France: The government is defeated: the struggle goes on!

Alternative Libertaire statement on the CPE victory

On Monday morning, the government decided to "replace" the CPE. It has been defeated, we must continue the mobilization, above all in order to achieve the repeal of the so-called "law of equal opportunities" and of the CNE.

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The government is defeated: the struggle goes on!

On Monday morning, the government decided to "replace" the CPE [Contract of First Employment]. It has been defeated, we must continue the mobilization, above all in order to achieve the repeal of the so-called "law of equal opportunities" and of the CNE [Contract of New Employment].

The government can talk about "replacing" if it so chooses, what matters is that the CPE has been withdrawn. The "measures to help young people gain access to jobs" that will replace the CPE are nothing more than a compilation of already-existing measures, which give tax breaks to employers but which do not directly deal with the question of workers' rights.

This is a historic victory. It is a long time since a government has had to bow to a social movement and proves that even the most seemingly inflexible governments can give in under the threat of largescale social conflict. This victory certainly belongs to the university and high-school students, who had to fight practically alone for around 9 weeks.

Since the start, the students called for the withdrawal of the CNE and the whole so-called "law of equal opportunity". This is a law which, among other things, provides for apprenticeships for 14-year-olds, night-time work for 15- to 18-year-old and the suspension of family allowance benefits in cases of truancy, measures that were so far supported solely by the extreme right!

Little by little, this movement has turned into a movement for the general rejection of precarity and the students have come up with many proposals, notably in terms of the autonomy of young people and democracy in high schools and universities. It is also the right time to express our demands loud and clear.

Today, the blockades have been removed from many universities. The students have understood that that the government is defeated and that it may be prepared to cede on other matters too. It would be incomprehensible for the union leaderships to call for an end to the mobilization and put off the repeal of the so-called law "of equal opportunities" and of the CNE to further negotiations.

Let's strike while the iron is hot!

Let us transform this victory into a trampoline for mobilization and continue the struggle until our demands are met!

Alternative Libertaire
11th April 2006

Translation by FdCA - International Relations