La lettre du GERPISA no 101

Editorial - Michel Freyssenet

On March 30th, 1981, fifteen years ago this month, GERPISA held its inaugural session at the EHESS (Ecole des Hautes Etudes en Sciences Sociales), assembling (if I'm not mistaken) approximately ten people in the small 507 room which then served as our meeting place for several years. Most of these persons are still with us or, in any case, are not very far. A short while ago, while randomly filing some papers, we came across the initial text calling for this inaugural workday session wherein an appeal was made for the creation of a "research group on the automobile industry and its workers", quickly coming under the name of GERPISA. In light of a continual reflection on the functioning of our group, we have decided that it would be useful to republish this text. It has aged quite nicely since one may already find within it the outline of our objectives and essential rules governing the group. You may find this text in the Debate column.

Our next workday session will take place on March 15th. The morning portion will be devoted to a discussion with our friends at PSA and Renault relative to their major preoccupations for the future. We will examine how they could be integrated within GERPISA's second program. In the afternoon, we will discuss proposals emanating from the first program's "collective conclusions", and debate certain extracts from Robert Boyer's and my book in preparation, proposing a table of production models in the automobile industry. Discussion to be held that day regarding "collective conclusions" will become the object of a written summary, but this should not prevent anyone from contributing further written comments and suggestions as of now that we can then publish in the Newsletter. Therefore, we are once again inviting you to do so, as well as to communicate to us your thoughts regarding the functioning of our group during the first program (see Newsletter 100), including proposals for the second program if you have any.

Proposals for papers to be presented at the Fourth International GERPISA Conference have been examined. Authors have received or will soon receive responses from the organizers. The complete program will most probably be available in April. Included in the responses, you will find a presentation and an initial layout of the Conference. You will also find a registration form which must be filled out and returned as soon as possible. As was decided during the last Conference, this year's participants must finance their own trip (transportation and lodgings) as well as registration fees for the Conference. Indeed, this year serving as a transition from one program to another, we do not possess the finances necessary to cover costs that we normally handle. Registration fees come to 800 French francs for three days, and this includes lunches, coffee breaks, cocktails, the Conference Acts, and general Conference costs. You may find listed in your registration form special fees for those of you who can not partake in the entire three-day conference.

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