French steelworkers warn blockade is a last stand to save the industry | Guardian

The CGT workers are trying to save the steel industry in France along with their community’s economy. It amazes me that there is a complete misunderstanding of the importance of keeping these industries—without them there is no manufacturing base.

CGT is good at explaining how these battles connect to the broader struggles:

“If we lose this battle, it’s a bad sign for the rest of Europe’s steelworks and will boost the multinationalists who will think they can do anything they want.” He added: “People say we are more expensive than Chinese workers. It’s true. But those same people forget they’re also more expensive. “Everything and everyone is more expensive in France than in China so what are we to do – close down Europe and go elsewhere where everyone is paid $80 a month? It’s not about pay, it’s about the society we live in.”