Shortening the workweek has become an issue in the French presidential campaign. Workers there won a 35-hour standard in 2000, but the bosses circumvent the law. Many workers are now demanding a 32-hour workweek. While the French system differs that of the United States, the Marxist argument for reducing working time spelled out here — and how to win that demand — applies to workers everywhere.

As Covid-19 rages, the capitalists are increasing exploitation. But what about after the pandemic? The challenge for the working class is to reject the bourgeoisie’s “new normal” --- and instead transform today’s uprising into a fight for a new social order.

Miners in 19th century France formed committees in order to monitor working conditions and fight for safety regulations. As many workers across the world today continue to work in the midst of the pandemic, many of them risking exposure in unsafe and unsanitary conditions, the example of these "miners' delegates" is an invaluable illustration of the power of workers' control to fight for better conditions.