Just over two weeks ago a very unussil sight could be observed at the French watch factory of Lip in Besancon. The workers came out, set up stalls outside the factory gates, and started selling the watches they had made - for as little as half the normal price. But this was just the most unusual development in a struggle which has become a focus of attention not only in France but also in neighbouring Switzerland.
It was in mid-April that the bosses at the factory suddenly arranged for space in the radio, TV and papers to announce that they were faced with a crisis and that redundancies were inevitable. Unemployment is already high in the area, and the response of the 1300 workers at Lip, almost half of whom are women, was unequivocal. A go-slow was organised almost immediately and a series of demonstrations held - in Besancon, Paris, and then at the headquarters of the Swiss owners, Ebauches SA, in Neuchatel. At the same time a big campaign was carried on in the factory by means of posters, etc., to explain to all the workers what was going on.
TURNING POINT A cimpaign was also launched to win support both from other workers in the area and from workers at other factories owned by Ebauches SA in Switzerland. But the turning point. came on 12 June. On that day, two management representatives informed the workers that no further wages would be paid until the dispute was resolved — and for their pains were locked up in the factory A quick search of their briefcases turned up some very interesting information: documents which revealed the extent of the redundancies planned (at least 500, 200 workers to go immediately), an ulternative plan for a take-over by French firms (which, in the "national interest" no doubt, would invoive 450 redundancies), and most important, evidence of systematic apying by police and company security men on leading militants in the factory. Thut some night, 500 police attacked the factory, ostensibly to rescue the two managemeeting of all the workers decided on a full occupation. On 15 June a mass demonstration called in Besancon to support the Lip workers attracted 15,000 people from all over the area. The police, completely, outnumbered, went berserk afterwards, even raiding the offices of the local newspu per.
Now, Ihree weeks into the occupation, it is clear that this struggle i taking on some of the most advanced forms seen in the recent history of the European class struggle. What is more. every day is proving that it is the revolutionaries who have the most realistic answers as to how to develop the struggle. For instance, the idea of an occupation was advanced by militants of the Communist League (French section of the Fourth International in their local 'Red Mole' factory bulletin on 21 May. On 13 June. it was adopted by a mass meeting of the workers, The idea of restarting production so that watches could be sold to swell the strike fund was advanced in the Red Mole bulletin on 4 June. Two weeks later that too was agreed by the mass meeting.
ORGANISATION The way in which all this is being organised has some particularly important leseons. The strike is being run by an action committee co mhining representatives of the two main union federations (CGT and CFDT) as well as non-unionised workers. It reports back regularly to mass meetings of all the workers. Production is being orgamused on a voluntary basis - the workers decide how long they will work, at what time of day, at what speed, etc. The same "survival wage, a bit higher than the previous minimum wage, is paid to all the workers regardless of their previous status in the grading system, with additional suris on top of this for those with family or other special commitments.
Various aspects of production and sales are handled by special commissions, which in their efficient grasp of affairs have shown that it s the owners and management who are the redundant ones. So much for the claim that the workers wouldn't know how to ser abour running the factory." Commissions also handle other important aspects of organisation: relations with the press, flow of information inside the factory, communications with supporters in the defence following on the previous potice attacks. Arrangements have been made for at least 100 workers to guard the factory each night, a warning siren has been fitted and other arrangements made to contact workers al other factories in the area for support (especially where there is 24-hout shift workung), and technical preparations have been-made to repel initial attacks.
INTERNATIONALISM Perhaps the most important lesson of all, however, has been the organisation of local, national, and international solidarily. A local support committee was set up very carly on in the struggle, with representatives from all the major factories in the area. This has taken the responsibility for organising a massive propaganda campaign which contributed to the 15,000 turnout at the 15 June demonstration. It has also organised regular fund-raising activities etc.
But, unusually, another support committee has also been organised — across the border in Fura, in Switzerland, as the result of an Initiative by the Revolutionary Marxut League (Swiss section of the Fourth International) and An international meeting of Swiss and French organisations in soldorite with the Lip workers Democracy has in effect been seeking to carry local rank-and-file mihrants in the same Industry. This bas been organised on the clearly understood basis that what is at stake is not the actions of a foreign boss against French workers, but is the discovered documents revealed an offensive by international capital (whether based in Switzerland or France) against the working class as such - in France today, in Switzerland tomorrow. Of course the official Swiss trade unions bave been lukewarm in their support - the leader of the main Swiss wnion in the industry is actually on the board of the trust which controls Ebauches SA! But the response of the Jura workers in support of their French comrades has been extraordinarily good, leading on 23 June to a jout international denionstration at the Swiss town of La Chaux de Fonds, Such action has provided the basis for winning the strike, by extending active support for it in every possible direction. The workers at Lip have an increasingly clear understanding of what is involved - they have not, for instance, fallen into the trap of believing that from restarting production they can run their own factory for the cu pitalist market, rather than simply swelling their strike fund. They are beginning to realise that what is at stake is a struggle against capitalism - and that it is from this that the casential need for the practica measures which they have adopted flows, Workers elsewhere have much to learn from them. workers to trust him in his constitutional road,
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ALENTAL LEURUE TOLS