Facebook Instagram Twitter YouTube

The Robin Hoods of France: Electrical Workers Cut Electricity to Sell-Out Union, Reconnect for Country’s Poor

In the past few months the electrical workers of France have taken up the mantle of Robin Hood by cutting power to the rich and reconnecting the poor. Most recently, on January 20, the power was disconnected to the headquarters of the French Democratic Confederation of Labor (CFDT) union, which has refused to call a strike and is working with French President Emmanuel Macron to legitimize his incredibly unpopular pension reform.

Juan Andrés Gallardo

January 28, 2020
Facebook Twitter Share
Image: Karine Pierre / Hans Lucas/AFP

Over the past few months French electrical workers in the CGT-Énergie have become known as “The Robin Hood”: they cut the electricity to businesses, police stations, and government buildings, while reconnecting power to poor households that cannot afford to pay the rates. A week ago, these workers took action against the CFDT, the country’s oldest and most conciliatory union which refused to call a strike since the actions against the pension reform began December 5.

This isn’t the first time French electrical workers have engaged in these kinds of actions. On Christmas, they engaged in a similar action, reconnecting power to homes in the impoverished suburbs.

This is part of an ongoing strike by workers against President Macron’s pension reforms. On Friday, over a million people all over France took to the streets and even more sectors joined the strike. The workers of the Paris Metropolitan Transport (RATP) and the railway workers of the country (SNCF) have been striking indefinitely, supported by intermittent strikes by other workers, energy workers, workers at refineries and ports and teachers, among others. In many cases, these strikes have taken place against the trade union leadership.

You may be interested in: Anasse Kazib: The Socialist Worker Captivating the French Media

Despite this historic strike and the mobilization of millions of people, CFDT leader Laurent Berger was at the negotiating table with the Macron government from day one and defended most of the pension reform, including the clauses that attacked his own members.

The anger against this union grew to the point that a group of strikers coordinated by the RATP and SNCF occupied the central hall of the union’s headquarters. The occupation had a lot of support from workers and from the streets, even though the media, the government and most of the union leaderships condemned it. Then, the workers shut down the power to this sell-out union. 

Class Collaboration in the Dark

In a press release confirming that the action was carried out by a dozen branches of CGT-Énergie in the Paris region, the electrical workers pointed out the reasons for disconnecting power to the CFDT headquarters.

“Against the pension reform: The Robin Hoods deprive Berger of electricity,” the text begins. “Berger negotiates the terms and forms of our future chains and those of our children, without ever having participated in the indefinite strike against the pension reform. This morning, Monday, January 20, 2020, the electricity was cut off at the CFDT’s federal headquarters in Paris, and it was the class collaboration that went into darkness.”

The statement ends with a clear statement: “We work, we produce, we decide. Resistance.”

The CFDT came out publicly against the action that took their power. In a statement, it said, “The CFDT headquarters was again the victim of an intrusion on Monday morning. Some 15 hooded individuals entered the building to cut off the electricity. This new attack, which several CGT energy unions have claimed responsibility for on social media, is unacceptable.”

While the population maintains its support for the strikers, Berger’s popularity is dwindling. The same goes for Macron, who is finding it increasingly difficult to take to the streets or hold public events. Last week, a demonstration inside and outside a theater forced the police to urgently “extract” the president from the event he was attending inside.

You may be interested in: How Does the Revolutionary Left in France Intervene in the Strike?

On Monday morning, while Berger sat in the dark at his union headquarters, Macron could not get to an event at a factory in the town of Dunkirk. He was “welcomed” by 200 strikers and demonstrators who were picketing on the highway leading to the site.

This action by CGT-Énergie workers also put CGT Secretary General Philippe Martinez in a difficult position. Martinez has supported the strike from the beginning, and although he did not call for its extension, he also did not accept the “Christmas truce” demanded by the government. Yet, he repudiated the action of the strikers who entered the CFDT headquarters. His statement was rejected by many CGT sections who supported the action. Sectors further radicalized, cutting off power to the sell-out union without consulting their own union leadership. The actions by CGT electricians shows the radicalization of the working class base and the growing disconnection with their leaderships, even the “left” leaderships.

Facebook Twitter Share

Juan Andrés Gallardo

Juan is a journalist from Buenos Aires and the editor of the international section of our Argentinian sister site La Izquierda Diario.

Twitter

Europe

Migrants from Northern Africa sit in lines on the Italian island of Lampedusa.

Crisis in Lampedusa: Down with Fortress Europe, Open the Borders!

The way out of the immigration crisis is through the struggle against imperialism. This is a declaration from the European organizations of the Trotskyist Fraction - Fourth International.

Germany Is Threatening to Deport Palestinian Refugees for Their Activism

#StandWithZaid: Zaid Abdulnasser, the coordinator of the Palestine solidarity network Samidoun Germany, is a Palestinian refugee from Syria. The German are threatening to revoke his residence permit due to his political activism.

Tom Krüger

September 18, 2023

Stellantis Workers in France Walk Out to Demand Breaks amid Heat Wave

Workers at a Stellantis plant in France walked out to force management to address their health concerns amid the suffocating heatwave.

Sam Carliner

September 14, 2023

FT-CI Summer Schools in Europe: More than 1,000 Young People and Workers Discuss the Challenges of Building Revolutionary Currents

The Trotskyist Fraction is moving forward with renewed strength toward our task of converging with the most advanced sectors of the working class and the youth who are looking for a real alternative to the madness and injustice of the capitalist system. 

Josefina L. Martínez

September 14, 2023

MOST RECENT

Left Voice Magazine: Special Issue on Our Congress

In July, Left Voice held its first congress. In this special issue of our magazine, we are publishing two documents that formed the basis of the discussions. We have also included an appeal for Climate Leninism, in debate with Andreas Malm.

Left Voice

October 1, 2023

Notes on the International Situation

A Convulsive New Phase of the Crisis of Neoliberalism — A Document for the Left Voice Congress

Left Voice

October 1, 2023

A Slow-Moving Crisis of the Empire

Notes on the National Situation – A Document for the Left Voice Congress

Left Voice

October 1, 2023

Debating the Path to the Party

Revolutionaries and Reformist Organizations — A Debate Between Jimena Vergara of Left Voice and Aaron Amaral of Tempest at the Socialism Conference in Chicago.

Jimena Vergara

October 1, 2023