Created during the fervent uprisings of May 1968 in Paris, this image embodies the collective spirit and demands of a betrayed working class. Produced by the Atelier Populaire, a workshop that emerged from the École des Beaux-Arts, the piece resonates with the energy of grassroots rebellion. The slogan, boldly etched across the composition, calls for a workers’ union that genuinely represents the interests of the proletariat—a potent critique of the Confederation Generale du Travail (CGT) at the time. The imagery of the sanitation worker, central to this piece, symbolises the everyday labourer whose toil powers society but whose voice has been stifled.
The posters created by Atelier Populaire became vivid visual markers of the Mai 68 movement, meant to unite, provoke, and mobilise. The workshop’s operation was inherently democratic, with students, workers, and intellectuals deliberating collectively on each print’s design and message. Remaining fiercely anti-commercial, Atelier Populaire distributed these prints widely, ensuring they reached the streets, workplaces, and demonstrations rather than remaining detached in galleries. This image, therefore, encapsulates much more than its subject—it offers a fleeting yet potent insight into a revolutionary moment.