Lights go out across France in privatisation dispute

[Dirk39]

Jon Henley in Paris
Wednesday June 16, 2004
The Guardian

Six French cities were plunged into darkness and several leading government figures had their power supply cut yesterday when the trade union CGT led a national day of action against plans to partly privatise the state electricity utility, EDF.

Both Nicolas Sarkozy, the finance minister and the communist-linked CGT, supported by three other unions, said they would not back down as parliament debated the privatisation bill and more than 6,000 power workers took to the streets in Paris alone.

Bernard Thibault, the CGT's general secretary said: "This plan was not acceptable yesterday, it is not acceptable today and will not be tomorrow. A decision of this nature, of this importance, cannot be taken when it provokes so much controversy."

The government plans to change the status of EDF and the gas utility, GDF, to allow up to 30% of its capital to be sold to private investors from next year.


http://www.guardian.co.uk/france/story/0,11882,1239774,00.html


Hello from Germany,
Robbespiere

[Robbien]

1. Now that's a good way to get the people's attention

When their government is setting up another Enron and the public is not protesting, these guys turn out the lights. Good thinking.

[Dirk39]

2. I love those french people...

Although there's a lot of protest in Germany against the neoliberal attacks, too.
We would rather start a worldwar or two, than to cut the electricity for the chief of the German Industry in his private home and send electricity to those, who couldn't afford to pay their electricity bills...
There's a lot to learn about the bigotry of european leaders, too.
When the electricity failed in the US last year, all the Chiracs and Schroeders couldn't stop to joke about the USA and the kind of wild-west capitalism in the USA, while at the same time preparing and forcing our societies to become the same as a necessity in the times of globalizatiion. The more, the USA and Europe drift apart, the more they resemble one another inside.
Reading Du for about a year now, the most surprising thing for me is that Americans still believe that Europe would be a kind of third way capitalism.
Liberté, Egalité, Fraternité,
Dirk

[seemslikeadream]

3. Vielen Dank deshalb viel für Ihre Hilfe

Es war wirklich Art von Ihnen, Zeit sich zu nehmen.

:hi:

[Dirk39]

4. You're welcome...

I hope my translation was o.k., if only I could cut the electricity in the private home of Schröder's last comrade, the leader of the German Industry right now....
Could you imagine that workers in US-electricity corporations cut the electricity in Rumsfeld's or Bush's private home? And at the same time delivering electricity for free into the private homes of clients, who couldn't afford to pay their electricity bills during the last months?

Hi from Germany,
Dirk