This time the str shows a power of united action among the unions such as has not been witnessed for a long time. Up to now the strike has developed in calm fashion in the tradition of the miners, with ~ parades, rallies, music and the singing of the Internationale. The Government appears to be letting it proceed; it has received all kinds of appeals for an understanding, etce Probably the situation will not crystallise for a while. But it is quite clear that the Gevernment has not given up the thought of a test of force, while the Unions (all of them) although standing firm up to now on the right to strike, have been anxious to open negotiations.
In the. present political situation in France, the main concern of the workers ' movement is to assure the miners of complete solidarity, first of all in compe1ling the withdrawalof the requisition, secondly in putting the squeeze on for the wage hikee It was the government which in its way, brought the miners strike to a political level. But we have not reached the point where the miners and the working class have joined battle even objectively, against the de Gaullist regime as suche We are only at the first great confrontation between the workers and a regime of which they do not have a clear understanding, the traditional working-class parties having done nothing to clarify them on the subject.
The power of the workers on the level of economic demands is proving to be very great; the same cannot be said for the political level. But it is through such confrontations, with all they place at stake, that the politlal consciousness of the workers will be revived and developed.
* The mine engineers are highly qualified technicians who
constitute the actual management of the nationalised mines.
Their? expressiona of sympathy with the strikers, including
the donation of two days! pay, is unprecedented,..
occurred that—eave birth + ree Ouvriére, —