| Denmark |
Spring has arrived.
The sun is shining, the leaves on the trees are turning green, the flowers are
blooming… but more important than that, the working class is mobilising. As the
plants and animals awaken after their winter hibernation, so too it seems the
working class is waking up after a long, long winter sleep.
We have long argued
that the future of Europe could be seen in the extraordinary events in Latin
America. While we can’t say that the degree of mobilisations and actions on the
part of the working class in Europe is at the same level as say Venezuela,
Mexico or other Latin American countries, we can point to the awakening of the
working class.
After decades of virtual
inactivity, a period during which the working class in Europe suffered attack
after attack on working conditions, wages, and living standards, as well as the
destruction of the welfare state, it would seem that the workers are standing
up and saying "Enough is enough".
The bourgeois
continually tell us that we are in a boom. According to the books this is a
record setting boom – in terms of the profits of the multinationals and the
enormous, and frankly disgusting, salaries of their respective CEOs and board
members. But this is a peculiar boom in that it has meant nothing for the
working class. An economic boom generally means that the bourgeois can afford
more reforms for the working class – improved wages, working conditions, as
well as improved provisions from the welfare state. But what has this boom
meant? It has meant, as mentioned above, wage cuts, mass sackings,
“downsizing”, etc. This is a boom erected on the backs of the working class –
on the squeezing and application of more pressure on the workers.
Even as this boom
appears to be nearing its ignominious end, the working class is mobilising. As
the exact nature, i.e. the depth and duration of the coming
"correction" cannot be known in advance, neither can the response of
the working class be known. A serious slump could take the wind out of the
sails of the working class. However, on the other hand, after years of attacks,
a serious slump may be just the thing that sets off an explosion of the class –
the momentum is certainly there.
Aside from the
remarkable mobilisations in France and Denmark over the last few years, and the
massive public sector strike in the UK (which would appear to be the first
signs of the spring thaw), this momentum has picked up on the continent over
the past few months. Even a cursory glance at the headlines will show this.
There is no space or time to go into any of these movements in any depth, but let’s
have a quick look at these extraordinary events of the last few months.
 |
| Greece |
The German economy has
been limping along with abysmal growth rates for years. To recover profits and
keep the whole thing afloat, the German bourgeois has taken to squeezing the
working class even further. The German bourgeois is now, almost step by step,
following the plan laid out by the British ruling class in the 80s and 90s. In
response there has been a wave of strikes in Germany, in the public sector and
of the transport workers in Berlin. The closing of a Nokia plant also sparked
off a wave of protest. There is general economic uneasiness and political
instability, expressed above all in the growing support for Die Linke (the Left
Party). The stage is being set for a major showdown in Germany. This is
extremely important for the European working class. As the most powerful
working class in Europe in the most powerful economy of the EU, the
mobilisations of the German working class will be extremely important for the
rest of Europe, and could set the precedent for the years to come.
Greece has long been
one of the weakest links in the chain of European capitalism, and has witnessed
a near continuous state of mobilisations for the better part of two years. In
2007 there was the massive student demonstrations and mobilisations against the
privatisation of the universities. This was followed this year by a series of
general strikes against cuts to pensions and social security. There was a
general strike in December 2007, followed by a three-week struggle of public
sector and municipal workers, culminating in the massive general strike at the
end of March this year.
 |
| Portugal |
Portugal, another of
the weak links and sick men of Europe, has also seen a series of mobilisations
on the part of the working class – the biggest in 20 years. Portugal has been
in economic crisis going on seven years or more. GDP growth is low, even
negative in certain years. To “correct” the situation, the bourgeois has
mercilessly attacked the working class and its conditions. The story is the
same here as everywhere in Europe – attacks on trade union rights,
“flexibility”, attacks on pensions and an increase in the retirement age, and
attacks on social security. There was a massive demonstration in April of last
year during the European summit, followed by a general strike in May of the
same year. And this year in March, there was a massive mobilisation of
teachers, followed by a massive Communist demonstration a few weeks later –
reflecting the growing radicalisation of the working class. A left wing is now
crystallising in the Socialist Party, which could prove to an important
development in the future.
In Spain, there has
been a continuous series of strikes. There have been student mobilisations,
smaller factory strikes, and the mobilisations of the Barcelona and Madrid
transport workers. Even Switzerland, the so-called model of economic success
and social peace, has seen the militant strike action of the railway workers in
Tocino.
 |
| Spain |
Slovenia has also seen
a series of massive mobilisations over the last few years. In November of last
year there was a mobilisation of some 70,000 workers against wage cuts and
attacks on conditions, etc. The Slovenian workers were promised that joining
the EU would mean improvements, but it has only meant attacks and a general
deterioration in conditions. This mobilisation was followed by the massive
demonstration and work stoppage in March of this year, involving some 145,000
workers (remember that Slovenia only has a population of about 2 million!).
These actions in
Slovenia were followed up by the European Trade Union Confederation
demonstration held in Ljubljana in April, during an EU finance minister’s
summit, calling for improved wages and conditions for European workers.
This demonstration
revealed something rather important – the complete vacuum on the left. There
were no left parties visible on the demonstration. And how could they be
present? In most cases, it is the “left” parties, the Socialist, Social
Democratic, and Labour Parties which are carrying out these attacks on the
working class (while at the same time, as mentioned above, conflict is growing
in these parties as a left wing is crystallising in some countries). This marks
important opportunities for the Marxist tendency. With the virtual collapse of
the left, the Marxists stand to make important gains, and can significantly
increase its support amongst the working class. The reformist parties can
effectively offer no way out of the situation.
Spring is upon us, and
by all accounts the working class is waking up from a long slumber. There is,
essentially, nothing that capitalism can do, nothing that it can offer, to solve
the problems of the working class. Economic conditions demand that these
attacks be carried out. In fact, economic conditions demand that they be deepened
and extended. There is no end in sight on the basis of capitalism – the workers
must find a way back to the ideas of socialism. Yet, at the same time, these
same economic conditions demand that the working class fight back. The
interests of the ruling class and the working class are irreconcilable. The
bourgeois scream "more cuts, more cuts" and the workers shout
"Enough is enough". The stage has been set for a "Hot
Spring" in Europe.
