Paris, 18 April 2017

Our Position
Statement by the National Bureau of the POID

The Democratic Independent Workers Party (POID) was founded to defend and express the interests of the workers. It struggles to establish a workers' government that is capable of taking the emergency measures for which the situation calls.

The Maastricht Treaty was signed 25 years ago. Over the course of those 25 years, successive governments of both the right and the left have provoked social and political regression and decay on an unprecedented scale. The agenda calls for a fight for democracy through the convening of a Constituent Assembly. It is in this way that the people will be able once and for all to put an end to the Fifth Republic and the European Union and to decide on the content and form of a genuinely democratic Republic (this is why the militant activists of the POID, together with workers and activists of all political tendencies, are part of the Movement for breaking with the European Union and the Fifth Republic, which was formed on 5 November 2016 and which demonstrated on 18 March 2017 at the Communards' Wall in Paris).

A supporter of the class struggle, the POID regards as inalienable the workers' right to organise and fight to defend their rights and their gains, which includes defending the independence of the trade union organisations. For months on end, millions of workers and youth, united with the CGT and FO labour confederations (together with the FSU and Solidaires), mobilised for the withdrawal of the El Khomri law. For months on end, millions of workers and youth sought out the path of unity through a general movement for the withdrawal of the El Khomri law.

The vast majority of the population supported that demand. Despite this, the salami-slicing of the movement into 14 separate 24-hour days of action and the refusal of the leaders to call for a strike until the law was withdrawn allowed the government to impose it using Article 49.3 of the Constitution.

Today, this law is starting to be applied. It allows employers everywhere to impose superexploitation and unpaid overtime. It threatens the rights of employees and the existence of the trade unions.

The repeal of the El Khomri law is a demand of the majority of the country. The coup carried out by Hollande and Valls resulted in rejection on such a scale that Hollande gave up the prospect of standing for re-election, and Valls was eliminated from the presidential election race. Today this has led them to support Macron against their own party's candidate, who was guilty of "rebelling" by refusing to vote in favour of that law. In another form, the continuity of the working-class mobilisation against the El Khomri law is also being reflected in the crowds attending Jean-Luc Mélenchon's rallies.

The fact is: two candidates have declared themselves in favour of repealing the El Khomri law.

The fact is: the majority have declared themselves in favour of repealing the El Khomri law.

The fact is: with unity between the two candidates to agree on a single candidacy for the repeal of the El Khomri law, there was a strong likelihood of generating the momentum that would allow the majority to impose its wish to break with the policy of successive governments. Although it was desired by a large number of workers, youth, local councillors and trade union and political activists of all tendencies of the labour movement, that unity was not achieved.

The POID has no interests that are distinct from those of all the workers and youth.

Just after the selection of Hamon in the primary, we stated: "If there is agreement on a single candidacy for the repeal of the El Khomri law, millions of workers and youth will see this as a call to mobilise. In that case, the POID, which does not share the programmes of those two candidates, will assume its responsibilities and help to achieve a step forward, however limited, along the path of breaking with the policy of Hollande-Valls-Cazeneuve acting on the orders of finance capital."

We are approaching the first round of the presidential election. More than ever, we affirm that unity for the repeal of the El Khomri law is an urgent necessity.

We call on everyone: workers, youth, labour movement activists, everyone; we want to put an end to this policy of poverty, unemployment and destruction that is dragging down the majority more and more each day, while a handful of profiteers, bankers, share-holders and speculators grow fatter each day.

We all want the withdrawal of French troops who are intervening abroad and an end to the wars against the peoples into which the government - subject to the demands of Trump, in other words of finance capital - is dragging us.

Workers, youth, let us not be divided. Whatever each of you chooses to do (and whatever the result on 23 April), the working class must close ranks and sweep away this policy.

To the workers, youth and activists who ask us what our "voting advice" is, we reply:

- Obviously, the workers can expect absolutely nothing from voting for candidates who openly claim the support of the capitalists and the bankers (Macron, Fillon) or who express the desire to divide the workers and set them against each other according to their origins (Le Pen).

- The fact is that today, millions of workers and youth are preparing to vote for Mélenchon, and others for Hamon. While other still, in the absence of a clear perspective based on unity and breaking with the current policy, want to express their rejection of this regime in its death-throes by abstaining.

Workers, youth, whatever your choice may be, let us not be divided.

Whoever is elected president, this failed and corrupt regime of the Fifth Republic is doomed: it must be swept away. United on their demands and aspirations, the workers and youth have the means to do so. It is with this aim in mind that we are working to build a workers' party. Workers, youth, do not listen to those who are telling you that trade unions and political parties are forms of organisation that are out-of-date. The working class is only strong if it is organised on a fully independent basis in relation to the state, the bosses and the government. It needs independent trade unions.

It also needs political parties that exclusively serve its interests.

Together, let us build the workers' party that is indispensable for helping to resolve the crisis in a direction that is favourable to the interests of the majority.

Down with the Fifth Republic and the European Union!
Unite for the repeal of the El Khomri law!

Workers, activists, youth, we invite you to participate in the open meetings of the Democratic Independent Workers Party, which is preparing its Second Congress (24-25 June in Paris), meetings that are open for free debate between workers and activists of all political tendencies of the labour movement.

-- The National Bureau of the POID
18 April 2017