Le guide des francophiles aux conflits sociaux Français

Tel que piqué sur Bistro on the ROC pour nos amis francophiles essayant de comprendre nos cousins Français:

Citation :

base (la) = the base, workers who won't stop striking even when the union calls it off

barrage filtrant (le) = filter roadblock, when pickets or "militants" disrupt passage or access to non strikers and public

blocage (le) = shut-down, done to universities by militants

bras de fer (le) = arm wrestle, trial of strength = ritual which ends when government surrenders to la rue

coagulation (la) = fusion of protesting trades, feared by government (une coagulation de mécontentements, le Monde last week)

colère (la) = anger = emotion, always legitimate, justifies blocage, barrage filtrant etc. (ex: les routiers en colère ont bloqué l'autoroute (protesting truck drivers stopped traffic on the ring road).

conflit social (le) = strike or threatened strike

coordination (la) = wild-cat strikers who have given up on unions.

crever = to croak, die of exhaustion or hunger = fate awaiting workers if they don't win strike/protest

crise (la) = state that France believes it is living in since mid-1980s

droit acquis (le) = acquired right = privilege. eg: retirement at 55 ("One must never give up acquired rights" President Francois Mitterrand, 1992)

flexibilité (la) = giving up acquired right, cause for social movement, dirty word (see blairisme), government-preferred alternative: la souplesse

galère, la = galley (as in slave) = ordeal suffered by les usagers (the public).("Une autre journée de galère.." = standard opening of morning radio news.)

grand soir (le) = great evening = overthrow of capitalist system, result of la lutte finale (see below). Usually negative, to profess moderation (ex: We are not dreaming of le grand soir, just defending our rights. Bernard Thibault, boss of CGT union)

grève (la) = strike, basic human right

grève reconductible (la) = renewable strike, extended by daily afternoon vote, way of torturing l'usager (see below)

grèviculteur (le) = promoter of strikes, coined this week by CGT rail union from agriculteur (farmer)

grogne (la) = rumbing discontent, presages mouvement social

lutte (la) = struggle, always noble, often synonymous with la galère

militant (le) = member of minority, devoted to la lutte, blocage etc.

mobilisation (la) = stopping work

mouvement social (le) = strike (ex: En raison d'un mouvement social, tout le service sur la ligne 9 est interrompu. Metro announcement. "Due to a social movement, all service on line 9 has been suspended")

pagaille (la) = chaos, consequence of la mobilisation

partenaires sociaux (les) = employers and unions, adversaries

pénibilité du travail (la) = tough job in state sector, rewarded with droits acquis

plan social (le) = job redundancies

rue (la) = the street, opposition to government, usually wins

social = industrial relations

solidarité (la) = supporting a worthy cause. (ex: Je suis solidaire avec le mouvement social = I don't mind waiting hours for a train because I support the strike)

syndicat (le) = trade/labour union, array of rival bodies to which eight percent of French workers belong

Thatcherisation (la) = horror, fate to be averted with lutte, mobilisation, etc. (see political glossary)

usager (le) = passenger, customer, victim

Et c'est le grand Général qui nous disait "je vous ai compris!" Comprendrait-il aujourd'hui?