France: against the anti-retirement decree, the general strike!

We reproduce the article published on 17 March in nouveaupartianticapitaliste.fr, the site of the revolutionary wing of the NPA, the party where the comrades of the LIS in France militate.

Macron used the (decree) 49,3 to approve his rogue reform in the Assembly. For months he has sought the majority among the deputies, He has spoken of the "legitimacy" of his project. But here it is, forced at the last minute to make a disgusting approval by force... and at the same time we are glad, 'Cause it's an admission of weakness. A large majority of deputies is in favor of making us die for the bosses. But in the face of the anger of the working people, in the face of the massive marches and strikes that continue, they have not assumed their responsibility. The camp of supporters of reform has cracked under the pressure. Doubts and resignation are changing sides. Yes, we can win, we can make them go back with the reform and much more. If we strike while the iron is hot and boost our strength by joining the garbage collectors, to the railwaymen, electricians and all workers committed to the indefinite strike.

¿Political crisis or institutional patch?

Governing at the service of the bosses is hard work. The president of the rich is more isolated than ever. Your close allies, and even some of his deputies, they distance. To the point that it is beginning to be possible for a motion of no confidence to overthrow the government of Elisabeth Borne -and with it her reform.

But this last-minute opposition is fundamentally favorable to all the bosses' attacks, including pension reform. The Republicans had done the bulk of their presidential campaign on raising the legal age for 65 years. like Macron, but also like Zemmour and Marion Maréchal-Le Pen!! If these people are willing to let go of the government's hand, even if it is to weaken this project that they like so much, It's just to further their own political interests.. once in power, they would do it again.

The National Association affirms that it is in favor of the return of the retirement age to 60 years. but not fully: the "right" to retire at 60 with a miserable retirement, ¡no, gracias! Marine Le Pen systematically declares herself against any increase in the minimum wage and proposes the idea of ​​increasing - a little- the net salary by lowering the gross salary so that it does not cost the employer anything, that is to say, the end of the contributions that finance retirements, unemployment insurance and health. The far right only wants workers for their votes, if he came to power he would carry out the same pro-business policies as Macron, accompanied by rampant racism that is their trademark.

As for the reformist left, it was they who increased to 43 the number of years of service to reach full credit in 2014, under the presidency of Hollande, in a government that brought together the socialists (PS) and the greens, now in the Nupes.

Workers can only count on their own strength.

A setback for Macron that makes the start of the second half sound

Anger at government stubbornness, coupled with the satisfaction of having stopped the well-laid plan of a vote in the Assembly, returns the advantage to the workers in the fight between Macron and the bosses.

Thursday night, tens of thousands of people spontaneously took to the streets in cities across the country, despite police repression and tear gas. Since the beginning of the movement, millions of workers have participated in demonstrations. The strikes are massive in days of action and, from the 7 of March, the railwaymen, electricians and garbage collectors strike every day, being able to prolong. No electricity for Larcher! (president of the senate)! There is no garbage collection in the luxurious neighborhoods of the capital.

Our strength as workers is the strike. No son las CRS (Republican Police Security Companies), neither the senators nor the bosses who are going to make the trains work or produce automobiles. The few sectors that have been on strike for ten days make Macron tremble and trigger a political crisis. So, what if millions of us joined them!

We have to discuss as soon as possible everywhere the need to organize ourselves to join those who are on redirectable strike. We can decide from the base what our slogans and modes of action are in the general assemblies, electing strike committees, grouping and coordinating all those who want to take another step in the mobilization.

End Macron and his world

Isn't it the street that rules? maybe not yet, but neither is the Assembly! And the Élysée Government Palace?? A few hours after his decree 49,3, Macron stated that he could not withdraw his project because« the financial and economic risks are too great ». So it's money that rules, Or better, who have more money. Macron and Borne are just the servers, certainly jealous, of the shareholders of the big banks, the financial sharks and the owners of the big capitalist groups who want to exploit us even more.

But we won't die for the bosses. retirements, wages, working conditions, It is time to put an end to the generalized offensive that makes us lose on all fronts and to advance our demands: end of career, End of the month, the same fight. We are beginning to realize our immense strength as workers. We have the strength not only to obtain the total withdrawal of this reform, but to promote our demands for employment and salary increases. And to change society and put an end to the law of capitalist profit: we are the ones who work, we are the ones who fight, we are the ones who decide!

NPA Executive Committee