The toll of damage is increasing in Martinique and has reached, according to the Prefecture, 52 vehicles burned and 61 businesses burglarized since the start of the mobilization against the high cost of living. Monday evening 15 additional police officers and gendarmes were injured, bringing to 33 the number of law enforcement officers injured since the beginning of September. In total, 70 individuals were arrested during the various events.
By way of a press release, Jean-Christophe Bouvier, the Prefect of Martinique regrets these acts, on the sidelines of the mobilization, he assures to lead, with all the interlocutors “in-depth, responsible and rigorous work”, in the fight against the high cost of living. A fourth round table is organized on Thursday October 10, 2024.
An update on the progress of recent weeks
This new exchange between the parties concerned by the protest, namely the Prefect, the RPPRAC, the local authority of Martinique (CTM) and the union of food distributors and wholesalers (SDGA), should make it possible to take stock of the progress of these two recent weeks. The Prefecture announces that several work sequences took place in Fort-de-France and Paris, allowing the State representative and the President of the CTM executive council, “to present an action plan that everyone will be obliged to share and implement in order to achieve a structural and lasting reduction in the price of consumer products”.
Read also: In Martinique, an anti-waste grocery store fights against the high cost of living to help “get by”
As a reminder, during the last negotiations, President Serge Letchimy proposed removing dock dues on 54 product families. This reform was to be submitted to a vote by the elected representatives of the Assembly during the plenary session on October 3. Finally, the examination of this measure “exceptional and experimental” was postponed due to lack of a commitment from the State to lower VAT and strengthen price and margin controls.
“Beware of false good decisions”
Town halls, the main beneficiaries of the dock dues, are standing up against this reduction in their revenue. “Beware of false good decisions”, warned Justin Pamphile, the president of the association of mayors of Martinique, recalling that several Martinique municipalities have already signed a Corom (Overseas recovery contracts for municipalities) with the State. This type of contract allows municipalities in difficulty to benefit from support to improve their financial situation, in particular to reduce payment deadlines to their local suppliers.
For someone who is also mayor of Lorrain, the elimination of these revenues could therefore have serious consequences in the life of the municipalities: “State allocations will decrease and we are still being asked to make an effort. CCAS, for example, are funded by the town hall and help many families. Are we going to have to cut budgets? It will be untenable.”
Justin Pamphile is also worried about the social situation in Martinique, if this abolition of dock dues is applied: “We are the territory of life. The social explosion, as we are experiencing it today, is nothing compared to what is likely to happen if there is no longer a town hall capable of compensating and calming things down. For me, it’s a disaster. »
No commitment from the government on the request for a VAT reduction
As for the avenues of work for the State to contribute to the reduction of prices, the reduction in VAT from 2.1% to 0% on consumer products, as in Guyana or Mayotte, was presented as an axis priority defined during the second round table, as a tax exemption for Freight through a reduction in import VAT. The creation of a compensation fund of 11 million euros financed by a contribution from carriers and a participation from the State for territorial continuity was also proposed by the prefect of Martinique.
However, today is the time to save money in France. In order to reduce the public deficit to 5%, the executive plans a colossal effort of 60 billion euros to be found over one year. More and more Martinicans are therefore questioning the possibility that the State will agree to reduce its tax revenues, when it needs the money.
The President of the executive council of the CTM nevertheless set this condition for the vote on the dock dues reform. For the moment, the government has not committed in any way to these measures.
Unions denounce “the violence carried out by the CRS8”
In hypermarkets, promotions have multiplied in recent days, without preventing militant actions. Without significant progress, the RPPRAC is increasing the pressure, with virulent shopping cart operations. Activists rob the shelves, filling baskets and carts. Once at the checkout, they indicate that they cannot pay for their purchases, given the amount is too high, leaving the items where they are. In response, the targeted hypermarkets close their doors, gradually letting customers leave on site.
Various requests have been addressed to distributors, concerning their profit margins and the transparency of their operations, without them committing to this for the moment. At the start of the social mobilization against the high cost of living, the Martinican unions did not take part in the movement, showing their support gradually. At the end of September, the CGTM and the CDMT joined the protest movement, calling for 24-hour strikes, renewable. Operations are therefore increasing these days.
This Wednesday, October 9, the inter-union of the Fort-de-France Commercial Port announced blocking access to the site, interrupting delivery/reception activity. An operation “dead island” is also announced by around thirty associations and trade union organizations. All denounce “colonial repression and the violence carried out by the CRS8”, notably Monday at Lamentin. They therefore ask all sectors of activity “to take initiatives to mobilize”. Thus, several molokoy operations departed from the port to converge towards the city center of Fort-de-France this Wednesday. The departure of the CRS8 is also requested.
