There are many truths. One is that the Caribbean is a relatively small and remote community. It has no natural resources of any consequence i.e. natural wealth. Because of these realities it is a very expensive place to reside.

It would be more expensive, but for government subsidies enjoyed by some of the islands.

In the case of Guadaloupe and Martinique you have former colonies that now enjoy many of the rights
and priveleges of French citizenship. People are angry because they do not enjoy the same advantages of people living in continental Europe. Their leaders appear to be oblivious to the most fundamental aspects of market behavior i.e. supply and demand.

The prices in the United States vary greatly between major metropolitan areas and rural communities. The mega stores (grand surface) like Walmart bring economies of scale to communities that improve on the economic disparities that would exist otherwise.

It is ironic that the current focus in the collective strikes appears to have taken aim at the large companies e.g. grocery stores, rather than the mighty government that has failed to better subsidize transportation and wages; or the “Beke”, who are the personaification of colonialism.

At the end of the day; will there be a net gain under the current scenarios? Marginal benefits, new bankruptcies, increased unemployement and a shrinking tax base.

The demands of the strikers appear to change with the passage of each day. What responsible financial group would want to invest money in this region when it is subject to the rule of a disorganized Collectif”?

I don’t see anywhere a boost whether huge or not of the independence movement.

No one says nowhere that every business is a mega-profitable organisation. On the contrary people insist of the few economic actors which has the great economic power despite the legal constraints.

I don’t favour a rise of low wages, that’s my own view. I favour decrease of the prices with respect of the law. You may find the list of the 100 families of products at http://www.martinique.franceantilles.fr (our unique daily newspaper) or at bondamanjak.com.

It’s unfortunate that you don’t want to look around and see the abuse, and unproper actions/followup.

Bad business kills the business.

Cheers

Yes, the French Caribbean is expensive, but if you think that every business is a mega-profitable organisation, you will be horribly mistaken.

The pay rise: Guadeloupe asked for 200 euros per month extra, so Martinique asked for 300 euros per month extra net for everyone. Ridiculous demands which cannot be achieved!

The one breakthrough was a reduction of prices of the 100 most essential items. I haven’t seen the list, but I hear that champagne and rum is on the list. Is that for survival? Has anybody seen the list? Anyway, after negotiations with the Conseil Regional and shipping companies for a drop in import duties and shipping costs, they acheive the 20%. But after, the goal posts move and they want a 20% reduction of 100 ‘families’ of products. What is a “family” of product? Does that mean everything now?

What ever they give, they will continue to come back and ask for more. Where does it stop?

I would like to be positive, but I just can’t see an end.

@born2taste
People here are negociating for a better cost of living. The matter is not independance. The matter is that, as good consumers, we no longer want to be cash cows. Indeed such a social crisis is a disruption in the economy, I have lived for more than 10 yrs in Paris, I know that. Better prices in the French West Indies will benefit to all: tourists & locals, entrepreneurs & workers.

@daniel
There is also the -30% decrease on prices of necessity products and services (which was obtained 2 days ago). Some prices have had risen of 70%, 100% in a year. And +600% for some since the transition from francs to euros. Some industries was “found” in a oligopoly context in which some specific laws should have been applied, while they aren’t.

Very interesting points, with a lot of pessimism.
If I may, strikers and protesters got already real, because they looked around us to see how hard life really is. Your reality is not necessarily everyone’s reality.

They, well we, are not self-destructing: we are constructing.

I’ve had to fly out of Martinique, because we had no more petrol and were running low on food, but hope to fly back if and when things calm down.

It is with a great deal of regret to inform you that Martinique and Guadeloupe are in Self-Destruct. These islands have so much going for them and despite what the press say, there is (or at least was) very little poverty in Martinique. I see a lot more poverty in the French countryside. Or take a look at St Lucia or Dominica for REAL POVERTY.

Fortunately, there is less violence than in Guadeloupe, but it will take a long time for the local economies to recover from this and unemployment is likely to go roof as businesses are closing permenantly as a result.

If this continues, the only solution is independance, but I don’t have a clue how these islands can independantly afford to pay the RMI to 30% of the population and chomage to 20% (and increasing) of the population.

I work (or worked?) in tourism and had so much hope for these islands which have a lot more to offer than the likes of St Lucia, and it would be a shame for it to descend into a state like Haiti.

I’m on the brink of losing everything that I’ve worked for for the past two years and my message to the grevists and independantists is “Get Real! and look around you to see how good life really is or was.

I was born in Vietnam, grew up in New York and is currently living in Paris, France. I will move to Martinique this summer to work. I hope that you will still be living and working in Martinique by the time I move there, because I would like to make acquainted with you as I find that someone like you who defend and believe that fairness is just. You seem to not let the media lead you blind without thorough inquiries.

Throughout this island and Guadeloupe people are being stopped from going to work. I have no problem with the right to strike, but what about the right to work?

Tell me which bits of what I wrote before aren’t true?

I fully agree that the cost of living is expensive and that something needs to be done about it. But this reportage was so one sided and designed to encite hatredness, which I cannot stand.

If you are not happy with the Beke, why not simply boycott Beke businesses or products? There is a choice. Everyone should be allowed to make their own choices.

There are always two sides to every story. But you need to understand the two sides of the story to be able to have a balanced opinion.

I was as shocked as everyone when I watched the documentary, but then when I researched the other side of the story, I was even more shocked that a channal like Canal+ could have prepared this in this way.

No I am not a beke (colonist), but I do know some and what you saw on this documentary was a million miles away from the reality.

First thing is that I am as shocked as anyone about the comments made by the 82 year old Mr Despointes. Totally inexcusable and from what I hear he is also being very isolated in the Beke community as well.

The second thing is that it is very true that there is not enough competition, but that is typical of all small islands and it is absolutely ridulous to blame that on the beke when they only represent 20% of GDP (Apparently its more like 10%).

But let me tell you just a few flaws in this documentary.

1. The wonderful mansion at the start of the documentary is actually the holiday home (not his main home!) of a Mr Parfait who isn’t a beke, but of mixed colour.

2. The reporter also makes out that all of the beke in the Cap Est have these wonderful homes with swimming pools and tennis courts. But there aren’t any homes in Le Cap Est with a tennis court. This image was actually that of the Le Cap Est Lagoon hotel. Check out Google Earth if you don’t believe me.

3. Mr Parfait is then pressurised by the journalist to criticise the so called economic dominance of the beke when Mr Parfait one of the richest men in Martinique with largest shopping centre and a Hypermarket. Canal+ don’t mention this though of course.

4. The journalist says that M.Hayot has 2 out of 3 Carrefours in Martinique. Hang on, why did he not say that M. Hayot owns 2 out of the 6 hypermarkets in Martinique? Because it sounds better of course! The other 4 aren’t owned by any of the Beke families.

5. The journalist makes out that Martinique is expensive because of the Beke’s so called monopoly over the distribution. Hang on, is Guadeloupe (which has less import duties), or even La Reunion in the Indian Ocean any cheaper? I certainly haven’t seen any difference.

6. Bananas, Bananas, Bananas – the Beke only have 50% of banana plantations. First of all that was what they have been doing for generations and when they go to the EU to help protect Martinique’s banana exportation, they are also helping the other 50% of banana plantation owners. When it’s 50/50 why do they not criticise the other 50%. Do you really think that the other 50% don’t suffer from strikes or didn’t use that pesticide.

This documentary was clearly prepared to encite hatredness against the beke community and Canal+ choose the best 50minutes of the 50 hours of footage to present this.

For example M. Hayot was walking out of the Fort-de-France stadium and they show an image of les Antillais all behind a cage. Everybody goes through exits like that in the stade Dillon, but Canal+ choose that image to try to illustrate a so called “modern day slavery”.

They could have prepared this documentary to attack any race or community and portray it in any way they wish.

The documentary was ready in October. Why did they wait until a strike (which started in Guadeloupe) over the cost of living to present this documentary?

In my opinion (and only mine), I think that this was requested by the French government, because they’ve had enough of Martinique and Guadeloupe and what better way of giving the inpendance movement a big boost.

I think that France no longer needs or wants Martinique or Guadeloupe. They’ve moved a milatary base out and like they make clear on the documentary – with 20% unemployment and 30% on minimum income benefit, these islands are a major financial burden.

If the population doesn’t push for independance, France will do it for them.