newbobooks Chapter 252 The Workers of Brittany
Chapter 252 The Workers of Brittany
Several years have passed since factories sprang up on this land. These towering steel and concrete buildings have covered the land. The monster called industry has devoured grasslands and forests. Capitalists have poured money into buying manpower, machines, and technology, exploiting workers, producing goods, and shaping social norms that have changed the entire world.
Capitalism is the dominant term in Brittany today. In this transformation called capitalism, everything can be measured by value, and capital reigns supreme. The Council of Brittany, the highest authority in Brittany, which was originally a business association, now assumes the responsibility of being the spokesperson for capitalism.
Here, all traditions are obliterated, swept away by the fast-paced capitalist society and driven towards commercialization. An invisible hand propels everything, whether it be culture, material things, or every individual, all undergoing alienation by this invisible hand.
In the rising port of Caro, skyscrapers are springing up, and beneath the neon lights and reinforced concrete buildings, there are one captivating tale of wealth after another. The traditional myths of princesses and princes, heroes and demons are being replaced by the get-rich-quick stories of self-made businessmen, industrialists, and capitalists.
During the era brought by Amelansi, Brittany seemed to have undergone a complete transformation, yet it also seemed to remain unchanged. Beneath the high-rise buildings, one could still see ragged manual laborers everywhere, and the modern port had not eliminated what was once the largest group in the city—dockworkers.
"Finally finished. Damn it, why are there so many ships today?"
In the makeshift shed, the workers were covered in sweat, towels draped casually around their necks. A glass of beer, a large bowl of stewed vegetables and meat, and plenty of white bread were their lunch.
For manual laborers, large amounts of sugar, carbohydrates, and oil are necessary, and the vendors selling food in such places are well aware of this, as are the stalls set up along the workers' usual route home.
Chicken and duck meat, especially silver-feathered chickens, from the Americas are now flooding the market. For thousands of years, meat, eggs, and dairy products have been in high demand but unattainable. With the booming livestock industry in southwestern America, the large-scale breeding of chickens, ducks, and pigs has led to changes in the dietary structure of countries and regions surrounding America.
Today, the cheapest duck, chicken, and pork have dominated the Brittany market, and the company "All Foods" of Emeransia basically controls this channel. A significant portion of the livestock exported to Brittany enters through this company.
"How to say?"
"The company is going to cut salaries."
"Damn it, a pay cut? On what grounds?"
"A worker said angrily, taking a swig of ice-cold beer. Wage cuts. The wages in the ports of Brittany aren't low, but for this level of work, they're really too little."
"It's not over yet. I heard they're going to lay off people and then give one person the work that two people used to do."
"These bastards! This is impossible! The rent has gone up again, and I still have to pay for my child's schooling!"
For Brittany workers, they are not at the absolute bottom of society, but the burden on their shoulders is very heavy, and changes in wages are unacceptable.
“Let’s go find Mr. Carl…”
“That’s right, find Mr. Carl, he’ll definitely have a way…”
Carl-Aix could never have imagined that this seemingly ordinary day would become the beginning of the future.
"Alas, this is capitalism. The nature of capital is expansion, unrestricted monopoly and expansion. This is the tragedy of our time."
Carl Eckers stroked his beard and nodded. Behind him stood many people, young and old, men and women, of the same or different races.
"Yes, Mr. Carl, the dockworkers have had enough. Some of our comrades have spoken with them, and most of them are unhappy with this decision."
"Is the news confirmed, comrades?"
“The port company has already made the decision internally. We have the documents. Their confidentiality is very poor.”
The group was in an ordinary room, but it was also the temporary work base of the Britannian Proletarian Commune. This unassuming apartment building contained a large number of organizational documents and housed about a dozen members.
The Breton Proletarian Commune, operating underground, aimed to establish a proletarian communal society, realize the public ownership of the means of production in today's era of socialized production, and create a proletarian communal society where everyone is equal.
In the struggle, whether overt or covert, the Breton authorities have recognized such an organization. However, for them, the Breton Proletarian Commune is just one of many threats, and their threat is on the Breton authorities' list even under the possible economic crisis.
"The workers' movement is necessary, our comrades. We workers are laborers. The port machinery of Brittany cannot operate out of thin air. Mobilize the workers, strike. I believe that the companies controlling the port will not be able to tolerate it, and the workers will also realize their power in this strike."
Carl Eckers said that if the port strike succeeded, it would be a great achievement for their proletarian communal alliance, and it would make the workers realize for the first time that their power was limitless.
Will this affect the international brigade's supply transport?
When asked, someone immediately provided an answer: "Brittania is indeed a transit port, but the main channels for military supplies do not pass through the port of Caro. The Republic of Corsica has reached an agreement with Amelansi, and the port built with Amelansi technology is already in operation and is currently undertaking the main transshipment work."
"That's right... Even if it affects our comrades in the International Brigades, we must seize the opportunity. Revolution will inevitably involve sacrifices, comrades..."
The workers at the port of Brittany elected a representative, and soon effective cooperation was established between the two sides. Members of the Proletarian Commune would help organize the first major strike by the workers, demanding improved working conditions and wages.