SNCF, RATP, fuel… The mobilization against the pension reform continues for the third day in a row, and affects strategic sectors.
By Thibaut Deleaz
Published on
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IThe unions have warned: “It will last. “A third day of strike in a row is looming this Thursday, March 9, when employees in many sectors are called upon to strike. Initiated in January, the standoff with the government around its pension reform bill, currently under discussion in the Senate, is taking the path of a renewable strike.
After a return to the saddle on Tuesday March 7 and then a day of action combined with feminist demands on Wednesday – March 8 being International Women’s Rights Day – this Thursday is specifically presented as a day of youth mobilization. The days follow and look alike… To the point of imagining a scenario in 2019? During the previous reform, the strike had lasted and transport had been paralyzed for several weeks, without the government yielding. Update on the disruptions expected for this Thursday, March 9.
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Transport
The railway workers of the SNCF are on renewable strike, and the movement was already very followed Tuesday with a very disturbed traffic on the main lines, like the TER and Transilien in Île-de-France. The detailed forecasts for this Thursday, March 9 should be known the day before, Wednesday, in the afternoon, but the SNCF is already warning that “traffic will remain disrupted”.
At RATP, employees are all the more mobilized as the reform plans to abolish the special status of future agents. The management plans an improvement for this Thursday, March 9, but the traffic will still be “disturbed” on the metro: all the lines will nevertheless be open without interruption, and some will even return to “almost normal” traffic. The RER B, on the other hand, will be “very disrupted”. Conversely, the RER A, buses and trams should run almost normally. In the other big cities, however, the transport networks are spared.
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Airports
New flight cancellations are to be expected this Thursday, March 9, in the same proportions as Tuesday and Wednesday, indicated on LCI Clément Beaune, the Minister of Transport. The General Directorate of Civil Aviation then asked the companies to reduce their flight schedule by 20% at Roissy and by 30% at Beauvais, Bordeaux, Lille, Lyon, Paris-Orly, Marseille, Montpellier, Nantes, Nice and Toulouse. . The disturbances should, still according to the minister, continue on Friday, March 10.
Fuel
It is the strategic heart of the country: without fuel, the economy would quickly be paralyzed, and the unions have understood this well. The CGT chemistry calls the employees of the sector to the renewable strike. Tuesday, March 7, for the first day of this strike, the union claimed to have blocked fuel shipments to all refineries in the country. This blockage continued on Wednesday.
The strikers intend to hold out over time to dry out the service stations, as during the fall movement. But the oil companies ensure that the shortage of gasoline is not for now, in particular thanks to strategic stocks. If the strike lasts, it could also shut down refineries.
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Youth
The high school and student unions are calling for this day of March 9 to be a specific mobilization for young people. Blockages of high schools and universities are to be expected.