To: Workers and all defenders of workers’ rights in France

 

Dear comrades

 Your decision to stand up and protest against the Holland government’s changes to the labour law has brought about a major boost to the moral of working class across Europe and beyond.  

The achievements of the working class in France, namely in securing 35 hour week, rest periods of 11 consecutive hours between working days and 35 hours per week, are among the major breakthroughs against bourgeoisie in the 21st century. These are looked up to by workers across the world, and your resolute protests against erosion of these rights are supported worldwide. 

Capitalists and their states everywhere have continuously tried to hide their deeds in producing an army of unemployed in order to divide the working class and reduce the share of workers from the produced wealth in the society. Their media has been outrageously blaring out lies about “easy life of workers in France”, “unacceptable infringements of the rights of bosses to make workers redundant as and when they wish to”, etc., in order to safeguard capitalism and its inherent drive and disregard of all in pursuit of profits. The changes to the labour law in France is yet another attempt to bring about further austerity measures, and place the burden of capitalism crisis on the shoulders of working class. 

Despite the attempts of the bourgeoisie and the gigantic web of their mass media to isolate and censor the news of your protests, workers in different parts of the world are closely watching the progress of your struggle. This is not French issue, but one that has an international impact. In this struggle, exactly the same as the bourgeoisie in France and their class globally, you too are not alone and isolated, but have the support and solidarity of workers globally as well.  

Obviously the French government is not going to give up easily and needs to be forced to back down. To exert such a pressure, it is crucial for all to act in solidarity with your protests. We shall be organising meetings, protest actions and all means that are available to us to also put pressure on the French government to back down and withdrew all proposed changes to the labour law. We urge all workers, unions and organisations to take part in this struggle and express their solidarity in any way that they see appropriate. Workers in France should see the scale of the broad support that they have in this struggle. 

Your victory in forcing the French government to completely withdraw all their intended changes to the labour law is certainly a victory for us and workers everywhere.

 

Long live international solidarity

 

Worker-communist Party of Iran (Hekmatist) – Organisation Abroad

27 May 2016