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Strike day in France | 121 comments (121 topical, editorial, 0 hidden)
Re: Strike day in France (4.00 / 2)
Not knowing anything about the unions in France and their leaders; I would still be on the lookout for union leaders who are either corrupted by Sarkozy''s government or coopted. This is what happened during the Reagan and Clinton administrations in the US. Anotherwards follow the money !!!!

Even though the unions were in a much more vulnerable position; one would have figured civil disobedience would have been the most effective way to protest the Nafta treaty and other trade agreements which were passed or amended during the Clinton administration.
The rationale was always if you don't agree with us; then it will be much worse under a Republican administration. When Reagan wa sPresident many of the union leaders enjoyed far more the perks his Republicans offered than any meaningful representation of the unions.

by An American in London on Fri Oct 19th, 2007 at 09:08:23 AM EST
Re: Strike day in France (4.00 / 3)
The CFDT union, which had some fighting spirit in the 70's, has been coopted by governments in the 90's and is getting discredited at the national level.

Also, a recent scandal (maybe two weeks old, funny that it got out just before the big strike) is that an important member of the bosses' union MEDEF, Gautier-Sauvignac, was taking huge amounts of cash from the unions account ; conservative newspapers insinuated that some of that cash was going to the labor union leaders...

Un roi sans divertissement est un homme plein de misères

by linca (antonin POINT lucas AROBASE gmail.com) on Fri Oct 19th, 2007 at 11:45:46 AM EST
[ Parent ]
CFDT (none / 1)
Calling the CFDT a sellout is very much unfair. They have usually been the more pragmatci and willing to find compromise with the employers, but they are not sellouts. FO would be a more appropriate claimant to that title.

In the long run, we're all dead. John Maynard Keynes
by Jerome a Paris (etg@eurotrib.com) on Sat Oct 20th, 2007 at 04:37:11 AM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: CFDT (none / 1)
I'm not really calling CFDT a sellout, just saying that the perception of it is getting worse as they seem to always be the first to sign of agreements... In 2003, even before the manager's union, CGC.

Un roi sans divertissement est un homme plein de misères
by linca (antonin POINT lucas AROBASE gmail.com) on Sat Oct 20th, 2007 at 06:56:08 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Strike day in France | 121 comments (121 topical, 0 editorial, 0 hidden)
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