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Alternative Visions – French Workers Protests Rising. Will There Be A General Strike? – 05.20.16
Jack Rasmus interviews Alan Benjamin, eyewitness to
developing events in France, where workers and students are protesting
and striking against government attempts to impose by edict changes in
France’s labor code that will allow corporations to fire and lay off
workers more easily, undermine unions and collective bargaining, and
privatize broad sectors of the French economy. Traveling to France on
numerous occasions in recent months, and just returning from a week ago,
Benjamin describes the growing opposition in France to the so-called
‘labor market reforms’ imposed by Presidential edict by the Hollande
government there. Growing one day, rolling strikes, and spreading
student-worker protests across the country are resulting in growing
government violence against the protestors. Discussions are intensifying
within France’s labor union federations to consider a general strike to
get the government to back off of its proposed labor ‘reforms’. A
recent country-wide poll in France shows 78% opposed to the reforms, as
the government declares it will not back down. Jack explains how ‘labor
market reform’ in France and Europe today is a reflection of similar
changes in jobs occurring globally—including shift to part time, temp,
contract work, offshoring and relocation of full time employment to
emerging markets, shift to low pay/no benefits service work, and
emerging trends like ‘gig’ economy, no pay internships, and
privatization of social benefits.
Alan
Benjamin is a delegate of the San Francisco Labor Council and member of
the OPEIU, who works in Europe and the US. He is also a member of the
US ‘Labor Fightback Network’ of unionists in the US. More information on
events in France is available at www.laborfightbacknetwork.org and at www.socialistorganizer.org.
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By Progressive Radio Network
4.8
2525 ratings
Jack Rasmus interviews Alan Benjamin, eyewitness to
developing events in France, where workers and students are protesting
and striking against government attempts to impose by edict changes in
France’s labor code that will allow corporations to fire and lay off
workers more easily, undermine unions and collective bargaining, and
privatize broad sectors of the French economy. Traveling to France on
numerous occasions in recent months, and just returning from a week ago,
Benjamin describes the growing opposition in France to the so-called
‘labor market reforms’ imposed by Presidential edict by the Hollande
government there. Growing one day, rolling strikes, and spreading
student-worker protests across the country are resulting in growing
government violence against the protestors. Discussions are intensifying
within France’s labor union federations to consider a general strike to
get the government to back off of its proposed labor ‘reforms’. A
recent country-wide poll in France shows 78% opposed to the reforms, as
the government declares it will not back down. Jack explains how ‘labor
market reform’ in France and Europe today is a reflection of similar
changes in jobs occurring globally—including shift to part time, temp,
contract work, offshoring and relocation of full time employment to
emerging markets, shift to low pay/no benefits service work, and
emerging trends like ‘gig’ economy, no pay internships, and
privatization of social benefits.
Alan
Benjamin is a delegate of the San Francisco Labor Council and member of
the OPEIU, who works in Europe and the US. He is also a member of the
US ‘Labor Fightback Network’ of unionists in the US. More information on
events in France is available at www.laborfightbacknetwork.org and at www.socialistorganizer.org.
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