On Tuesday, the 26th of January, the Coordinadora Obrera Sindical (COS) attended the rally in front of the préfecture of Perpignan (the regional government offices, Northern Catalonia) to show support for the eight workers of Goodyear factory condemned after the 2013 and 2014 protests against the closing down of the factory based in Amiens (Picardy, north of France). In this long conflict the detestable proprietors attacked once again the labour rights, as well as repressed the trade-unionist movement whatever cost: for the first time in more than fifty years the French government, through the Amiens’ court, requests an up to 24 months of imprisonment sentence for the former workers for peaceably holding the Goodyear factory management in the building over 30 hours, while occupied by the employees. Few months later the factory shut down for good sacking 1,150 workmen, 750 of whose have not been yet able to find another occupation.
Among the trade unions and social movements from the Northern Catalonia who gathered in the demonstration in solidarity with the condemned workers and expressing their opposition towards the reforms, there were the Catalan language teachers. They are deeply threatened by the Education reforms in France which will reduce the, already little, hours of Catalan language and the classes taught in Catalan at secondary schools and high schools, despite the growing demand at all levels. The planned reform, according with the teachers communiqué, may suppose “the death of the bilingual classes, the wealth and the diversity provided by such a mixed groups”.
The Coordinadora Obrera Sindical shows again its support and solidarity with the threatened and condemned workers; highlighting that the capital accumulation carried out by the big holdings and the loss of social and working rights are the consequences of a “State of alert” imposed by the French government, which is by no means the consolidation of their overreacted Security Policy. Once more, terrorism is used as an excuse to pass the future legal law which will enhance the power of the police and the security state department, as well as the loss of French citizenship by any person the government regards as a suspicious, which
doubtless will discriminate the migrant population more than ever.
As a result of all the above mentioned, the COS convene every individual who stands against the anti-social French government reforms to attend next Saturday, 30th of January, at 10.30am in the Plaça de la Victòria (Perpignan), and manifest solidarity with the workers, from here and from all over the world.
Stop the repression of the working class!
Catalan Countries, 26th January 20016
Coordinadora Obrera Sindical
