April 28, 2025 article from the New Anticapitalist Party-Revolutionaries (NPA-R) in France, translated from French.
While the ruling classes of the world try to burden us with their threats of trade war and military war, there is no shortage of class struggles. For example, in the United States, demonstrations against Trump’s policies have taken place repeatedly in many cities across the country; in Serbia and Turkey, young people are challenging the authorities; and in Greece and Belgium, major general strikes have taken place in recent months.
Any resemblance is purely coincidental…
In Belgium, a new mobilization has been announced for April 29 to oppose the attack planned by the new government, poetically nicknamed the Arizona coalition, which aims to limit unemployment benefits, raise the retirement age even higher, and slash the budget for public services. This hits home in France, where French Prime Minister Bayrou lectures us, claiming that we are not working hard enough, and plans 40 billion euros (about $45 billion) of “additional efforts” to be made in the 2026 budget. These cuts, according to Bayrou, would target education, health, public services, local government spending, etc. We are already making enough efforts to make ends meet, while the arms dealers are rubbing their hands in glee at their full order books. Because these 40 billion will be used to line the pockets of big French corporations: Dassault, Thales, and many others.
A national defense plan… designed to attack us
This defense of French industry, which the government as well as union leaders are touting, does not protect jobs at all. Even in the arms industry: if workers must produce more, it means they will be pushed to work faster. In other sectors, layoff plans continue to be announced. ArcelorMittal (the largest steelmaker in Europe) has just announced 600 job cuts at seven sites in northern France. This is in addition to the long list of layoffs announced by Auchan, Casino, Michelin, STMicroelectronics, and many others. These large corporations are not experiencing any difficulties; for example, in 2024, ArcelorMittal distributed €1.5 billion ($1.7 billion) in profits to their shareholders. As always under capitalism, they aim at exploiting workers more and more to generate maximum profits. It is a well-oiled machine – and only our struggles can stop it.
The strength of workers lies in strike action!
Whether it’s our wages or our jobs, only collective action will enable us to defend ourselves. At Geodis (a major logistics company) in Gennevilliers, France, workers secured a €150 ($171) pay rise after three weeks on strike, instead of the €35 ($40) initially offered by management. At the Stellantis (automobile) factory in Poissy, France, walkouts are taking place to demand guarantees about the future of the site. At the SNCF, the French state-owned railway company, workers are preparing to strike for several days during the week of May 8 over the issue of work schedules and wages. The fact that the SNCF and the government are already nervous about the strike shows our strength: when those who keep society running stop working… everything stops. It is those who threaten our wages and our jobs who want to take us hostage. They want to decide everything about our lives, our jobs, our wages, about war, without us ever having a say. We do the work, we should run the show! Let’s make May 1st the first step in a collective response, In France and around the world.
