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kandayin · 10-01-2003, 07:34 PM

As a french, I can speak of strikes, we're like world champions of strikes.

Of course our situation is very different from yours but what I have experienced is that if the unions/lobbies aren't on strike as well, it effects nothing, and even if they are it doesn't automatically pays off.

In France we've got many public service as you know, that means that people can't get fired basically. Therefore they are more likely to go on strike. Now last year we've had about 50% of the teachers punctually on strike for 5 months, that means that they would go on strike about once every 2 weeks, go down the streets and demonstrate, around 500000 every 2 weeks.
Along them were some transport employees also punctually, they were there for different reasons though, teachers were there because our education system is fucked up, and the others were there because of the pension reform.So we had peaks around 1 million people demonstarting, that lasted 1 month and a half, with weekly demonstration. Unions were also in there.

Anyway it led to nothing.

On the other hand, in 1995 we had a general strikefor about 3 weeks, that means 60% of the people were not going to work, and we had 3 to 4 millions people demonstrating daily for 3 weeks, blocking roads and railways and ports and airports.
The prime minister got dismissed and his projects cancelled, can't remember what it was about though.

There you go, anyway unless it's something along the vietnam war line, I don't think going on strike in the US would be effective, at least not with Bush, and not with the unemployment rate you are having.

But I may be wrong, our governments are quite used to seeing the people on strike in France, not like yours, a strike may have a greater impact whilst being less important in the US.

10-01-2003, 07:34 PM	#17 (permalink)
kandayin Upright	As a french, I can speak of strikes, we're like world champions of strikes. Of course our situation is very different from yours but what I have experienced is that if the unions/lobbies aren't on strike as well, it effects nothing, and even if they are it doesn't automatically pays off. In France we've got many public service as you know, that means that people can't get fired basically. Therefore they are more likely to go on strike. Now last year we've had about 50% of the teachers punctually on strike for 5 months, that means that they would go on strike about once every 2 weeks, go down the streets and demonstrate, around 500000 every 2 weeks. Along them were some transport employees also punctually, they were there for different reasons though, teachers were there because our education system is fucked up, and the others were there because of the pension reform.So we had peaks around 1 million people demonstarting, that lasted 1 month and a half, with weekly demonstration. Unions were also in there. Anyway it led to nothing. On the other hand, in 1995 we had a general strikefor about 3 weeks, that means 60% of the people were not going to work, and we had 3 to 4 millions people demonstrating daily for 3 weeks, blocking roads and railways and ports and airports. The prime minister got dismissed and his projects cancelled, can't remember what it was about though. There you go, anyway unless it's something along the vietnam war line, I don't think going on strike in the US would be effective, at least not with Bush, and not with the unemployment rate you are having. But I may be wrong, our governments are quite used to seeing the people on strike in France, not like yours, a strike may have a greater impact whilst being less important in the US.