France is on a knife edge!

I attended a meeting of the New Anticapitalist Party's Parisian activists last night and they gave their verdict on the day's strikes. Around 100 activists from across the different industries in Paris, public and private were there. It gave an impressive sense of the size and industrial implantation of the NPA.

The meeting heard a couple of dozen reports from different sectors, mainly rail, post, municipal workers and teachers. There were also reports from oil refineries, car factories and aviation.

Some sectors were stronger than others, for example in oil, rail, the docks and the municipal services in certain areas, the strike had continued overwhelmingly into its second day. But in general the feeling was the same: workers are politically convinced of the need for a general strike; they are furious at the proposed reforms, and apprehensive of what other reforms the government might make if it wins on pensions. Most sectors have some local grievance that the strike could tap into, and there is a cross-sector, political feeling that Sarkozy has to go. So the strike is about rather more than just whether Sarkozy's new pensions law will go through, and people want to see a strike.

The task that the French working class faced yesterday and faces again today is to continue the strike. Millions of workers came out on the demonstrations on Tuesday - that one-day strike was well-followed. The issue was and is the leap from the one-day strike to a prolonged "reconductible" strike. That is a leap which is proving difficult. Workers want to see a general strike - but no single workplace and no single sector wants to go it alone and find themselves out on a limb. Many are anxious about the amount of money that they could lose if they go out for a prolonged strike lasting weeks. Many workers haven't been involved in a prolonged strike of this magnitude. Other, more battle-hardened sectors, like the postal workers of the Paris suburb "92", have had strikes of their own against the maket-driven reorganisation of their service earlier this year and are still hurting financially from that.

Everyone is on the verge of going out. It's a question of taking the first step. it's a leap of faith. Militants at last night's meeting spoke of the need for something to "click" in people's heads, for them to take the final step. There is another day of action planned for Saturday; and after that the next likely date is Tuesday. The question of whether the general strike truly takes off will be decided in the next few days, probably before Tuesday. For that reason, solidarity is needed from the UK labour movement.

In much of the public sector outside the "core strike industries" (and also certain localities, such as Villejuif, where an almost complete stoppage of council workers is in progress), there is a minority strike going on. For example, in the postal service in 92, around 150 workers came out and instead of working spent the rest of the day agitating among their colleagues in the area, to bring them out. A similar situation is reported in the auto industry, and also on a smaller scale among aviation workers.

Another critical development is the strike of thousands of FE college students. They have blockaded hundreds of colleges across France and come out on demonstrations. The effect that the FE student strike is having on the morale of workers is clear, and very positive. In universities, a strike is clearly coming: university students are having mass meetings every other day and some large universities in provinces are already blockaded, such as Rennes II. But blockades of universities in Paris are a few days off. Today, a general assembly of 200 students at Tolbiac voted "to strike in principle" - that all 200 of those in attendance would not enforce a strike picket, but that they would stop going to lessons and devote their time over the next few days to organising their fellow students to come to demonstrations and future general assemblies. Rail workers sent a message to Tolbiac, saying that their strike would become easier if the students came out. There can be no doubt that a student strike would provide a big part of the subjective, emotional "push" needed to ignite the general strike decisively.

In terms of morale, this is a critical moment. A cascade of targeted donations and messages of support from trade unions in the UK could help provide the jolt needed: it could show French workers that if they take action in their workplace, they need not fear acting alone, that support will come to them from workers across Europe. If there is one thing that we as socialists can do in Britain, it is mobilise immediate messages of support and financial donations to workers in France - and in particular the workers on the Paris overland metro, RER (line B most of all); the battered postal workers in 92 who want to strike but are still suffering the financial losses and victimisations from the last round of action; and the glorious Total oil refinery workers who have held out on their own for a fortnight and are now starting to spark panic-buying of petrol. We might be in a different country, but this is our strike too, and we have a part to play!

Please put this motion to your union branch etc

Solidarity with French workers' struggles!

This branch notes

1. The huge strikes taking place in France, sparked by the Sarkozy government's attack on pensions.
2. That transport, road haulage, petrol and chemicals, ports and docks, gas and electricity and state television are on "reconductible" strike - workers meet every morning in General Assemblies to vote on continuing. There are also strikes in education, hospitals and the post, and school and university students are entering struggle. 3.5 million demonstrated on 12 October.

This branch believes

1. That this is most important battle against cuts to take place in Europe since the crisis began, and should inspire our fightback here.

This branch resolves

1. To publicise these struggles as widely as possible among the membership;
2. To send solidarity messages to the CGT branches at the Austerlitz rail station in Paris; the docks in Marseille; Line B of the RER (Paris overland rail); and the SUD branch in the Paris region District 92 post.
3. To donate £100 to the RER Line B workers.
4. To invite a French worker, or a British activist who has been in France during the strikes, to speak at the next branch committee and/or branch meeting.