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NEWS & LETTERS, December 2007 - January 2008Our Life and Times by Kevin A. Barry and Mitch WeerthFrench transit strikeThe reactionary Nicolas Sarkozy chose the target carefully for his first attack on labor. His government passed a law eliminating "special" pensions that allowed some categories of state workers with jobs considered physically difficult--mainly railway and utility workers--to retire a few years early, after 37.5 years of service. Despite the fact that police and politicians enjoy similar retirement rights, Sarkozy targeted these workers' pensions as a supposed source of wasteful spending. As in 1995, when a similar move was attempted, labor refused to roll over, launching a protracted strike that shut down public transport. Sarkozy rushed to claim that this was undemocratic, because he had been elected to the presidency last spring on a platform that included these very measures on pensions. As against 1995, when the famous sociologist Pierre Bourdieu spearheaded a movement on the part of intellectuals in support of the working class, today's intellectuals remained relatively silent. In fact, Sarkozy has managed to co-opt some intellectuals of the Left into his administration. This contributed to the fact that public opinion remained more supportive of Sarkozy than the strikers, whereas in 1995 the public solidly backed labor, forcing the government to back down after a three-week strike. This year, labor was forced to pull back after a ten-day strike. Although it was not a crushing defeat, but a retreat in good order, Sarkozy is sure to follow up with a more substantial attack on labor. His next target will probably be what remains of the 35-hour week, the greatest achievement by labor during the 1990s. |
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