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Labour Law Bill

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After one week of demon-
strations, blockades, and strikes,

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the movement has
found new strength.

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May 17: 220,000 demonstrators

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Mai 19: 400,000 demonstrators

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The railway workers on strike

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The media never mentions the fact
that railway wages are very low,

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especially for these colleagues
on the trains and at the counters:

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they maybe make 1,300 euros a month,
if employed full-time.

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The talk about "privileged railway
workers" as a discourse of power,

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in order to discredit a profession
that's able to block the country!

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Refinery workers, transport workers
and dockers have joined the battle.

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The government seems to not listen
to the street and is stubborn.

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We're on March 49 now!
That's a provocation to us,

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and this provocation evokes
extraordinary mobilisation;

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amongst the wage earners
we see an enormous unity.

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The blockade of the port of
Lorient (Bretagne), May 18, 2016

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Remember that Total owns
the largest refineries in France:

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After we go on strike, production
takes 10 days to go back to normal.

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This means, the refineries' sub-
sequent industries in northern France

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will not be delivered
during the next 10 days.

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These workers who fight today
against the new labour law

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exercise a constitutional right:
the right to strike.

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They make use of their legal right.

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They demand the retreat
of the special police forces,

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in order to exercise their right to
strike in public, the units must go.

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In the refineries, we won't
accept today to be isolated,

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on the contrary: expanding the
movement to all companies in France,

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and bringing to a halt
the whole economy - that's our aim.

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We demand the retreat of that bill.

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Out of 50 oil depots, 10 were blocked
by strikers, truckers, and supporters.

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Out of 8 refineries, 5 are
on strike for an undetermined time.

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The refinery in Grandpuits stands
idle due to the strike happening since March 17.

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On May 22nd, more than 1,500 gas stations
ran out of fuel, completely or partially.

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On May 19th, 2,500 dockers left
the port in Le Havre in order to

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join the demonstration.

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My question is, for public vote,
who is for continuing the strike?

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Le Havre: 4 of the city's junctions
were blocked from Tuesday to Friday.

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If there's a fuel shortage
for French people today, and

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if there are blockades in Le Havre,

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the only responsible is the government,
because it's not been the protesters

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who passed this bill.

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As usual the government
is using repressive means

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and tries to stop the movement
by police violence.

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Lyon, May 17i: Several
demonstrators injured by the police

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A CGT member: "One comrade
has been injured by truncheons.

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He's had stitches in the hospital.

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Another's leg was
injured by a grenade.

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The pigs did beat up everybody
(a young woman, elderly people)."

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Antoine, member of the CGT and "Alternative
Libertaire", got arrested violently.

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Another demonstrator
was arrested too, for having protested

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against this police violence.

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Antoine was in police custody
for 48 hours.

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Accused of resistance
against the public force,

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he refuses immediate judgement,
but wants to find evidence of innocence.

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He now remains in custody,
waiting for his trial on June 9th.

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Antoine is on hunger strike now,
protesting against this arbitrariness.

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"Freedom for Antoine"

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May 19: The union demonstration is
not allowed to go to Place d'Italie and

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unionists are separated from the youth.

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Tear gas, truncheons, and identifications
are used against the demonstrators

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Mael, a university student, got
arbitrarily arrested for 40 hours.

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Accusation: throwing an object.
The trial will take place on June 22nd.

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After the demonstration, everything
was fine, very nice, even festive.

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And then, tear gas...

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You felt the tension rise:
We were encircled by police forces.

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Then the fear changes sides

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Prime minister Valls on
a possible fuel shortage:

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I ask everybody to not...
take such a hysterical attitude

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... which eventually
aims to spread fear.

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We're fully in control of the situation.

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Saying "fully in control", the govern-
ment goes against the right to strike and

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sends out police forces against workers.

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May 20th: Eviction of a blockade

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And we did vote for these bastards!

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Come on, kids, let's go!

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Resistance! Resistance!

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It's been awful,
some 300 riot cops came.

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Today, I can only do one thing,

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our revolt is stronger
than yesterday.

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May 20th: a depot near Rennes (north)

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We've been very peaceful,
from the beginning yesterday morning.

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There's been some incidents
in the city centre, well...

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But the highway slowdown
blockade worked out perfectly.

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For we had behind us the
whole population, or 80 percent.

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Government action is a threat, and
you've these pictures of cop violence...

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I say, we're making a gift to them!

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Retreat the labour law bill!

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...or no social peace!

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National police, police of the capital!

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At the same time, at the depot in Lorient

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Attach to your heart
a little piece of red cloth,

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a blood coloured flower.

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I think, numerous refineries and
depots that have been blocked

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are accessible again or
will be accessible in the next days.

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We are firmly determined to
not accept any shortages in France.

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And anybody can see the firm de-
termination of the French government

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to avoid any shortages. In any
case, we have sufficient reserves

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to face these blockades.

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Shortages aren't our goal, these
are a consequence of the strike.

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What we demand is the
retreat of the new labour bill - 

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this is our demand
to the Valls government.

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He still can overthrow the bill,
avoiding the refineries' idleness,

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avoiding disruptions, shortages,
and problems for the workers.

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We are in favour of the general
strike, and we're heading for it:

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Refineries already are
blocked, so are the transports,

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a movement all over the country...

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We can and need to continue,
and if demonstrations are...

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...not sufficient, always ending
up in street fights, then we need

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to block the whole economy.

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And then, they,
the State, will maybe give in:

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because when it's
about money, they do react.

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In solidarity with the oil, rail-
way, dock, and all workers on strike!

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"...They can't pay that much
to make me beat up our brothers!

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No! No, no! I'm not joining the
police forces, hell no! They can't..."

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English Subtitles for labournet.tv
by A. Förster and L. Whitney