Guadeloupe: the strike radicalized - International Solidarity needed!

In a few days the Guadeloupe (a French territory colonized in the American continent) will be commemorating a month of general strike. The movement led by the LKP ( union against exploitation) ,which regroups the territory's syndicates, declared a general strike against the "expensive life". The strikers are demanding the lowering of the prices of basic goods such as food or gasoline, the lowering of taxes and the increase of social aids to the workers being paid below the minimum wage. In fact the Guadeloupe has one of the highest rates of unemployment in the EU which is at 25% and 55% amongst the youth
The movement was very effective in paralyzing the activity on the island and forcing everyone to participate by blocking roads to supermarkets, work places and gaz stations. The demonstrators have been facing police repression (yesterday 50 people were arrested and then released) but also racism from the french security forces ( who are mainly white, and the demonstrators are mainly black). The movement has gained in scale since it extended to the other french islands in the American continent such as the Martinique, and it refused to make any concession to the government. In fact after nearly one month of strike, Sarkozy has just decided to pay the island a visit in order to hear the demands since repression and dissuasion haven't worked. (Dominique Chomereau-Lamotte - Reuters)

These Islands have a history of repression and struggle regarding the metropolitan power which resides in Paris. They are not of equal development with their continental counterpart, social inequalities and poverty are staggering. Many people are rememberin May 1967 where 87 construction workers were massacred by the the security forces while they were protesting for a 2% increase in wages.
Surpisingly (or not), on continental France the only signs of support to the general strike came from the extreme left who demonstrated yesterday. This is surprising because the the strike in the Guadeloupe began on the 20th of January, that is 9 days before the general strike in the metropole which means that it was a precursor to the protestation wave. The french syndicates, and the workers in general ought to follow the Guadaloupean strike and take lessons from it because that is how things should operate in order to stand in the way of Sarkozy's reform. The current strike has shown resilience, determination, and effectiveness that should be generalized on a national scale.
The movement on the french islands should be the first sign for a larger scale national movement that should aim to regain the streets, the public sphere and to push Sarkozy to pull back and even resign. More importantly international solidarity is needed to support the movement due to its legitimate demands and way of action. The situation in these french islands is not very unique and can be identified elsewhere: prices of basic goods are rising everywhere, the minimum wages are not sufficient to survive, the people are suffering from a crisis caused by the financial system, governments pushing to liquidate the social benefits and the public property. Those realities are being witnessed all over the globe from Europe to Asia: the right wing and social democrat governments are making the people pay the crisis caused by the banks. Such an international problem needs an international movement to counter act, and to push for a just international system. Therefore the movement in Guadeloupe shouldn't be isolated and left alone, international protestation should spur all over, let's start at least with an international solidarity with the comrades in Guadeloupe and Martinique! Solidarity is not a question of what cause you support, or what class you are in, or where you are from, or even who you may be. SOLIDARITY my friends is a question of humanity, is a fundamental question of knowing what suffering entails, and resisting. It is a subtle but truthful shame that our histories, our cultures, our lives, our borders, have become barriers towards our humanity. And it is my belief that Guadeloupe deserves our support. This is a call to all who can and should act!

France: the University is NOT a firm!

By Farfahinne and Hanzala

February 9 and 10/2009 were not ordinary university days: in most universities of France courses were replaced by General Assemblies in which students and professors expressed their anger towards the Sarkozy reform plan concerning universities.

France: Student General Assembly Against the LRU
par farfahinne

A rare scene was witnessed in La Sorbonne where the presidents of many prominent public universities declared their full support for the demands of the teachers and students' movement. And they solemnly demanded, in a declaration called the "appel de Paris", the repeal of the LRU.
The LRU or the Law about the Liberties and Responsibilities of the Universities, threatens what the French university stands for and the social value it advances. In fact, this reform promotes for the financial autonomy of the univesity which by itself destroys the fundamental right to a free and equal education which has been one of the main pillars of the french social system for decades. The french government will withdraw a considerable funding it currently provides for the university, forcing it to seek this vital money elsewhere: who else can provide other than firms?! Thus, the enterprises will systematically submit the acadamic sphere to the logic of the market, i.e. the university will have to obey to the law of market profit when offering its majors to the students. therefore, "unnecessary" majors such as philosophy, theater, humanities etc... will simply disappear and university fees will rise pushing students with limited financial possibilities to the margin of education. Moreover, universities will be forced into competition in order to attract funding, putting in danger the principal of equality amongst the diplomas they deliver.
another aspect of the reform seeks to generalize the model of the Sarkozy governance to the university: the power of the university presidents will accrue considerably in such a way that they will have the "privilege" to recruit and to decide on the path of staff careers and more importantly on the remuneration.
A third aspect deals with the status of the teacher-researcher: the law suggests an increased production of publications and in the same time more charges in terms of teaching. These requirements are added to the fact that 3 thousand positions are threatened by suppression increasing the burdens on the teacher- researchers.
The LRU has provoked a large resentment among the students last year when it was first proposed: demonstrations were held but they were ineffective due to the absence of professors and researchers.This year, the law was voted with amendments concerning the status of professors and without any kind of negotiations with the parties concerned. this is what pushed the teachers to react and declare a general, unlimited , and reconductible strike starting from the 2nd of February 2009.
The 9th and 10th of February were crucial to this movement. in fact, the general assemblies that were held witnessed the generalization of the movement to the whole academic community.
the students voted on the general strike calling for the repeal of the law.

France: Students voting for the strike
envoyé par farfahinne

the voting on the general strike was followed by a large demonstration in which 50 .000 teachers and students marched from the Pantheon to the National Assembly in Paris.

France: Demonstration of the students and the teachers
envoyé par farfahinne

the movement is gaining scale due to the fact that it was launched by the teaching body which is a first since many years. However, the survival of the movement depends on the student-teacher solidarity (where Sarkozy will probably seek to break in order to liquidate the movement) and more importantly on the linkage with other sectors like transportation, the heavy industries, and more generally the public and the private sectors.
In launching these major reforms, Sarkozy is unknowingly catalyzing and radicalizing the protestation movement and generalizing it to certain categories that were for long time on the margin of any mobilization. This is an opportunity for the Left in order to regain the trust of the people and to present a real alternative to the current system.