Sud de France 3.1: Operation Escargot

Today is the big national strike against Nicolas Sarkozy’s plan to “reform” France’s retirement laws. What is most striking about the strike is that it illustrates just how different the French are from Americans.

The backbone of the strike, which in French is called a “grève,” is made up of the teamster unions who through a deliberate slowdown called “Opération escargot” they’ve disrupted gasoline supplies around the country. Their activities focused too on closing refineries and blocking jet fuel to the nation’s airports. It’s caused the cancellation of 30-50% of the Air France’s flights. Gasoline for autos has been less hard hit, so far, because France is dipping into its national reserves to make up for the shortages. Here in the Herault some stations have signs up saying that they are out of gasoline. 

Rupture means broken up or simply 'no gas.'

But here’s what points out the difference between our two countries. The truck drivers aren’t affected by the reforms. They can retire at 55 because of a special law exempting them from the retirement rules. They have no ‘skin in the game.’ They could sit out this one out.

So why are they participating? One simple answer is that the French have grèves the way Americans have tailgate parties; there’s usually one every couple of weeks. It’s in their blood and the unions support each other. That’s called solidarity. Also France has the lowest poverty rate in the EU, (12%) and there is concern that the “reform” will impoverish some people. The strikers seem to have the idea that it a nation’s responsibility to take care of its people and help keep them out of poverty. Something unheard of in the US or at least that hasn’t been heard since LBJ’s “War on Poverty.” 

But there’s yet another reason for the strikes that should sound awfully familiar to Americans and doesn’t get much play in the foreign media. There’s a tax, like our estate tax, that affects only the very wealthiest in France. Sarkozy wants to eliminate it even though it brings in billions of Euros each year. Ending it means that Sarko needs to cut government spending to keep the deficit under control. And what sort of cuts do you think he’s come up with? He’s “reforming” the retirement system to make up for the lost revenue from taxes on the rich.

Agree or disagree with the need for reform at least the French aren’t taking this kind of chicanery sitting down. They’ve kept the issue alive and personal by mobilizing the nation. Over 71% of the people support the strikes despite the gas lines and shortages. 

The graffiti reads, "When the state violates your rights, insurrection is your sacred right."

Here in France they still believe that you have go out into the streets and fight for your rights. We used to do that in the USA but it’s a lesson we seem to have forgotten.

Photos and text © 2010 Steve Meltzer