Nice demo to follow Prague
The European Trade Union Confederation - to which the British TUC is affiliated - has requested the French Trade Unions to organise a demonstration in Nice, France on December 6.
That is when the European heads of State will hold a summit meeting at the end of the 6 month French Presidency of the European Union.
The summit is expected to agree on a "Charter of Fundamental Rights" which is intended to be the basis of a European supranational "Constitution".
Although a constitution might seem a step forwards for British citizens, and it is full of the usual fine rhetoric about individual rights, it marks a step backwards for many European countries.
Many of these incorporated social rights such as the right to work, and to housing in their post-World War Two Constitutions. The proposed Charter, which will override national Constitutions, merely refers to the "right to social assistance and to housing benefit."
There are certainly no additional rights incorporated beyond those already "enjoyed" by citizens of EU member states.
French trade union and anti-unemployment organisations including AC! and the European Marches against Unemployment will be mobilising for Nice.
This follows the huge success of their 100,000 mobilisation in July in defence of French peasant militant Jose Bove in the remote French town of Millau.
Socialist Outlook readers may be forgiven for having missed the ETUC call up to now and they can rest assured that it will go unmentioned in the televised proceedings of TUC Congress.
But ETUC support means anti-capitalist and socialist campaigners who want to mobilise against the EU's neo-liberal anti-social policies will be able to motivate official support in the trade unions.
Let's make sure that our response to the sickening attacks on the strength of the French working class that the tabloids have been full of recently is to build a serious mobilisation from Britain.
Unlike Norman Tebbit, we don't believe that French workers need a dose of Thatcherism, but rather that our organisations could benefit from a little of their militancy.
If Millau and Prague are anything to go by, Nice will be huge!
For further information contact: Nice 2000 c/o PO Box 1109, London N4 2UU, or [email protected]