It promises to be a strike comparable to the toughest in the recent history of France. To demonstrate against the pension reform, you will not have to go far from home. The inter-union union organizes more than 260 demonstrations throughout the country against the government project, which seeks to postpone the legal retirement age to 64, among other modifications to the pension system.
“Stop France” is the motto of the sixth day of mobilization on March 7. The conveners warn that it will be the crucial day to stop the pension reform promoted by the president, Emmanuel Macron. For trade union organizations, the challenge is to repeat the great strikes of 1995 that protested against a change in the retirement system of the then prime minister Alain Juppewhich continues to be a reference in the history of social struggles.
The government project has already gone through the National Assembly and at this moment it is treated in the Senate, a body that has until March 12 to resolve the 3,000 current amendments. For this reason, the prefects expect a strong mobilization. This is what they have made known to the Elysee Palace territorial intelligence services. “There will be a lot of people,” warned the prefect of a department, who, like his colleagues, did so without identifying him.
The fear is a hard blockade to essential sectors of the country. The security forces will try to ensure that minimum emergency services are provided in hospitals, fire stations and airports, but the obstruction in front of the refineries will be almost inevitable.
Unions calling for protests (CGT, FO, CFDT, FSU, Unsa, CFTC, Solidaires, etc.) They presented the plan for the mobilizations. The movement seeks to be powerful and will be closely watched by the government.
Polls show that the majority of French people support the idea of “Stop France” against this initiative, according to the recent opinion poll of praise for the news network bfmtv posted on monday. The survey reflects that 56% of the French “support the establishment of a renewable strike from March 7 and in the following days” and 59% “adhere to the action of the unions to “stop France'” this Tuesday .
The approval rate for a renewable strike is particularly high among workers (70%), employees (74%) and among voters of the leftist leader. But Macron’s proposal is rejected even by professionals: in this sector, the majority of those surveyed support the continuation of unemployment, even 64% of executives and intellectual professions support it.
It will be a key day for Macron’s second five-year period. Transport Minister Clément Beaune said on the screen of French 3 that one of the most difficult days we have known will unfold.
But unfortunate were the statements of the government spokesman. In an attempt to soften social rejection, Olivier Veran He insisted on repeating that there are other priorities in the executive’s calendar. “We have other emergencies to manage in addition to the pension reform,” he said.
The response came quickly from the opposition. “You are right: therefore, we must withdraw this reform quickly,” he replied. Boris Vallaudthe president of the socialist group in the National Assembly on his Twitter account.
These words were contrary to the official storyline. For weeks now, Prime Minister Elizabeth Borne constantly talks about reform “essential”. This reform must be carried out ”because “if we do not carry it out, we will endanger the pay-as-you-go pension system”, Emmanuel Macron repeated last December.
The Government is anxiously awaiting the Senate’s vote on Article 7 which raises the legal age from 62 to 64 years. The deadline is March 12, for which the discussions must be accelerated. In the Élysée Palace they know that the battle of public opinion over the reform is lost, but also that a majority of it assumes that the reform will be voted on and applied. The government wants prompt approval and a turn of the page.
Despite all the speculation, the French are warned that on Tuesday transport will be severely disrupted in all regions. The General Directorate of Civil Aviation asked airlines on Thursday to reduce their flight schedule by 20% at the airport Paris-Charles-de-Gaulle and 30% at aerodromes Paris-OrlyBeauvais, Bordeaux, Lille, Lyon, Nantes, Marseille, Montpellier, Nice and Toulouse.
Some truckers began a strike on Sunday night, with lockouts threatening to occur on the eve of the strike. Another strong warning has made the CGT of hydrocarbon workers which has called a “renewable” strike at oil refineries, with the aim of “blocking the entire economy” in terms of the production, distribution and importation of fuel.
In the energy sector, the measures began a few days ago. The stoppage caused load drops in the power stations, enough to put the system under tension and trigger the first alert threshold of the network, although without causing power cuts.
Teaching also warns of high compliance. Garbage collectors are on the same line. “It is our contribution, our participation in the call of the inter-union for the blockade of the economy,” he said. Francois Livartowskifederal secretary of the CGT public services.
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France experienced its fifth day of protests against the pension reform
More than a million French people demonstrated against the pension reform promoted by Macron
Source-www.infobae.com