The workers

“Saluez, riches heureux, /“Salute, you happy rich,

Ces pauvres en haillons / These poor in rags

Saluez, ce sont eux, / Salute them, they’re the ones

Qui gagnent vos millions” / Who earn your millions”

Song by the Penn Sardin of Douarnenez, 1905.

Wealth in Europe and America has been and continues to be built on the labor of workers, in Europe and elsewhere in the world.

To win the war between 1914 and 1918, and then to rebuild, governments called on workers. During the Second World War, American industrial power helped win the war against the Nazis: manufacturing of war machines (tanks, planes, ships).

Workers have saved the country on several occasions when their civic conscience was called upon: the First World War and reconstruction are two examples.

Some of the ultra-rich collaborated with invaders, including the Nazis. Renault, for example. Another example: in 1871, the bourgeois government of Adolphe Tiers asked the Prussians to bomb Paris to get rid of the Communards, who were the only defenders of Paris when the government deserted to Versailles.

Le Cri du peuple – Jacques Tardi – Wikipedia: https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Le_Cri_du_peuple_(bande_dessin%C3%A9e)

We have to stop insulting them by calling them “toothless” or “deplorables”. They may not have studied, but the overwhelming majority have not betrayed their country.

When workers wanted to improve their conditions, they had to fight. The richest didn’t want to give up any of their wealth, so they used force, thanks to the police and the army. They don’t share their astronomical profits, the fruits of these workers’ labor. In the 1970s, the wealthy first turned to immigrants who accepted the poor conditions and took the work of local workers. It was at this time that the Front National was born. There’s no point in attacking immigrants who are in the same situation as these workers. It’s better to attack those who impose bad conditions or do without them by creating cooperatives.

Then the factories moved abroad, where the workforce had to put up with such poor conditions, and European and American workers lost their jobs.

Areas such as the north and center of France (including the “diagonale du vide”) have been completely abandoned since the factories left: public services have been dismantled for the profits of the wealthiest. Indeed, they used the de-industrialization of these areas to justify paying lower taxes.

DOCUMENTAIRE “NOUS LES OUVRIERS” – FRANCE 2 (Octobre 2023): https://youtu.be/xleM0aWxxXE?si=D3-lxrEMuss8XEQ5 et la suite: Nous les ouvriers – Theme Classes sociales _ 2023 -FR2-: https://tube-arts-lettres-sciences-humaines.apps.education.fr/w/hhAgC9AqCYbbbWd5AF9DZG

Le Temps des ouvriers – 4 épisodes – Arte: https://educ.arte.tv/serie/le-temps-des-ouvriers-tous-les-episodes

Le temps de l’usine – Le temps des ouvriers – Episode 1 – ARTE: https://youtu.be/y_CUtS1b6FI?si=SDiQbMLLDyU7adYi

Le temps des barricades – Le temps des ouvriers – Episode 2 ARTE: https://youtu.be/4Y5PdUpFeYY?si=S2rU4JFFCDaV_KBO

Le temps des ouvriers 3/4 Le temps à la chaîne – Arte: https://youtu.be/hu1i_ZvNZUE?si=ygfN2-ab_XEDPSMb

Le temps des ouvriers 4/4 Le temps de la destruction – Arte: https://youtu.be/kKAtdliNYmM?si=jxOg1Qm-LeCyzJx1

“Le feu sacré”, le documentaire sur la lutte des ouvriers de l’aciérie Ascoval, remporte le Grand prix du Figra – France Info: https://www.francetvinfo.fr/culture/cinema/documentaires/le-feu-sacre-le-documentaire-sur-la-lutte-des-ouvriers-de-l-acierie-ascoval-remporte-le-grand-prix-du-figra_3867503.html

Que c’est beau, les Corons retentissent à Bollaert-Delelis !: https://youtu.be/_F33S0EeZVg?si=XpjS6VaYlFMDWhTO

These workers have lost their jobs.

Factories have relocated to countries where workers are forced to accept poor working conditions and low wages, while factory owners and shareholders shamelessly enrich themselves on their backs. It’s the workers who produce the wealth. This wealth is also made possible by environmental standards considered unacceptable in Europe and the USA, and which are practiced in these countries. This is done by destroying the environment while they have enough money and means to pay workers properly, ensure decent working conditions and respect the environment. All it takes is to slash the astronomical margins of owners and shareholders. But they don’t. They never have enough money.

Europe has made the terrible mistake of abandoning three of the four pillars of sovereignty abroad: prosperity to China, energy to Russia and security to the USA (the fourth pillar is food). This was done for the profits of the richest.

Many of the world’s working people can’t afford decent food (organic permaculture and animal well-being), a good housing or live below the poverty line. They are nicknamed the “working poor”. The uberization of work, the auto entrepreneurship and micro entrepreneurship favor these poor conditions.

UN agencies work to improve conditions for workers and the environment.

Labels such as fair trade help to improve workers’ conditions, while organic labels help to improve environmental conditions.

Today, the world’s largest steelworks are in South Korea. Workers earn more than the average French wage. Work is highly automated and labor-saving. There is not enough work for many people.

In Japan, factory organization is based on trust in the workers. They are the ones who say what’s right and what’s wrong. Relationships between people are more harmonious. Japanese automakers practice a lot of “island building”, where one worker builds the product from start to finish. There’s no alienation as in Taylorism. The worker knows why he is doing things and is responsible for the quality of the resulting product.

China can compete with the USA and Europe, but not with Japan, because the quality of the final product is the result of trusting and valuing the worker. Workers are listened to and given the freedom to suggest improvements.

Why Hondas Run Great – JIT Manufacturing, 5S Methodology and Kaizen – FortNine: https://youtu.be/0LfbsW-5tAk?si=KG7S6BpWOGj90vw-

Honda’s creator had no capital and no bank loans. Consequently, he could only finance his factory through customer purchases. Quality builds reputation, and therefore brings customers.

Épisode 1/4 : Au Moyen Âge, la naissance des métiers – France Culture: https://www.radiofrance.fr/franceculture/podcasts/lsd-la-serie-documentaire/au-moyen-age-la-naissance-des-metiers-5894659

During the containment period, people were no longer able to buy from China. The West is still buying oil from the Russians, despite the war in Ukraine, and is paying the Ukrainians to defend themselves. We need to bring manufacturing, green energy and security back to Western countries under the right conditions. The current situation makes products travel far too far and makes the West dependent on dictatorships.

In France, blue-collar workers still account for a third of the working population. Their working conditions have improved. Conditions for workers in developing countries remain poor. With the introduction of machines, fewer workers are needed. We need to share the work by reducing the number of working hours per week.

A universal basic income should be introduced, so that workers don’t have to accept undignified work, and solidarity should be shown with regions that no longer have any industry. If we taxed the rich, we’d have the means to do so.

Charlie Chaplin – Factory Scene – Modern Times (1936): https://youtu.be/6n9ESFJTnHs?si=WvZMZ1Jwmzie18_9