French unemployed force Jospin into fresh concessions
New Year of struggle for benefits
Massive mobilisations of the French unemployment movement were built during the winter of 1997-8. They involved occupations of many administrative offices dealing with unemployed workers.
There was world-wide media coverage, and the campaign dominated the front pages of the newspapers and made prime time news on television throughout France.
The conflict calmed down when Prime Minister Lionel Jospin himself came on television to announce £1bn to be distributed to those in urgent need.
In July, a new law on Social Exclusion was before the National Assembly. Unemployment associations and social rights organisations watched closely in a tent outside, with television monitors showing the proceedings. The overwhelming feeling was one of utter frustration, of having suffered a terrible deception, and that nothing had changed.
Winter has come early this year. Already people have died of cold, including a family that died from hypothermia due to inadequate help with food and heating. This year the unemployment associations and social rights groups have gone beyond the stage of simply demanding a "Christmas bonus". The demand is for a total reform of both the unemployment and benefit system.
The programme includes an extension of benefits to the under 25s – France is one of the few countries not to do this – and a guaranteed legal minimum for all on benefits.
Following the German example of holding a national one-day action every month, the unemployed have been making their presence and demands felt, building their actions up to major demonstrations in December.
Very early on, it was clear that the government refused to allow any occupation to go beyond a couple hours without sending in the riot public. All attempts to occupy as a means of negotiating cases and pressing our demands in job centres, benefit centres and social affairs offices were met with immediate ejection by the police on the orders of the officials concerned.
However every month since October 1998, throughout France, demonstrations or occupations have taken place with the slogan that ‘nothing has changed’. This has helped mobilise all those who find themselves even worse off one year on, and added to the determination that a total reform is necessary.
Key dates have been 3 December and 21 December. The huge mobilisation for a "Christmas bonus of 3000FF" (roughly £320) started in Marseilles and led to actions in 50 towns and cities. Once again Prime Minister Jospin stepped in to announce increases in income support-type benefits, backdated to
January 1998. Jospin has given a little bit more than last year, but it is far from adequate to demobilise the movement.
December 21 was a national day of action. In Paris actions were aimed at demanding tax reforms that would do more than [meet the cost of the] demands for a financial reform of the unemployment and benefit system. Two occupations took place in Paris. One was in the headquarters of major French insurance company Axa, and the other at the Commission des Operations de Bourse (COB, the Stock Exchange Commission) just opposite the stock exchange.
The first budget of the left government has failed to include measures that would ensure a fairer distribution of the wealth of the country by increasing taxes on the rich and taxing speculative capital. The series of actions ended with a demonstration in front of the finance ministry uniting unemployed and wage-earners.