Crowdfunding and solidarity: How French rail workers sustain a record-long strike

• Now in their 25th day, France’s nationwide strikes against the government’s pension reform plans are poised on NYE to become the longest of their kind in the country’s history.
• With no retreat in sight from either the government or the unions, today’s strikes could soon beat that record, forcing strikers to find creative ways to cope.
• To make that possible, it’s relying on everyday solidarity. Collection jars are a regular sight at strike marches. But the bulk of fundraising today is done online. A crowdfunding campaign launched by SUD-Rail has raised more than €43,000 to date. Other unions, including the CFDT and UNSA, have also launched independent crowdfunding campaigns.
• By far the most successful of the crowdsourced strike funds, though, is the one launched by members of the CGT’s Info’Com (information and communications) branch, which has so far raised upwards of €1.5 million.

Source: France24

 

 

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