The opposition between unions and the French government continues, as major life-crippling demonstrations are again expected against an unpopular pension reform President Emmanuel Macron is relentlessly pushing.
While one to two million people had marched on January 19 during the first inter-union call to strike, the index of mobilization is expected to reach new highs again, as Macron’s government pushes for the unpopular extension of the retirement age to 64 years.
“We hope to be at least as many” as on January 19, said Tuesday the secretary general of the CGT union, Philippe Martinez, on French channels BFMTV and RMC.
“If the Prime Minister has not heard the message, today we will tell him higher, stronger and more numerous.”
The strike nearly disabled transport, as traffic is “very strongly disrupted,” with two regional trains in 10 and 25 to 30% of high-speed trains depending on the axis, according to the national railway company SNCF.
In airports, air traffic controllers’ strike is causing significant delays and disruptions. In southern city Nice, 18 rotations are cancelled out of 90 usually planned. One flight out of five is to be cancelled at Paris-Orly.
The refineries, especially TotalEnergies, recorded a 75% to 100% of personnel strikers, said Tuesday morning the CGT.
In schools, the Ministry of Education counted at midday 26.65% of teachers on strike in primary schools and 25.22% in secondary schools, down from 19 January.
SNES-FSU, the leading secondary school union, estimates that 55% of secondary school teachers are on strike.
Workers’ demands
The pension reform, a crucial pillar of Macron’s second five-year term provides for a reduction in the legal age from 62 to 64 years and an acceleration of the lengthening of the contribution period.
Despite a growing rejection among public opinion, the executive remains firm, as Macron said Monday evening the reform is “indispensable,” after Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne had estimated that the postponement of the legal retirement age to 64 years was “no longer negotiable.”
Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin, who plans to mobilize 11,000 law enforcement elements throughout France on Tuesday to supervise the demonstrators, accused left-wing parties of “bordellising” the debate to “systematically preventing the government from moving forward.”
“Macron is certain to lose,” assured Tuesday Jean-Luc Mélenchon, herald of leftists in France, praising the fight of “the people” against “the caste and its government.”
In the National Assembly, some 7,000 amendments have been tabled against the reform, including 6,000 by the left.
The government has chosen to extend the working life, in response to the financial deterioration of the pension funds and an aging of the population.
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