During the last mobilization against the pension reform, on February 7. CHRISTIAN HARTMANN / REUTERS
“There will be a big day on the 7th, and a special initiative on the 8th, in connection with International Women’s Rights Day,” said Yvan Ricordeau, CFDT national secretary.
After five mobilizations in less than a month – January 19, January 31, February 7, February 11 and, in a few days, February 16 – the next big meeting of the unions will wait for the beginning of March. “There will be a big day on the 7th, and a special initiative on the 8th, in connection with International Women’s Rights Day.“, told AFP Yvan Ricordeau, CFDT national secretary.
Contacted by us, a head of the movement neither confirms nor denies this perspective, even after the announcement of the union led by Laurent Berger to AFP. Same observation in another union, where we ask to wait for the meeting of the inter-union to come this Saturday. On the transport side, Didier Mathis does not hide his astonishment. “No date has yet been set beyond February 16. The mobilization of next Saturday and Thursday 16 will determine the consequences of the union action“, explains to Figaro the general secretary of Unsa-Ferroviaire. The official announcement of the result – and the final decision – should take place this Saturday, during an inter-union press conference at the Bourse du travail, scheduled for 11:45 a.m., before the Paris demonstration, a-t -we learned Thursday morning. A way to mark the occasion, and to recall the unity of the opponents’ front, after three big days of action in ten days.
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In the coming weeks, the unions are faced with a choice: to continue the mobilizations during the winter holidays, at the risk of seeing fewer French people parading in the streets of France; or wait for the start of the school year, scheduled for March 6 for the last academies, in order to strike a blow. “We must not miss any step. Of course we will mobilize again when the holidays are over“Assured a central boss, this Tuesday, February 7, shortly before the start of the Paris demonstration. “If the government continues to be stubborn, it will have to move up a gear“Warned for his part the boss of the CGT, Philippe Martinez.
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The parliamentary calendar remains closely scrutinized
The hypothesis of a mobilization at the beginning of March is hardly surprising. First, the holidays will be over, making it easier to mobilize more people. Then, the date mentioned by the CFDT coincides with International Women’s Rights Day, March 8, while the argument that women suffer particularly from the government’s project is brandished at will in the processions as on the trays.
Finally, the parliamentary calendar remains closely scrutinized by the opponents: the day of February 16 corresponds more or less to the end of the examination of the text in the National Assembly. A few weeks later, the reform bill is expected in the Senate around March 6. While the inter-union calls on opponents to put pressure on deputies and senators so that they do not support the executive and “hear what is happening in the street», Organizing a new day of action that week is part of the organisations’ strategy.
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It remains to be seen what form the mobilization could take, and whether, beyond a day of strikes and demonstrations, the inter-union could support calls for a renewable strike. So far, these have remained rare. The Solidaires union plans to propose to the intersyndicale to “carry out the renewable strike from Wednesday March 8“, According to an internal memo sent to AFP.
“Nothing is excluded“, warned the boss of the CFDT, Laurent Berger. “The executive will bear full responsibility for the consequences of this unprecedented social movement in its scale and now anchored in the social landscape.“, hammered the inter-union in its last press release, Tuesday evening. “I have been repeating it for weeks: it will be necessary to intensify the movement when the holidays return, in March, with a renewable strike. But for now, no date“, concludes Didier Mathis for his part.
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