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Protests and violence have recently rocked the islands of Guadeloupe and Martinique as workers assert their rights and make demands for better living conditions. A general strike against the rising costs of living, with demands for price cuts and wage increases, has been in effect on the French Caribbean island of Guadeloupe since January 20, 2009. Trade unions, associations, and political parties under the umbrella organization of the LKP - The Committee Against Extreme Exploitation (Lyiannaj Kont Pwofitasyion, in the local dialect) - have brought economic activity to a standstill. Strikers are demanding a 200€ (about $250) monthly raise for low-paid workers who now earn around 900€/month (about $1100). Some residents allege that a wealthy white elite controls island imports and prices, and activists complain that a 1% minority of the population owns 90% of Guadeloupe's wealth. For demonstrators, these protests battle the remnants of the vestiges of slavery. Questioning why food is more expensive in the island territories than on the mainland, islanders demand that France treat them as equals.