Renewal of the call until 19 march 2023
The week of 6 March saw the start of extendable strikes, huge days of mobilisation on 7 and 11 March for pensions and on 8 March for the international day of struggle for the rights of women and gender minorities, and the multiplication of local actions.
Next Wednesday, the 15, the text of the pension reform will be studied by the Joint Parliamentary Committee, which includes representatives of the Assembly and the Senate. This is the last stage in the process of drafting the law, and its outcome may be the adoption of the pension reform. To mark the occasion, this day will be a major day of mobilisation and demonstrations.
In order to keep up the pressure and continue the mobilisation of video game workers, on 11 March the STJV decided to renew its call for strike action until Sunday 19 March 2023 included.
In particular, the STJV is calling on workers to strike and demonstrate on Wednesday 15 March throughout France, to mobilise workers in companies for these dates, and to take part in local actions. The STJV will be officially present at several demonstrations.
The proposed pensions reform, as unpopular as ever, is unfortunately still on the table. Since 19 January, a social movement of almost unprecedented scale has been opposing it. And video game workers have been involved in large numbers.
We refuse to see the precariousness of people without jobs at the end of their careers and pensioners worsen, and we refuse to see poor people and workers die working before they reach retirement. Instead, we want to return to full retirement at 60 for everyone, funded by an increase in the lowest wages and gender pay equality.
After a series of isolated strike days and demonstrations, and while the text of the reform is being heatedly debated in the National Assembly, we have to face the facts: so far the government remains indifferent. All unions, even the most reformist ones, agree on the need to remain united and to strengthen the movement.
The upcoming 8 March is the international day of struggle for the rights of women and gender minorities, categories particularly affected by this reform. Already penalised under the current system by, among other things, lower wages, unrecognised strenuous work and incomplete careers, they will be even more so if this reform passes. The government’s own estimates show that the negative impacts of this reform will be almost doubled for women.
It is necessary to take into account the intersection between the effects of existing discriminations and those of the successive reforms aimed at destroying society, and therefore to broaden the movement: pensions are only one part of the problem.
The next step in the movement against the pensions reform will be a general strike, whose explicit aim is to block the whole French economy, starting on 7 March. It will be renewed for 8 March, and until the reform is withdrawn.
The Syndicat des Travailleurs et Travailleuses du Jeu Vidéo is therefore calling for a strike in the video game industry from 7 to 12 March. We call on workers, unemployed people, pensioners and students from the video game industry to mobilise in companies, general assemblies and actions that will take place everywhere in France during this period.
Let’s join together wherever we can to discuss, learn, organise, build up local demands, and generally turn this general strike into a moment of struggle, joy and rest, until victory!
This call covers the STJV’s field of action in the private sector, and therefore applies to any person employed by a video game publishing, distribution, services and/or creation company, whatever their position or status and whatever their company’s area of activity (games, consoles, mobile, serious games, VR/AR, game engines, marketing services, streaming, derivative products, esports, online content creation, etc.), as well as to all teachers working in private schools in video game-related courses. As this is a national strike call, no action is necessary to go on strike: just don’t come to work.