After a very well-attended strike on January 13, several unions called for “continuing the mobilization” this Thursday
Teachers are preparing for a new day of action this Thursday to protest against the management of the health crisis in education, with an afternoon demonstration in Paris which “will not be prevented” by the Prefecture of Police , despite filing the declaration out of time.
Setback for the organizers, the Parisian demonstration had initially not been authorized. The prefect of police had not been able to “issue a receipt” to the organizers whose prior declaration had not been filed within the “legal deadlines”, namely more than three days before the day of mobilization.
“Chaos”
On Wednesday, in a letter addressed to the trade unions, the prefect Didier Lallement writes that he will not “prevent” the progress of this demonstration, which will therefore be “tolerated” according to Christophe Lalande, federal secretary of the Force Ouvrière union for education. (FNEC FP-FO).
As during the previous mobilization on January 13, the procession will leave at 2 p.m. from the Luxembourg Gardens in the direction of the Ministry of National Education.
After a very well-attended strike on Thursday January 13, which had brought together all the education unions, several of them – FSU, CGT Educ’action, FO and SUD Education, as well as the FCPE, the first parents’ organization , and the high school student movements FIDL, MNL and La Voix lycéenne – had called for “continuing the mobilization”, by committing “to a new day of action on Thursday, including through a strike”. They believe that “the chaos generated by the management of the health crisis deserves strong responses, beyond the commitments made”.
Last Thursday, exasperated by the waltz of health protocols linked to Covid-19, the staff of National Education went on massive strike and demonstrated.
Nearly 78,000 people marched in France, including 8,200 in Paris, according to the Interior Ministry. 38.5% of teachers had gone on strike in nursery and elementary schools and 23.7% in middle and high schools, according to the Ministry of Education, the FSU, the main union, announcing much higher figures ( 75% and 62% respectively).
A new day of mobilization on January 27
The unions had been received by Prime Minister Jean Castex and the Minister of Education, Jean-Michel Blanquer, who had promised “five million FFP2 masks” for teachers and more replacements for absent teachers.
“Not sufficient” announcements for the unions, which called for “creating all the positions necessary to ensure replacements” and “providing schools and establishments with protective equipment in sufficient numbers, well beyond the volumes announced”. They have already called for a strike on January 27, as part of the day of interprofessional mobilization for wages and employment.
“Mr. Castex and Mr. Blanquer do not respond to the demands, and even if they were shaken by the demonstration, they did not take the measure of the chaos which reigns in the schools and which continues”, underlined Christophe Lalande, from FO.
Declining mobilization
This time, the unions expect less mobilization, both in number of strikers and demonstrators. But other actions are also planned to “maintain the momentum”, including rallies, towing operations in front of schools or “happenings” to “highlight demands”, in particular on the theme of holidays in Ibiza of the minister, according to Sophie Vénétitay, general secretary of Snes-FSU, the first union of the second degree (colleges and high schools).
As of Wednesday evening, a dozen people, some in swimsuits and wearing masks bearing the effigy of Jean-Michel Blanquer, danced in front of the Ministry of Education, on the wall of which had been affixed a sign “Meeting protocol health in progress, do not disturb Mr. Minister, ”according to images posted on Twitter by videographers. The police forced them out.
This new day of mobilization comes as the Minister of Education is weakened by strong criticism, after Mediapart revealed on Monday that he was on vacation in Ibiza when he announced the health protocol in schools for the start of the January school year. . “A terrible symbol” for the unions.