Immigrant workers say French government betrayed strike deal
An agreement which ended a 10-month strike by undocumented immigrant workers last year promised to give thousands the right to live and work in France. But now the strikers accuse officials of ratting on the deal. At most a couple of hundred have been given temporary working papers, they claim.
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Fadima Touré left Mali six years ago to seek a better life in France. She found work cleaning hotels in Paris. Touré pays her taxes and contributes to social security, but she is denied the rights enjoyed by other workers in France.
Focus on France February 17
Last year, Touré joined over 6,000 undocumented workers - many doing jobs that are vital to the French economy - who went on strike to obtain working papers. For months, they manned picket lines, occupied buildings and campaigned across the country.
For three consecutive weeks, hundreds of strikers camped in front of the Opera house at Paris's Place de la Bastille in a bid to draw attention to their plight.
In June 2010, there was a breakthrough. Strikers landed a deal with President Nicolas Sarkozy's government and dismantled their makeshift camp in exchange for guarantees that most if not all of them would obtain papers. The deal, brokered by the main trade union CGT, was hailed as a breakthrough at the time.
Touré submitted her application for working papers with high hopes. Today she says French authorities have not even acknowledged her application.
“I didn’t even receive an acknowedgement, nor did they call to ask for extra documents,” she says. “They say they have not yet looked at my application and that I have to wait.”
Under the terms of the deal, Touré explains should have received acknowledgement, which would protect her from being deported for three months, immediately.
“We fought to legalise our situation but today it seems they don’t want to maintain the status quo, which works in favour of the employers,” says Touré. “And we have to put up with the situation. We can’t even complain because we are afraid of losing our jobs.”
Touré has resumed working as a cleaner and says she works 11 hours a day but is only paid for five hours.
Many share Touré’s woes. A majority of the undocumented workers who went on strike last year did not receive a one-year work permit, rights groups say. Estimates vary from a few dozen to a couple of hundred.
Rights groups and immigrant workers accuse the government of not respecting its promises.
“The situation is terrible,” says Bénédicte Kermadec, a member of neighbourhood support group for undocumented workers. “They went on strike for such a long time and were very determined to fight for their rights. But the agreements were not respected and they are still waiting. Today they have lost everything.”
Human rights groups campaigning for undocumented workers today say many have slipped into debt after several months on the picket line. Many undocumented workers can no longer support their families who often live abroad. Alain Blanc, a member of migrant solidarity campaign la Cimade, says employers take advantage of the situation.
The workers "are not in a position to negotiate with their employers who make the most of the situation and pay them salaries below the minimum wage in france,” says Blanc.
France’s CGT trade union however is more positive. CGT member Françoise Blanche says 1,000 workers have obtained acknowledgement for their applications which allows them to work for a couple of months.
Blanche maintains the deal reached was a breakthrough, because the government at last spelt out the criteria for work permit applications. But she admits officials are not always implementing the agreement.
“As usual, the French prefectures [which process work applications] are dragging their feet, so you have to lobby each one individually and that is what employees are doing right now.”
Speaking anonymously, an undocumented worker said he was disappointed with the results of the CGT’s piloting of talks with the government.
France's interior ministry, which has replaced the immigration ministry since a government reshuffle, did not respond to interview requests.
Focus on France 16 June 2010
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