2009 French Caribbean general strikes

The 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. The general strikes began over the cost of living, the prices of basic commodities, including fuel and food, and demands for an increase in the monthly salaries of low income workers. Stores and gas stations in the private sector, and public sector services including education, public transportation, and sanitation, were temporarily closed in Guadeloupe and Martinique due to the strikes. The strikes ended when the French government agreed to raise the salaries of the lowest paid by €200 and acceded to the strikers' top 20 demands.

The strikes exposed deep ethnic, racial, and class tensions and disparities within Guadeloupe and Martinique and devastated the tourism industry of both islands during the high season. The islands were believed to have lost millions of dollars in tourism revenue due to cancelled vacations and closed hotels. Guadeloupe and Martinique had the second and third highest unemployment rates in the European Union as of 2007, according to Eurostat.

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.

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