http://www.cnt-f.org/spip.php?article954

GENERAL STRIKE IN THE FRENCH ANTILLES I

n the French Antilles (Guadeloupe and Martinique) a general strike has completely shut down economic activity on both islands since the 29th of January. The population of these islands are protesting against the cost of living in particular rising costs of essential foodstuffs and fuel. The following interview is aimed at explaining the current movement and the popular anger that launched it. The interviewee, Marcel, lives in Martinique and is a CNT activist. more: http://www.labourstart.org/cgi-bin/show_news.pl?country=Guadeloupe&alllanguages=1&languagename=English&langcode=en

〈=English France Makes New Wage Offer to Guadeloupe VOA News 19 February 2009

Francois Fillon told French radio Thursday mediators have worked out a plan that comes close to the $250 monthly pay increase strikers in Guadeloupe are demanding for low-wage workers. Rioters fired at police and stormed a city hall, overnight Wednesday to Thursday, in Guadeloupe's third straight night of violence.

"Nothing got did" " the road to the White House, paved with lies"

lyrics from City That Care Forgot (New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina) Dr. John and the Lower 911

Revolt continues in French Caribbean Feb 16 2009

The leader of the general strike crippling Guadeloupe has accused the French government of preparing to kill protestors to bring an end to the stoppage on the French Caribbean island. "Today, given the number of gendarmes who have arrived in Guadeloupe armed to the teeth, the French state has chosen its natural path: to kill Gaudeloupeans as usual," Elie Domota said on Saturday. Domota is the leader of the Collective against Exploitation (LKP), which groups most of Guadeloupe's unions and political parties and which launched the general strike there on January 20th over low wages and the high cost of living. http://libcom.org/news/revolt-continues-french-caribbean-16022009

General strikes around the world ... Feb 10 2009 As French unions isolate a general strike by workers in Guadeloupe, workers in Chad have set next Monday while the leader of the Spanish UGT hints at one (or stalls for time?).

French unions isolate Guadeloupe general strike A general strike against rising living costs has been in progress on the French Caribbean island of Guadeloupe since January 20. Forty-seven trade unions, associations and political parties under the umbrella organization LKP—The Committee against Extreme Exploitation (lyiannaj kont pwofitasyion in local dialect)—have brought economic activity to a standstill. A massive demonstration of 25,000 out of a total population of 410,000 took place on January 24 in the capital Pointe-à-Pitre.

The pattern is clear: governments that respond to a crisis created by free-market ideology with an acceleration of that same discredited agenda will not survive to tell the tale. As Italy's students have taken to shouting in the streets: "We won't pay for your crisis!" http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2009/feb/06/global-recession-backlash

"unlimited" strike, French university strikes intensify Twenty cities across Frances see marches of lecturers and students over job cuts and status changes * Gwladys FoucheThursday 5 February 2009

http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2009/feb/05/internationaleducationnews-france

Mexican Truckers Declare Strike Mexico, Feb 5 (Prensa Latina)

Mexican transport workers confirmed on Thursday they will hold a national strike on February 16, urging the government to freeze fuel prices. The president of the Alliance of Autonomous Transport Workers, Jaime Soberanes, said five million workers from the sector will stop their activities that day to press the federal government cope with their demands. If no positive answer is made, the strike could drag out indefinitely, they warned. Soberanes stressed that the 75 percent reduction in the monthly adjustment in oil prices, announced last week by President Felipe Calderon, fails to solve the situation of transport workers, who have to face ever increasing prices. http://www.plenglish.com/article.asp?ID=%7BD59E9644-8DF1-4348-85CD-89C57BD80616%7D)&language=EN

The postman who wants to deliver the end of capitalism

Global Strike to defend workers' rights against bosses and governments http://www.facebook.com/group.php?sid=3f9c7cb88fa197294a3a35328a94b6be&gid=45930152402

FACTBOX-Global financial crisis sparks unrest in Europe

http://www.reuters.com/article/latestCrisis/idUSL4163275?sp=true

Feb 4 (Reuters) - Here are some details of protests linked to the global financial crisis:

* BRITAIN: -- A decision by France's Total to bring in Italian and Portuguese workers to build a unit at the Lindsey oil refinery in eastern England has triggered a week of protests by thousands of energy workers at sites around Britain.

* BULGARIA: -- Farmers blocked the sole Danube bridge link with Romania and rallied across Bulgaria on Wednesday. They are demanding the government set a minimum protective price for milk and stop imports of cheap substitutes, such as powdered milk. -- Last month Bulgarians staged rallies to demand economic reforms in the face of the global slowdown, calling on the Socialist-led government to act or step down. One rally in Sofia turned into a riot.

SchNEWS PRESENTS: SMASH HITS FROM THE EURO-VISIONARIES

http://www.schnews.org.uk/archive/news660.htm

NEW ROME-ANTICS The radical student movement in Britain can take some lessons from what is happening in Italy at the moment, specifically from events at the Roman Sapienza University campus - a hotbed for radical political mobilisation in Italy. For months students have been occupying areas of their University in response to the racist, market-driven education reforms proposed by the Berlusconi government in law 133, also called the Gelmini law, named after the Minister of Education, Mariastella Gelmini.

Some 20th century examples of worker's direct action

http://libcom.org/tags/alex-aspden

1998: Danish private sector strike - A short history of the massive private sector strike that gripped Denmark for 10 days in 1998. Although ending after negotiations between the government and union leaders left workers demands largely unmet, the strike, involving about 10% of the Danish population was nonetheless a spectacular show of workers' strength.

1995: The French pensions strikes - A short history of the massive strike movement against welfare reform in France in 1995. During November and December of 1995 France was gripped by the largest strike movement the country had seen in recent years. After three weeks of strikes workers forced a government climbdown over the issue of changes to pensions of public sector workers.

1987: The Great Workers' Struggle A short account of the South Korean strike wave of 1987 known as the Great Workers' Struggle. Affecting most major industries and involving over a million workers, the strikes and militant tactics used won significant gains in pay and conditions for many.

Taxis to nowhere by Zhang Hong The Guardian

A series of strikes by Chinese taxi drivers has raised the question of allowing workers to take collective action In recent weeks, three high profile strikes by taxi drivers have broken out in China. In the southwestern city of Chongqing, all 9,000 taxis ceased operation for at least two days. The strike ended after the city's party secretary, Bo Xilai, promised to solve the problems that caused the strike, including high licensing fees, unfair competition from unlicensed taxis, and a shortage of natural gas on which most of the city's taxis run. In the southern tourism destination of Sanya, in Hainan province, more than 300 taxi drivers congregated in front of the municipal building for two days, demanding that city officials crack down on unlicensed taxis, lower the licence fee and provide longer licence contracts.

The General Strike

by Ralph Chaplin

Introduction

Thousands of thoughtful and class-conscious workers in years past have looked to the General Strike for deliverance from wage slavery. Today their hopes are stronger than ever. Their number has been increased with additional thousands who are confident that the General Strike, and the General Strike alone, can save Humanity from the torture and degradation of the continuation of capitalism and the misery and privation of its recurrent wars and depressions.

The General Strike is the child of the Labor Movement. It is Labor's natural reaction to a system of society based upon the private ownership of the machinery of production. It is Labor's ultimate attitude in the class struggle. It is Labor's answer to the problem of economic disorganization.