Behind the political ruckus and so-called social dialogue lies the class struggle

The Fête de l’Humanité¹, held on the weekend of September 14-15, was a meeting ground for the leaders of the New Popular Front. The only topics discussed were how disappointed they were after being deceived by Macron and what their future strategy should be to ensure the victory of a united left in upcoming elections – that is if the left is to remain united at all.

Factory closures, layoffs and the fierce social war waged by big business against workers were largely sidelined, even during the debate organized between Sophie Binet, the General Secretary of the CGT union (Confédération générale du travail) and Patrick Martin, the Chairman of the Medef (Mouvement des entreprises de France), the bosses’ union.

It took just a few words from Martin – who said he was “in favor of increasing wages” and that the French pay-as-you-go social security and retirement system “has produced good results” – for the Communist Party newspaper, L’Humanité, to write: “Against all odds, Patrick Martin kept making concessions to the union's main recommendations.”

But what concessions are they talking about? The spokesperson for the most powerful bosses claims to support wage increases but intends to fund them by reducing social security contributions. In other words, he wants workers to pay for it themselves and consequently they would then have fewer benefits and rights when they get sick, lose their job or retire. And his praise of the French pay as you go social security and retirement system only serves to credit the idea that workers will have to make new sacrifices if they want to keep it!

Contrary to what L’Humanité claims, big business is not making any concessions. It is on the offensive, ruthlessly attacking jobs and working conditions to ensure dividends and amass huge fortunes.

Valeo, a very profitable automotive supplier, has decided to shut down three sites, leaving 1,000 employees without a job. 450 workers at Vencorex, a Grenoble-based chemical company, will also soon be out of work since it has declared bankruptcy, and this after being bought and sold by numerous racketeers and enriching generations of shareholders. And it's the same story for the 5,000 employees of Milee, a flyer-distribution company.

Are all these employers laying people off willing to make concessions? Of course not! And, yes, let's talk about the redistribution aspect of the social security system. While Bernard Arnault, the head of LVMH, makes 1,300 euros every 15 seconds, it takes the subcontracted seamstresses who make Louis Vuitton luxury bags a month to earn only 1,500 or 1,600 euros. While Stellantis shareholders pocket 18 million euros a day, workers have to wake up at 4 a.m. and exhaust themselves on the production lines for monthly wages of 1,500 to 1,800 euros.

Behind the words “redistribution” and “social security system” lies the class struggle. A class struggle that is becoming more agressive against workers. Work rates are increasing and workloads are becoming heavier for example. Plus big companies are sucking up public money as they rake in billions in state subsidies, money that hospitals and the education system desperately need.

The outcome of this class struggle is not the “redistribution” of wealth but its concentration in the hands of a minority of ultra-rich individuals. In France, in 2017, the wealth of the 500 richest families was equivalent to 20% of the GDP, that is 20% of the total wealth produced in one year. Today, it's equivalent to 45%!

These multi-billionaires have enough money to buy palaces, yachts and other luxury goods they consider toys. But their capital does more: it grants them the power to rule over the entire economy, the banks, insurance companies and major industrial and trade corporations. They are the ones who impose the law of profit and cutthroat competition on workers and society as a whole.

And they are the ones who dictate government policy, whether the government is predominantly right-wing or left-wing. So, there is no need to know the names of Michel Barnier’s next ministers to foresee that more blows are coming our way.

To suggest, as NFP or CGT leaders do, that the bosses' union and the politicians at the bosses' service could pursue a policy other than one of relentless attacks against the working class, is deceitful. Workers and capitalists have no common interests whatsoever. It’s either their profits or our jobs and wages!

Big business imposes the law of the rich and powerful. It will continue to do so until it faces a massive uprising of workers that makes it fear for its capital and its power over companies.

Nathalie Arthaud