Undocumented isolated workers droped by the French union trade CGT.

On the 24th of June 2009, the French trade union CGT cleared the former French working market, Bourse du Travail, in the third district of Paris.


The place had been occupied since the 8th May 2008 by several hundreds of isolated workers who live illegally on the French territory. We questioned the labour union on the reasons of this evacuation. Bernadette Sito, in charge of the communication of the departmental union of CGT Paris, explained that the trade union lived this occupation as "violence". According to her, the undocumented workers invaded the yard of la Bourse Du Travail and the union trade "did not expect this intrusion". To her, the buildings of the trade union "do not have for a purpose to welcome the workers who struggle. Such occupancy hinders the good work of the union trade".
However, she added that the CGT Paris remains an ally for the isolated workers who do not have legal papers. The labor union will continue to help them in their future moves against the unscrupulous employers.
Even if this occupation has been difficult for CGT Paris, it is important to wonder if the trade union had the right to evict these workers since these buildings belong to Paris' town hall and not to the CGT itself.
After these events, the workers settled Boulevard du Temple, in order to be heard. One of the delegates explained the claiming of the association of the undocumented workers -called CSP 75- to us:
"Our demands are simple: as we are some isolated workers, we have one or two workers without legal papers in each firm. For this reason, we can't occupy our firms as the trade union CGT recommend. That is why, we ask for the regularization of all these workers. Yet, when they go to the prefecture, regularizations are rejected.
So, on the one hand, the prefecture refuses to give papers to the workers, and, on the other hand, the CGT Paris are beaten us! "
For three weeks, the workers lived in the street, in very difficult conditions in order not to be forgotten. On July, the 13th, after a vote, the workers of the coordination CSP 75 finally decided to leave Rue du Temple when the prefecture bound to examined 300 cases -out of 1, 174 cases.
A majority of the workers decided to leave and, therefore, to end the longest mobilization of undocumented workers in France.
Nevertheless, another fight is coming for the CSP 75 who is now considering lodging a complaint against the union trade CGT.

Renault Charlotte et Deghia Fairouz