who are being held on the tarmac of the airport, ready to intervene immediately. Older union activists recalled that in 1967, during the building workers' strike, the French Government had sent in mobile guards who fired on the crowd of strikers, killing dozens of them.
The memory of this repression remains vivid in the consciousness of the population.
Meanwhile, the rumor is that bosses met on the morning of January 23, deciding to organize a lockout if the movement does not cease.
Negotiations should begin again on Monday the 26th. In the meantime, employers and local elected officials have announced that it is impossible to satisfy the demands such as increased wages of 200 euros, or the increase in minimum social benefits.
On Sunday evening, following the first meeting, the group affirmed its determination to continue the fight until the demands are met, and as of Monday 26, the strike remains total on the island.
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The platform of the collective of 47 organizations formed at the initiative of the UGTG (excerpts)
- The immediate drop of 50 cents in fuel prices.
- The decline in prices of all essential goods and all taxes.
- An increase in the minimum wage to 200 euros.
- The decline in the price of water and transport of passengers.
- Contracts for all precarious workers, public and private (...).
- The development of production to meet the needs of the population.
- The right to education and training for youth and workers of our country.
- Priority in hiring and positions of responsibility for Guadeloupeans and end of racism in hiring (...).
- Freezing rents for an indefinite period and for the year 2009, canceling the increase of 2.98%.
- Set aside 50,000 hectares of agricultural area as a protected agricultural zone and setting up a committee for its annaul evaluation.
- Exemption from taxes for the benefit of farmers throughout the country.
- Representation of trade unions in Guadeloupe in all companies and joint bodies (ASSEDIC, Social Security, CAF, AGEFOS, SME, Fong, CIF ...).
- Commencement of proceedings for the reconstruction of the hospital.
- The urgent development of transport networks Š
- Taking into account in the media the language and culture Guadeloupe through the presence of representatives of cultural associations in the boardroom (...).
ADIM - AFOC - AGPIHM - Akiyo - AN BOUT'AY - ANG - ANKA - ASSE - ASS. Farmers in northern Basse-Terre - Ass. Liberty, Equality, Justice - CFTC - CGTG - CNL - Combat ouvrier - Water Committee - Convention for a new Guadeloupe - COPAGUA - CSFG - CTU - Espérance environment - Faena SNCL - FOR - FSU - GIE SBT - Kamodjaka - KAP Gwadloup - The Greens - MADIC - MAS KA KLE - Mouvman NONM - PCG - SGEP / SNEC / CFTC - SOS Low-Earth environment - SPEG - SUD PTT GWA - SUNICAG - SYMPA CFDT - travay é Peyizan - UDCLCV - UIR CFDT - UNSA - UGTG - UPG - UPLG - UMPG - VOUKOUM.
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APPEAL by the UGTG to the International Democratic and Workers' Movements
Dear comrades, dear friends,
The French colonial power is preparing to punish the workers, youth, and people of Guadeloupe and their organizations.
In response to the call of 47 trade unions, political organizations, consumer associations, popular cultural associations, a general strike began on January 20, 2009 ..., and a march was attended by more than 25,000 people in streets of Pointe-à-Pitre.
In the platform of demands to the employers, the elected representatives of the State, the workers and people demand, among other things:
- The immediate increase in wages, pensions, and social benefits. In Guadeloupe over 100,000 people live below the poverty line in a population of about 450,000 inhabitants;
- Defense and the creation of jobs, including training for youth;
- Defense and the development of production;
- The protection and improvement of union rights;
- The drop in rents.
The bosses and elected officials have already expressed their desire not to meet the demands even before opening negotiations.
They want the workers to "be reasonable and to return to work."
The employers will start a lockout, aiming to push people toward confrontations and then ask the colonial power to suppress them. Thus, several hundred members of law enforcement arrived in Guadeloupe a few days ago, armed to the teeth.
Dear comrades, dear friends,
This situation was seen in May 1967, when the French government killed more than 100 Guadeloupeans in response to a strike in the building trades. Always the same thing: they asked the striking workers to be reasonable, to return to work.
On behalf of the rights of workers and the people of Guadeloupe to fight for their legitimate demands, we call for international solidarity.
Pointe-à-Pitre, on January 26, 2009
signed/
Elie Domota
Secretary-General,
UGTG
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Urgent
Message from the ILC
Support workers on strike in Guadeloupe with their organizations
The French authorities continue to obstruct the negotiations and refuse to meet the strikers' demands
Paris, January 29, 2009
For ten days, the workers, the working population and the youth of Guadeloupe have been engaged in a general strike in unity with their organizations, including all organizations, for emergency measures facing the crisis. They demand in particular an increase of 200 Euros of the minimum wage, an increase of all the minimum social protections and over one hundred other demands defined by the working population itself through the 47 organizations that comprise the Strike Collective.
The ILC, which from the beginning has supported their demand to open real negotiations, shall inform all workers and all democratic organizations of workers of the real news concerning the strike:
Yesterday, on January 28, while negotiations had been initiated for two days, the prefect of Guadeloupe read to the delegates of 47 organizations a letter from the Secretary of State for Overseas, Mr. Yves Jego, a letter which deeply shocked the representatives of unions and organizations present, as well as tens of thounited snakesnds of Guadeloupeans listening live on radio and on television to the ongoing negotiations.
Threatening the strikers and the organizations with legal sanctions, demanding the cessation of the strike before the opening a dialogue period (the prefect of Guadeloupe who read this letter set the duration to be four months), the Secretary of State Jego outlined the proposals of the French government for this "dialogue":
In response to the demand of an increased minimum wage of 200 euros, Mr. Jego offers "a subsidy of 200 euros in April (valid for the whole year) to 40,000 Guadeloupean households, affecting the poorest families."
In response to the demand for contracts for precarious workers, on the contrary he offered employers "8,284 aid contracts, which is 1550 higher than in 2008."
In response to the demand for a general increase in wages and social protections, Mr. Jego offered "the assurance given to all businesses in Guadeloupe they pay no payroll tax on all wages up to 1.4 SMIC (minimum wage) and even up to 1.6 for certain sectors such as tourism."
On this basis, which marks a refunited snakesl of all of the demands made by the striking workers and their organizations, the prefect decided to leave the negotiating session, while mobile police reinforcements arrived in two planes at Guadeloupe Transal from Guyana.
The proposal was immediately rejected by the delegates present and described as "unacceptable" by the SP delegate, Mr. Jalton and by the President of the General Council of Guadeloupe.
The ILC reaffirms: it is not by repression, not by the deployment of police and shock troops, that the conflict will be resolved.
The only solution for the general strike is first and foremost today the resumption of meaningful negotiations, the return of the Prefect of Guadeloupe and other representatives of the French government to the negotiating table.
The ILC calls on all workers, activists, and democratic organizations of workers to support the workers and organizations in Guadeloupe and demand that the French authorities end their obstruction of negotiations and satisfy the demands of the strikers.
signed/
Daniel Gluckstein
Coordinator of the ILC
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Send your messages to:
Collectif des 47 organisations
UGTG, Rue Paul Lacavé 97 110 Point-à-Pitre Guadeloupe
Fax : International : 00 335 90 89 08 70
France : 05 90 89 08 70
Email : ugtg@wanadoo.fr (mailto:ugtg@wanadoo.fr)
With a copy to:
Préfet de Guadeloupe
Rue Lardenoy 97 100 Basse Terre
Fax :
International : 00 335 90 81 58 32
France : 05 90 81 58 32
M. Yves Jego Secrétaire d'Etat chargé de l'Outre-Mer
27, Rue Oudinot 75 007 Paris
Fax :
International : 00 331 53 69 28 04
France : 01 53 69
International Liaison Committee for a Workers International (ILC)
P.O. Box 40009, San Francisco, CA 94140.
Tel. (415) 641-8616; fax: (415) 824-1027.
Email: ilcinfo@earthlink.net (mailto:ilcinfo@earthlink.net)
website: ILC section in www.owcinfo.org (http://www.owcinfo.org/)
PLEASE EXCUSE DUPLICATE POSTINGS
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