Elisabeth Borne announced that the government would open a new round of consultations on pension reform.
“Raise our wages, not misery“: the demonstrators pounded the pavement Thursday, at the call of the CGT, FSU and Solidaires and youth organizations, to demand wage increases and give a warning shot on pensions, at a time when the executive specifies his method for reform. The CGT claimed, for this first day of interprofessional mobilization since the start of the school year, “more than 250,000” participants in nearly 200 demonstrations in France (against “nearly 80,000» March 17 and “more than 150,000” January 27). The Ministry of the Interior, for its part, counted 118,500 demonstrators for 179 rallies (against 30,800 in January and 89,000 in January).
Some 40,000 protesters, according to organizers, marched in Paris from Denfert-Rochereau to Bastille, behind a banner proclaiming: “Wage increases, social minima, scholarships and pensions, it is urgent to act!”. The secretary general of the CGT, Philippe Martinez, highlighted “a first warning to the government and employers to quickly engage in wage negotiations” and to point out, “since it is the news”, that the French do not want “to work longer”.
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“The emergency on wages, it becomes vital for a lot of people”, pleaded Murielle Guilbert (Solidaires). Among the protesters, 39-year-old restaurant worker Ibrahima Tell: “An additional 30 euros per month will not change the situation. What is needed is 100 to 200 euros increase. Everything has increased, I can clearly see that in the field of catering (…) And then there is also energy, heating (…) They want me to put the heating at 19 degrees? But we’re already dying of cold“, he testifies. Several left-wing politicians were present, including Fabien Roussel (PCF), Mathilde Panot (LFI), Olivier Faure (PS) and Sandrine Rousseau (EELV).
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From the morning, several thousand people (4,300 according to the police) had demonstrated in Marseille, in the presence of Jean-Luc Mélenchon (LFI). They were between 3,200 (police) and 4,500 (CGT) in Nantes, 770 in Besançon, more than 2,000 in Toulouse, several hundred in Strasbourg, 500 in Belfort (police), between 1,600 (prefecture) and 3,500 (CGT ) in Caen, between 3,500 (police) and 8,500 (unions) in Le Havre or between 1,870 (prefecture) and 3,500 (CGT) in Rouen.
In Reunion, a thousand people marched through the streets of Saint-Denis (north of the island) and Saint-Pierre (south). The Ministry of National Education reported at midday a strike rate of 11.01% among teachers. The Snes-FSU claimed, him, “30% strikers” in colleges and high schools, while the Snuipp-FSU has identified 20% in primary education.
A pension bill “before winter”
On the transport side, three out of four unions, including the CFDT-Cheminots, had called for a strike at the SNCF. Disruptions have been reported on certain TGV Inoui, Intercités, Ouigo, TER, and Transilien lines in Ile-de-France. On the RATP side, where only the CGT had called for a strike, traffic was disrupted on the RER B or buses. The CGT agri-food federation has identified “nearly 400 strike calls” and “At the very least, 50,000 strikers”.
Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne announced to AFP on Thursday that the government would open a new round of consultations with a view to adopting a bill on pensions. “before winter”allowing entry into force in the summer of 2023 of a reform providing for the “gradual postponement of the retirement age” up to age 65 in 2031. “We do not want to negotiate the extension of the retirement age”, warned Philippe Martinez. As for participating in the consultations planned by the executive next week, “If it’s to tell us, here’s what we want and now do what we tell you, we won’t stay long”.
The CFDT which, like FO, did not take part in the mobilization day, indicated that it “will engage (it) in the discussions” and claims “loyalty and transparency“. All national unions (CFDT, CGT, FO, CFTC, CFE-CGC, FSU, Solidaires and Unsa) must meet at Unsa headquarters on Monday. It will be discussing “modalities to continue this movement”said Mr. Martinez, pleading for unity “as wide as possible”. The CFDT will go for “build common proposals on the areas of consultation that are opening up and counter the postponement of the legal age to 65”, did she say. The left-wing parties are planning for their part a “great march against high cost of living and climate inaction”October 16, without the support, a time considered, of the CGT.
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