2009 French Caribbean General Strikes - Background of The Strikes

Background of The Strikes

Residents of Guadeloupe and Martinique, whose economies are dependent on tourism, have a very high cost of living. Many residents feel their salaries are not keeping up with the rising cost of food, utilities and other necessities. The prices of basic commodities and food staples are much higher in Guadeloupe and Martinique than in metropolitan France. These high prices are due to the higher costs of importing products into the islands. The average salary in Guadeloupe, the cause of the first general strike, is lower than in mainland France while the unemployment and poverty rates on both islands are double those found in metropolitan France. Both islands are supported by subsidies from metropolitan France.

Four French overseas territories have the highest unemployment rates in the European Union as of 2007 – Réunion, Guadeloupe, Martinique, and French Guiana. Guadeloupe also has the highest youth unemployment rate in the European Union, with 55.7% in the 15-to-24-years age group unemployed.

The structure of the economy of the French Caribbean, a legacy of the colonial era, complicated the 2009 crisis. Most of Guadeloupe's and Martinique's largest land and business assets are still controlled by the "béké", the ethnically French, white European descendants of the islands' settlers. The békés' ancestors had been the islands' colonists and slave holders. The majority of the Guadeloupean and Martiniquean populations, who are of African or mixed race descent, live in comparative (to the békés) poverty. For example, the békés of Martinique comprise just 1% of the island's 401,000 population, yet they control most of the island's industries.

The residents of both Guadeloupe and Martinique are considered to be full French citizens. The Euro is the official currency on both islands. The government and day-to-day decisions affecting both islands are made in Paris, located thousands of miles away. Working families, especially lower-income families, have complained that it is difficult to pay for basic necessities due to the high cost of living. 70% of residents in Pointe-à-Pitre, Guadeloupe's largest city, currently reside in public housing.

The islands are also afflicted by a number of other societal problems. The homicide rate in Guadeloupe is four times higher than that of mainland France. Protesters in Guadeloupe and Martinique accused the French government of ignoring their economic and political concerns in the face of the looming global financial crisis of 2008–2009.