Martinique Workers Fight High Prices

Nov 11, 2024

This article is translated from the October 27 issue of Combat Ouvrier (Workers Struggle), the paper of the Trotskyist group of that name active in the Caribbean islands of Guadeloupe and Martinique.

Since September 1, hundreds of people have been demonstrating against the high cost of living. The association RPPRAC (Rassemblement pour la protection des peuples et des ressources afro caribéens) has called on the population to mobilize. They are demanding that prices be lowered and brought into line with those in France.

Mobilizations began in the streets of Fort-de-France on Sunday, September 1. Then people blockaded supermarkets belonging to wealthy capitalists such as Hayot and Parfait, as well as industrial zones.

In mid-September, the anger spread to young people in the Sainte-Thérèse district of Fort-de-France. They clashed with the police. Following these nights of violence, the Prefect announced the arrival of CRS 8, a unit specializing in urban violence.

The mobilizations also spread to workers’ organizations. On September 20, the CGTM (General Confederation of Workers, Martinique) filed a 24-hour strike notice, which is still in force. On September 26, 600 workers demonstrated in the streets of Fort-de-France. On October 1, several unions called a strike and demonstration. More than a thousand people took part. On October 10, Martinique woke up to roadblocks from the north to the south of the island. Almost every district was affected.

Since September, negotiations have been taking place at the CTM (Collectivité territoriale de Martinique) between the Prefect, the President of the CTM, representatives of the retail sector, CMA-CGM (the main transportation company), and the RPPRAC.

On Wednesday, October 16, an agreement was signed between the parties. But the RPPRAC refused to sign, as it would only bring down the prices of 6,000 products out of a total of 40,000. On Saturday, October 19, over 2,000 people responded to RPPRAC’s call to rally in Fort-de-France.

We can only understand people’s anger: a pack of milk that costs 6.30 euros in France costs 9.95 euros in Martinique. Or a 750 gram jar of applesauce, which costs 1.49 euros in France, is 5.49 euros in Martinique, an increase of 268.46%. [Note that one euro is about $1.07.]

But to bring prices down dramatically, we need to demand that these major retailers reveal the exorbitant margins they make on product prices! We need to force Hayot and the big retailers to lower their margins. CMA-CGM, which made over 23 billion in profits last year, must do the same.

Life is also expensive because wages, pensions and minimum social benefits are not keeping pace with inflation. It is not possible to live with dignity on less than 2,000 euros after taxes per month!

Against the high cost of living, workers have every interest in organizing themselves in their companies, in their neighborhoods. They can organize in the unions, and also set up committees everywhere, based on their own demands. This organization of struggles into committees would better reveal the revolutionary force of workers.

For a full-scale fight against the high cost of living would have a direct impact on the coffers of big capitalist companies and would attack the stubborn legacy of colonialism and the plantation economy.

The advances already achieved have been due to the balance of power created in the streets. This is what the workers and people of Martinique have demonstrated. By raising the level of combativeness, it is possible to achieve much more in Martinique, and by extending the struggle at least to Guadeloupe, and even to Reunion Island and French Guiana.

The workers and people of Martinique are leading the way.