Patrice is a teacher and lives in the Reunion Island. He is sympathetic CNT. Reflecting the general strike in the West Indies, Reunion wakes up too. Interview.
What is the social situation at the meeting?
Officially, the unemployment rate was 24, 5% in the second half of 2008 (but 49% for those under 25 years 26.5% for women). The meeting on that date were 78,000 unemployed (ILO definition), or nearly one third of the population (INSEE figures). But the reality is worse, because many casual workers are not included in this account, any more than other workers to part-time or part time. The figure most alarming is that 52% of people living below the poverty line (880 € / month): indeed, the average salary rarely exceeds the minimum wage and many "active" work only part time. As for the RMI, 70,000 people (roughly one tenth of the population) were receiving it in December 2007 (no figures released recently).
Apart from the construction industry, few sectors are likely to provide jobs. The end of construction of the Route des Tamarins "(fast track" by the high "between the South and St. Paul project funded by the Region, State and Europe) will soon be on the floor of many workers. The project of "tram-train" between St. Paul and St.-Denis is more or less failed. The new "coastal road" (which should have doubled the current coast road linking the West to Saint-Denis) is not for tomorrow either (too many problems related to climate and geological texture). Even if we continue to build anywhere and anyhow, this by cropping on agricultural land or the coastal area, very expensive homes, but "tax exemption" (The meeting is among the departments cash more "residents" submitted to IGF), the employment effects are minimal, given the almost systematic recourse to labor in the black.
The region relies heavily on tourism (luxury tourism: not a single camp beside the lagoon ...). In this regard, competition from Mauritius will be difficult to catch, in any case the benefits for the population will be zero or nearly zero, as elsewhere. The sugar industry (the only industry "endemic") is almost Pouring Dechâteauvieux - one large "zozos" of the island (zozo = beke West Indies) - has long been sacrificed for the sector concentrate its activities on import-export and retail). That is the paradox: The meeting does not produce or export almost nothing and imports everything! The "dock dues" collected by the Region is certainly an important source of tax revenue, but this is not what explains the increase of 30-50% compared to metropolitan prices on all products imported : various mafias are involved throughout the transportation and distribution. Apart from the great middle class who can continue to drive a Porsche and playing golf (no matter that the water shortage is a recurring problem), nobody out. Not even the officials, despite their 35% wage increase (increase ostensibly to reduce the price differential between overseas and the mainland and is perceived by all staff, as islanders metropolitan). The scandal is not that officials have (as some demagogues trumpet by UMP or the like), but all meetings are not housed in the same boat. It should be noted that the amount of rent and the purchase price per m2 in the city are the same as in Paris. For rents, they are isolated Reunion for workers or students, and more for migrants (Madagascar, Comoros, Mayotte), out of reach.
What ignited the powder?
The fire is still smoldering. Let's say that the issue of high cost of living is unifying. Surveys have shown that consumer goods were 30-50% higher than in France ("What to choose?"). Despite the attempts of "smoking out" (setting up an "Observatory of prices," gadget "fork-type" monthly monitoring of prices of some fifty-brand driven by the prefecture and the mass distribution, and relayed by the local media), prices have increased overall by 2.6% in 2008. With spikes on the products most consumed by Reunion: + 43% for rice, + 30% for oil.
The motion of carriers around the cost of fuel in November 2008 has played an important role (see the suites in Guyana and the Caribbean): blocking the road for two weeks, leaving the entire economy of the island. The prefect, in this case, deftly maneuvered successfully to impose no cost a dime to the state, down 20 cents / liter, paid half by the oil companies, partly by the Region of ... What Anyway nothing, since the price of crude in the meantime fallen by two thirds, without repercussion to the pump. Neither the price of air travel ...
The monopoly position occupied by large retailers (Carrefour, Euromarket, Score, Casino) is disastrous for all the shops that closing one after the other, the prices set by supermarkets using reference to the local market price ( fruits, vegetables, etc..). Because people are distressed (rent, multiple credits, bank charges, etc..), It is nothing left to trim. Sign of the general confusion: Reunion is the region that yields the most money at the French Olympic Games (the equivalent of RMI!).
What forms does the fight?
A collective unit against the cost of living has been created on February 11 last, is setting four objectives: increase of 200 € net salary, social income, pensions and university scholarships; 20% decline in the price of consumer goods ; rent control and social decline in fuel prices, including 5 € on the gas cylinder. This group is, of course, composite: political parties (PCR, PSR, PS, Green, OL, Zip Reunion, Left Party ...) unions (CGTR, Solidaires, FSU, FP, SAIP, UNEF ...) associations ( CA Unemployment Action Nut All power, Union of Women Réunion, ATTAC, ATD Quart Monde ...).
Specific actions have already been conducted in supermarkets (to lock boxes, for example); actions relayed by the students. A general strike is scheduled for March 5 with a big demonstration in Saint-Denis, also known as the Collective to attend the National Day of Action on March 19.
On the academic front, The Meeting has joined the national movement against Sarkozy's reforms (LRU, Mastering, status of teachers and researchers, IUFM deletion, sabotage of IUT, etc..), With a slight shift due to holidays Southern (Dec. 20 -2 February). The indefinite strike was decided upon return, the renewal will vote in GA. The movement is being followed at both sites (Moufia-Saint-Denis in the north-Buffer Saint-Pierre in the South), which were blocked on several occasions ... or closed by the President. We must salute the fighting spirit of the students (AG daily events, site blocking, "throwing shoes" to the rectory, "Kabar" (music festivals), the funeral procession of "Burial of the university, etc..).
Two black spots: 1) the striking teachers, so numerous in Letters and Science, are rare in Law (some teachers exercise undue pressure on students and others seeking clearly to provoke confrontations between strikers and non-strikers) ; 2) the teachers involved in the fight still lagging students and have a supporting role. It remains the position of president (Mohamed Rochdi, elected with the support of "Solidarity University" unorganized list SNESUP + "left"), inclined to close the university more often than needed, and the last AG Response (02/23/2009) tended to discourage students from pursuing the movement ...
What are the precedents in terms of struggles?
It would be tedious to list the struggles of workers Reunion for ages. The more combative in the past were the dockers and workers in the sugar industry. Private companies have now replaced the structure managed by the union CGTR dockers in the port, and there remain only two sugar mills in operation.
The problem is that there is practically no industrial development in the traditional sense of the formula. Hence the struggles industry: the construction, road transport, small factories, etc.. In agriculture powerful movements have also been initiated, but no comprehensive, long-term. The staff (especially staff Ct. N) led struggles copies in 1997 and especially in 2003 (against the "territorialization" of public service reforms and cons Ferry).
For now officials are gnawing at the bit. However, the general deterioration of the social situation portends a united response from all employees.
What is the panorama at the union meeting?
All plants are represented French (CFDT, FOR, SUD, etc..), But remains the most powerful CGTR (independent of the Metropolitan SGC). Originally, the direction of the CGTR was totally controlled by the RCP (CPF division, too cautious, as we know, on the colonial question in the post-war ...), but the weakening of political party (which retains a very large electoral weight), has promoted the rise in the regional militant extreme left (LO MARON, now "NPA Reunion").
Workers in agriculture, mainly sugar cane workers, are likely to radical actions, but outside the official peasant unionism.
In Ct. N, same range of unions in the mainland. The FSU has lost a lot of activists after the great strikes of 2003, the failure of this powerful movement, which attracted more than two months for all staff of the Public Service, has still not been digested and no one Forgot responsibility of unions in breaking the front (I) (A) TOS / teachers. SOUTH is located in the south of the island (St Pierre, Le Tampon). In primary education, the SAIP (Union of Teachers and Alternative PE of the Meeting) which is the basic work most remarkable (large marches in demonstrations). The references are on the side of the School Emancipated. What makes it even better, the SAIP chose the black flag. When is the CNT?
Interview by Jeremy SI of the CNT.
Source: http://www.cnt-f.org/international/spip.php?article309
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