Twenty-third day of mobilization. The social conflict over pension reform has entered its fourth week since Thursday, equaling the duration of the 1995 movement often used as an example to compare it to the one that has been rocking France since December 5.
24 years ago, the strike lasted 22 days, between November 24 and December 15. The subject at the heart of tensions? Pension plans. Especially those of civil servants and public service agents. The outcome ? Alain Juppé's government ended up abandoning the project.
Today, on the 23rd day of mobilization, no outcome appears. Transport is still very disrupted by the strikes of the SNCF and the RATP, and the government remains determined to replace the 42 existing pension plans by a "universal system" by points, and to establish a pivotal age at 64 years.
Opposed to this project where "everyone will lose", the unions maintain the pressure, even if the rate of strikers continues to erode Thursday at the SNCF (9.6% in general, and 42.1% among drivers against 49.3% Tuesday).
On Thursday, train traffic was to remain "very disrupted" with one TGV on two, one Transilien on 5 and 4 TER on 10 as well as one Intercités on 4.
At RATP, only automatic lines 1 and 14, as well as Orlyval, operate normally. RER A and B only operate at peak times. Tram traffic is close to normal.
After 1986/87, a new record?
Contrary to Emmanuel Macron's wishes, there was no Christmas break.
Bus blockages, power cuts, stationary refineries, railway workers' "festive" lunches, representation of Lac des Cygnes on the forecourt of the Paris Opera by striking dancers ... Unions have stepped up initiatives all over France. This Saturday, other actions are planned throughout the country.
If the strike continues until January 9, the date of the next day of strikes and interprofessional demonstrations, the record of 28 days of strike reached in 1986/87 at the SNCF could well be beaten. That year, the strike was organized, without Christmas break, for the defense of wages and working conditions.
Two days earlier, on January 7, consultations must resume between the government and union and employer organizations around issues of arduousness and end-of-career management, before the bill is presented to the Council of Ministers on January 22.
Laurent Pietraszewski, the High Commissioner for Pensions, warned. "A question of returning to the" abolition of special regimes ", even if the government has made an exception for the police, who will keep their derogatory regime and will always be able to retire earlier.
This closed the door to certain demands of the CFDT and Unsa unions, favorable to the reform, in particular that of reintegrating four factors into the arduousness account (painful postures, mechanical vibrations, carrying heavy loads and chemical agents).
With AFP
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