Saturday 1 December 2001

This year for the third time [1998], it was the Day of Solidarity with Mac Donald’s Workers. Actions have been held in many french towns. The CNT-AIT unions were at the origine of this campaign.

The multinational Mac Donald is the world best symbol of what capitalism system can do with our conditions of work, and more widely, with our conditions of life.

To fight against the development of precariousness, of work flexibility, and to fight against the propaganda laid by this kind of enterprise, the anarchosyndicalist way of action is better adapted that the « representative » syndicalism. The classical unionism, with the time, takes after « framing » unionism, a managerial staff’s instrument.

When the turn over of the workers is too high, it is almost impossible to create syndical sections. So, the solidarity and the struggle can only come from the outside of the enterprise. The example of the actions against Mac Do might be used by all those who want to organise themselves to fight against exploitation, every where they work. Because, Mac Donald’s is only a symbol, the "fast food restaurant" tree doesn’t have to mask the exploitation forest. This year, the Day of solidarity took place on the 10th of October. This date is the nearest Saturday of the Marc Hopkin’s death anniversary. This young boy was a precarious worker at the Manchester Mac Donald’s . There, he died by electrocution, during his work day. The Saturday is a day of rush, so that it allows us to inform a lot of people.

The 10th of October was the occasion for confederate actions, decentralised and in the respect of local unions’ autonomy. Some actions have taken place all the week, according to the local possibilities. Indeed, every structure of the CNT-AIT acts by itself, and decides of the place and the form of intervention. The spots of actions have been multiplied since the last year.

Some examples, which are widely developed in the regional editions of our paper “Le Combat Syndicaliste” (Syndicalist Fight):

  In the East, a combinated action took place in several towns : Besançon, Vesoul, Auxerre, Mulhouse, NAncy and Dijon. The actions has been made by CNT AIT unions (as the young Auxerre local group) and also other anarchists or revolutonnary groups. Pickets has been held in front of 7 Mac Donald’s restaurants and a Quick Burger one. A radio broadaast, animated by the Besançon union, has been done with former fast food workers. Placards, banners and leaflets were explaining to the customers the CNT-AIT point of view.

  In Normandy, the Rouen union has leafleted two Mac Do restaurants. The action has been prolonged in the town of Evreux for the 17th of October. Of course, all that was not at the taste of the “managers”, who have called the police, without any success.

  In Perpignan too, the police has been called by the restaurant manager. Our the local union was organising a lunch in front of the restaurant, initiative which was very enjoyed by the passer-by.

  In Midi-Pyrénées (southwest), unions of Montauban and Toulouse were in the action. In this last town, Young Libertarians and an independent group of jobless participated to this action, occupying two Mac Donald’s.

  At Marseille (southeast), the union made a propaganda campaign, sticking widely posters and stickers, all the month along.

Similar actions have been done in the regions of Auvergne, Aquitaine and North. Some anarchists or underground papers have also relayed our propositions of actions.

So that we can say it was a plenty success and it demonstrate the capacities of initiative, of organisation and of action of the French section of the International Workers Association.

This campaign continue ! If you want to be involve in the 2002 campaign, ask to the coordinator : CNT AIT 7 rue ST Remesy 31000 TOULOUSE FRANCE cnt.ait@wanadoo.fr

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