> From: "Richard Hyman" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Organization: Warwick Business School > To: D Shniad <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Date: Thu, 18 Jan 1996 10:22:03 GMT > Subject: Re: Le Monde on French strike wave > > Many thanks for forwarding the Le Monde piece, which I had not seen. > I hope, and it seems possible, that the French struggles will give > our European rulers pause for thought about their monetarist line. > It adds to concern that mounting European unemployment is intolerable > even in narrow orthodox-economic terms, quite apart from the social > and political consequences. There is now a genuine political battle > being conducted: the outcome of the intergovernmental conference > later this year will be decisive. My optimism is limited. > > I felt the specific discussion of the French events was a little too > euphoric. The strikes were essentially public sector events, in > defence of primarily sectional and particularistic advantages. They > attracted substantial popular support, but public opinion was > nevertheless split. See the detailed survey report in Le Monde, 18 > December. I suspect they may be typical of a general trend in > Europe: governments responding to their various fiscal crises by > trying to impose on the public sector (directly, or through > privatisation) the sort of cuts in conditions which private sector > workers have already suffered in the past 15 years, and facing > resistance from unions which in most cases are far stronger in the > public than the private sector. How unions handle this requires > great strategic sensitivity, if they are to be perceived as > struggling on behalf of a common (class) interest rather than in > defence of sectional privileges. > > > > > Richard Hyman > IRRU, University of Warwick, Coventry CV4 7AL > Phone: +44 1203 523840 Fax: 524656 >