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Friday October 29, 2010 13:06 by Cuervo - Alternative Libertaire
Will the spark catch ? The battle against the pension reform started 6 months ago, came to an apex during the last 2 months, and according to the government is winding down. Anti-retirement pension reform in FranceWill the spark catch?France is nearing its second month of struggle on the question of its retirement pension system. The government wants to break it down, evolve progressively towards a system of capitalisation, obviously opening that market to private interests. To do so, the government has decided that a reform of the system would bring the legal age of retirement from 60 years old, up to 62, full pension being made available at 65, and in coming years, 67.
The main argument of the government revolves around the question of how to finance the actual form of pension, considering that the system presents a gaping hole of €32bn. What it forgets to say is that only €2bn represent the real debt of the pension fund, the 30 other billions being the result of the 2008 financial crisis, artificially heaped on top of those funds, in order for, as usual, the people to pay for capitalism’s erratic management . The true question, adroitly avoided by Sarkozy (but just as much by the Left) is, what kind of society do we want ? Do we want to take care of people after a lifetime spent breaking their backs ? Or do we want to hand it over to a happy few speculators that will know how to make money out of it ? The answer is quite clear of course.
Indeed, there is a real gap between what the workers expect to gain and how their unions are ready to follow up on that. Slowly but surely, French organised labour, has progressed from a class-war position, highly imbued with the conscience that it had a role to play to change society, to a position of reformism, even on the part of such highly politicised Unions like the CGT(1). This evolution started maybe 20 years back, and explains in part the form of action that the Union leaders have given the movement since it first started in mid-September (there has been some manoeuvring of course just before the summer holidays in June and July). The CGT, CFDT, FO and SUD have organised the movement on the base of “action days”. The strategy consists in single day demonstrations supposed to show the government that we mean business.
For the Socialist Party (same drab Social democrats as British Labour) who has taken his time to join the movement, their credibility is, even for the average non-politicised Frenchman, hardly existent. Indeed, their reluctance to speak out against the reform is highly suspect. We know what to (not) expect from that lot. We also know that they agree on every fundamental element of Sarkozy’s capitalist policy. Their posture might, in the end, prove to be the heaviest factor leading to Sarkozy winning a second term (!) |
HauptseiteSupport Sudanese anarchists in exile Joint Statement of European Anarchist Organizations International anarchist call for solidarity: Earthquake in Turkey, Syria and Kurdistan Elements of Anarchist Theory and Strategy 19 de Julio: Cuando el pueblo se levanta, escribe la historia International anarchist solidarity against Turkish state repression Declaración Anarquista Internacional por el Primero de Mayo, 2022 Le vieux monde opprime les femmes et les minorités de genre. Leur force le détruira ! Against Militarism and War: For self-organised struggle and social revolution Declaração anarquista internacional sobre a pandemia da Covid-19 Anarchist Theory and History in Global Perspective Capitalism, Anti-Capitalism and Popular Organisation [Booklet] Reflexiones sobre la situación de Afganistán South Africa: Historic rupture or warring brothers again? Death or Renewal: Is the Climate Crisis the Final Crisis? Gleichheit und Freiheit stehen nicht zur Debatte! Contre la guerre au Kurdistan irakien, contre la traîtrise du PDK Meurtre de Clément Méric : l’enjeu politique du procès en appel France / Belgium / Luxemburg | Economy | en Fri 29 Mar, 04:23 [France] Reforms: we will give up nothing! The struggle is not over! 09:03 Sun 07 Nov 0 comments English translation of a new leaflet from French Anarchist-Communist organization Alternative Libertaire. [Français] The Gaz de France-Suez merger 19:33 Thu 06 Sep 0 comments The planned merger of French energy firms Gaz de France (GdF) and Suez has been kick-started again by the French government. The privatization of GdF is thus well and truly on the way, contrary to what Nicolas Sarkozy had announced in 2004. This government is completely at the service of the French employers federation, the Medef, and it is to the Medef alone that it keeps its promises. Austerity, Austerity, Austerity Feb 14 0 comments The triple-A, totem of the bourgeoisie, nothing less than the symbol of the war that Capital is carrying our on us. And it is in the name of its reconquest that we are being promised new austerity plans! [Français] The useful myth of "chancers" (workers on sick leave, the unemployed...) Nov 29 0 comments Sarkozy the candidate and the UMP (Union for a Popular Movement) had guaranteed that they would have no trouble in attacking all those who dared to abuse the French social welfare system. A promise made is a promise to be kept: in these times of economic crisis it is now a priority to act against workers on sick leave and the unemployed. [Français] [France] Reforms: we will give up nothing! The struggle is not over! Nov 07 AL 0 comments English translation of a new leaflet from French Anarchist-Communist organization Alternative Libertaire. [Français] The Gaz de France-Suez merger Sep 06 AL 0 comments The planned merger of French energy firms Gaz de France (GdF) and Suez has been kick-started again by the French government. The privatization of GdF is thus well and truly on the way, contrary to what Nicolas Sarkozy had announced in 2004. This government is completely at the service of the French employers federation, the Medef, and it is to the Medef alone that it keeps its promises. |
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Spring zu Komment: 1An article published by Mediapart gives us an inkling of Sarkozy's real aims, ie to sabotage the French state pensions funds to favour private/family interests :
http://www.mediapart.fr/club/blog/jean-rex/291010/la-sa...rkozy
(My e-link gives an english translation of this text)
The Sarkozys not only like hanging out with millionaires, they want to become millionaires !