File spoon-archives/marxism-international.archive/marxism-international_1996/96-12-02.045, message 33


Date: Thu, 28 Nov 1996 11:25:33 +0100 (MET)
From: Heidbra Jonsdottir <HEJO-AT-hha.dk>
Subject: M-I: More on danish lorry drivers




Adam Rose gave the demands of the french lorry drivers:
>i) 	retirement at 55
>ii) 	10% pay rise
>iii) 	Payment for time on strike

And he is right when he points out, that these are offensive demands,
for better conditions. 


Well, the danish lorry drivers started more defensive.

They started by protesting against an anounced cut in tax-deductions, 
but now that they see, that they've closed Denmark down, they demand 
the tax-deduction raised. The amount would probably respond to
maybe a 15% pay raise. So now the demand is offensive. 

But it is directed at the tax-authorities and not the employers.

The employers are jubilant. There is a national wage-negotiation 
comming on, and if the drivers have gotten a 3% or 8% or 15% rise 
paid by the State in form of a tax-deduction, then the Employers
associations won't have to raise the pay. 

The government in Denmark consists of the Social Democrats and two 
small liberal parties. The government yesterday gave an offer,
that would result in maybe a 2-3% rise. But the drivers have so far
declined that offer.


But even though the lorry-blockade is very effective and immensely potent,
somehow the situation is as Adam described for France:

>Neither the government nor the employers are really in a
>position to concede significant improvements in working 
>conditions ( the strikes last year, remember, were defensive
>strikes to beat off a government attack - these are offensive
>strikes, to win an improvement ).


The blockading lorrydrivers are not more than 2000 in all, plus the
lorries from Germany, Poland, and the Scandinavian countries, that
are stuck in the queues.

Even though the drivers are rather popular in the public, and have
support, then the blockade isn't spreading to strikes in other sectors.
At least not yet.


One of the things, that surprises me, is that not even today,
on the 3rd or 4th day of blockade, have I seen any reference to the
french strike. 

(Well I have to admit, that I am busy working and tending children, 
so I just hear radio and see a right-wing-daily at work. But at
least those media don't mention it)

So there is a lack of international orientation in the danish lorry drivers
argumentation. I could imagine that if they were asked, they would say, 
that the danish and the french actions were not connected.


Well, however this ends, the working class in Denmark now knows of one
hell of a good way of fighting for their demands, if they should choose
to act together for bigger demands.


Take care,
Heidbra.




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