Date: Fri, 19 Apr 96 13:24:23 GMT From: Adam Rose <adam-AT-pmel.com> Subject: Re: France's Hot December - 3 [ After examining the causes, Chris Harman then looks at the response of the working class to the attacks outlined previously. He then attempts to put this response into a theory of the mass strike, relating it to two "typical" events, the 1905 mass strike in Russia as analysed by Rosa Luxembourg, and the 1926 General Strike in Britain, as analysed by Tony Cliff.] If Juppe thought that the working class response to his assault would be small and tokenistic, he was wrong. On the first day of action, 24/11, there were more than 1/2 million people, which was if anything stronger in the provinces than in Paris itself. Events did not follow the previous pattern - "one day affairs designed merely to force governments and employers to heed the union bureaucrats. Not only was the railway and public transport in the Paris region paralysed for the day, but GENERAL ASSEMBLIES OF WORKERS in the big rail depots decided to continue their action". [ My capitals ]. Quote after quote from activists and capitalist papers express this rank + file excitement, the way these workers assemblies, often based around a rail depot, formed out of the strike movement, and the consequent spiralling of that movement. I'd like to include them all, but I can't. "By the end of November the railways, the Paris metro and buses, all the countries majopr sorting offices, and substantial numbers of telecom, electricity and gas workers were on strike, and were to stay out for the next 3 weeks." Others workers joined ( teachers etc ). In other parts of the public sector, people would nominally work except for the twice a week days of action, when they and many others ( civil servants, dockers, airports, hospitals, some private sector ) would strike. There was a contrast between what was happenning at the rank + file level and at the level of the union leadership. Towards the end of November, as the movement was growing, the union leaders started putting the emphasis on a demo on SUNDAY 17th Decemeber ie 3 WEEKS time. You have quotes like "you cannot make the strike of the century every month". And, sections of the Socialist Party congratulated Nicole Notat, despised leader of the CFDT, for opposing the movement and supporting Juppes reforms. This vacillation at the top gave Juppe some hope that he could just sit things out, although all attempts at strike breaking or referenda failed miserably. Adam. Adam Rose SWP Manchester UK --------------------------------------------------------------- --- from list marxism2-AT-lists.village.virginia.edu ---
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