[ox-en] Internet and the social movement in France
- From: "Raoul" <dorax club-internet.fr>
- Date: Sat, 24 May 2003 12:51:29 +0200
The social movement in France, against the reforms of the pension system and
"decentralization" in schools, develops and tend to harden, in particular in
the education sector, where some establishments are in strike since March. The
Minister for education, Luc Ferry, denounces "the spirit of 68 at work in the
education sector". The general-secretary of the main trade union, the CGT,
announces a million people in the streets during the demonstrations of tomorrow
May 25. For the next two weeks, many strikes and demonstrations are planned, of
which the "renewable" strike of the Parisian subway and the national railroads
as from June 3.
In the sector of education one attends true attempts of self-organisation apart
from the trade unions (some of these accepted the reforms), even if it is not
yet "against" them. "Coordinations" multiply and seek to be centralised. This
activity was largely facilitated by the recourse to a not-trade-union Internet
site, created by a "coordination", and maintained by six volunteers "who know
data processing". Updated permanently, it informs on unfolding of the fight in
all the country and constitutes a forum of exchanges on what is to be done.
The existence of Internet makes it possible not to depend more on the trade
unions for the information flow. This monopoly of information is (was?) one of
the most frightening weapons of the trade unions against the combativeness of
the fights when those tend to overflow them. In May 68, for example, they made
use of it abundantly to facilitate the general resumption of work, announcing
untruthfully the end of the strike for places which were still in fight. But,
the monopoly of information is (was?) also the principal pretext to have the
monopoly of the negotiation and decision-making power in the fights.
A visit to the site of the "coordination" of the teachers, "ReseauDesBahuts"
http://reseaudesbahuts.lautre.net
(for those who read some French) makes possible to have:
- "on line" information on the fight of the teachers (and parents of pupils)
and on the feverish debates on how to self-organise apart from trade-unions
("dismissible delegates ", etc.) ;
- an illustration "in vivo" of what new technologies can bring to the workers'
fight and the development of the capacity to self-organise.
Raoul
PS: I have not been present for a while in the list. I have big problems of
time. But I intend answering to the mails that commented on mine and make some
comments on Graham's very rich and interesting text: "The two economies".
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