dismissals

Violence broke out on Tuesday amid reports that the chinese management were planning to leave on holiday rather than negotiate with striking workers. Reports conflict but it appears that workers threw stones and then burned a kitchen and a guard's post on the site, with management taking refuge until the arrival of riot police. One manager and two workers were reported injured.

The planned strike at France Télévisions against 'reforms' was successful. At France 3, seems to be targeted for privatisation as it is supposedly too critical of the current government 56% of all employees joined the strike, rising to 60% in regioal centres.

The strike began at the Cointe branch of GB (owned by the Carrefour chain) after a union representative was sacked after an accusation that he had altered his timecard. The strike spread to the Flémalle branch the following day and workers walked out at Ans on Saturday. Workers are also currently demanding that the company respect agreed practises over working hours.

Workers, with the support of the SUD and CGT unions have given notice of an unlimited strike to begin Monday.

Workers arrived at the factory gates this morning to find this notice:

"Management informs the entire staff, both permanent and contract staff that, following the ilegal strike action which paralysed the company, a collective dismissal has been decided upon. Dismissal letters have been passed to human resources."

Workers at Annaba Pont Bouchet, El Hadjar, Hussein Dey, Réghaïa, Blida, Ksar El Boukhari, Oran, El Khroub et Skikda have all joined the strike, shutting the entire company down, from the docks to the foundries nothing is moving. Workers are demanding negotiations between management and the union over the programme of job cuts which is supposed to begin in September.

570 workers have been striking for five weeks now. It seems as though the local authorities want to provoke a confrontation, as well as sending in more police and arresting the two men they have also issued 'inflammatory statements'. According to Mr Aouadi, a member of the union committee "They have even gone as far as to accuse us of vandalising our equipment, which is false"