Élie Domota
Encyclopedia
Élie Domota is a trade union
leader from Guadeloupe
, spokesman of Liyannaj Kont Pwofitasyon
or LKP (« Movement against exploitation » in creole
) and general secretary of the UGTG, the main trade union in Guadeloupe. He was the leading figure in the general strike in Guadeloupe which started on January 20, 2009.
Born in Bas-du-Bourg, a poor neighbourhood of Basse-Terre
, Élie Domota is the third child of a family of six. His father was a carpenter and his mother was a cleaning lady. He joined the Young Christian Workers
at the age of 14.
He studied in Limoges
, where he obtained a DUT of management, before graduating in economic and social management, and in urban planning. He went back to Guadeloupe in 1991 after his studies, and is now deputy head of the ANPE
of Morne-à-l'Eau
. He is married with three children.
During the 2009 strikes on the island, he allegedly made repeated racist remarks toward the white minority of the island, warning that employers in Guadeloupe either “implement the agreement or they leave Guadeloupe. We are quite firm on this. We won't let a bunch of white bosses (using the Creole
term béké
s, used often in a derogatory fashion to refer to white settlers) re-establish slavery."
Trade union
A trade union, trades union or labor union is an organization of workers that have banded together to achieve common goals such as better working conditions. The trade union, through its leadership, bargains with the employer on behalf of union members and negotiates labour contracts with...
leader from Guadeloupe
Guadeloupe
Guadeloupe is an archipelago located in the Leeward Islands, in the Lesser Antilles, with a land area of 1,628 square kilometres and a population of 400,000. It is the first overseas region of France, consisting of a single overseas department. As with the other overseas departments, Guadeloupe...
, spokesman of Liyannaj Kont Pwofitasyon
Liyannaj Kont Pwofitasyon
Liyannaj Kont Pwofitasyon, or LKP, is an umbrella group of approximately trade unions and social movements in Guadeloupe, which spearheaed the general strike beginning in January 2009.- Name :...
or LKP (« Movement against exploitation » in creole
Antillean Creole
Antillean Creole is a creole language with a vocabulary based on French. It is spoken primarily in the Lesser Antilles. Its grammar and vocabulary also include elements of Carib and African languages. Antillean Creole is related to Haitian Creole, but has a number of distinctive features; they are...
) and general secretary of the UGTG, the main trade union in Guadeloupe. He was the leading figure in the general strike in Guadeloupe which started on January 20, 2009.
Born in Bas-du-Bourg, a poor neighbourhood of Basse-Terre
Basse-Terre
Basse-Terre is the prefecture of Guadeloupe, an overseas region and department of France located in the Lesser Antilles...
, Élie Domota is the third child of a family of six. His father was a carpenter and his mother was a cleaning lady. He joined the Young Christian Workers
Young Christian Workers
The Young Christian Workers is an international organization founded by Rev. Joseph Cardijn in Belgium as the Young Trade Unionists; the organization adopted its present name in 1924. Its French acronym, JOC, gave rise to the then widely-used terms Jocism and Jocist...
at the age of 14.
He studied in Limoges
Limoges
Limoges |Limousin]] dialect of Occitan) is a city and commune, the capital of the Haute-Vienne department and the administrative capital of the Limousin région in west-central France....
, where he obtained a DUT of management, before graduating in economic and social management, and in urban planning. He went back to Guadeloupe in 1991 after his studies, and is now deputy head of the ANPE
Agence nationale pour l'emploi
The Agence Nationale pour l'Emploi, or ANPE was a French government agency which provided counseling and aid to those who are in search of a job or of training....
of Morne-à-l'Eau
Morne-à-l'Eau
Morne-à-l'Eau is a commune in Guadeloupe. It is home to L'Etoile de Morne-à-l'Eau, a football team who have won the Coupe D.O.M..In March or April each year since 1993, the town organises a crab festival which features crab races and many stalls selling crab-based dishes...
. He is married with three children.
During the 2009 strikes on the island, he allegedly made repeated racist remarks toward the white minority of the island, warning that employers in Guadeloupe either “implement the agreement or they leave Guadeloupe. We are quite firm on this. We won't let a bunch of white bosses (using the Creole
Antillean Creole
Antillean Creole is a creole language with a vocabulary based on French. It is spoken primarily in the Lesser Antilles. Its grammar and vocabulary also include elements of Carib and African languages. Antillean Creole is related to Haitian Creole, but has a number of distinctive features; they are...
term béké
Béké
Béké or beke is a Creole term to describe a descendant of the early European, usually French, settlers in the French Antilles.-Origin:The origin of the term is not clear and several explanations have been proposed. It could be a word from the Igbo language where it describes a European...
s, used often in a derogatory fashion to refer to white settlers) re-establish slavery."
See also
- 2009 French Caribbean general strikes2009 French Caribbean general strikesThe 2009 French Caribbean general strikes began in the French overseas region of Guadeloupe on 20 January 2009, and spread to neighbouring Martinique on 5 February 2009. Both islands are located in the Lesser Antilles of the Caribbean...
- Liyannaj Kont PwofitasyonLiyannaj Kont PwofitasyonLiyannaj Kont Pwofitasyon, or LKP, is an umbrella group of approximately trade unions and social movements in Guadeloupe, which spearheaed the general strike beginning in January 2009.- Name :...
- Union générale des travailleurs de Guadeloupe
External links
- « Pour Elie Domota, "le LKP a vocation à durer" », Le Monde, 28 février 2009