The article below is a statement released on February 16 by the New Anti-Capitalist Party (NPA) in France on the situation in the Caribbean islands of Guadeloupe and Martinique, which are still French-run colonies (French Antilles). It is reprinted from http://monthlyreview.org/mrzine.
The general strike in Guadeloupe began almost a month ago, and the strike movement has spread to Martinique over the last two weeks. Yet the government and management are still manoeuvring, stalling and buying time, refusing to meet the strikers' demands.
Backed by the entire population holding the largest demonstrations ever seen in the Antilles, the strikers are demanding general price cuts and wage hikes: 300 euros in Martinique and 200 euros in Guadeloupe. Their representatives have reiterated the movement's demands.
The French Antillean situation has its peculiarities. Its economy has in fact largely kept its old colonial structures. It is controlled by the bekes, descendants of slave-owning white settlers, who make fabulous profits through their monopoly of exports to and imports from France.
But there are also a great deal of commonalities. Like everywhere, the privileged want us to pay for their crisis. It's this policy, driven by President Nicolas Sarkozy and the Medef (French Business Confederation), that is making the situation more and more unbearable, forcing workers to wage battle to defend their conditions of existence.
The first solidarity demonstration was held on February in Paris at the initiative of the NPA and other organisations.
The second demonstration, to take place on February 28, has been called by Antillean community organisations, with the support of many trade unions and political groups.
The leadership of the trade union confederations should initiate concrete actions such as fundraisers, rallies, walkouts — or rather should have initiated them several weeks ago — in order to help bring the general strike in the Antilles to victory.
Acting in solidarity with the workers and peoples of Guadeloupe and Martinique also means strengthening our own struggles and buttressing our own demands.
As stated by Alex Lollia, a leader of the Confederation of United Workers (CTU) of Guadeloupe: "The government fears that the watchwords of Guadeloupe and Martinique might be echoed by our fellow workers in France and that France too might be paralysed, which would have repercussions throughout Europe.
"We are holding out, waiting for French workers to join our battle."
He is absolutely right! Nothing is more urgent than spreading this strike, beginning with the struggles that are developing, connecting all the links, local, regional, and national, among all trades and professions, both in the public and private sectors.
Faced with the bosses and government who don't want to listen, the best way to express our solidarity would be to make sure we follow the example of the Antilles, creating a new balance of forces to enforce our urgent demands and to create a way out of the crisis consistent with the interests of the popular classes.