Paris (AFP)

Pan concerts, collective songs, online demonstrations and protest signs: unions celebrate International Workers' Day without a procession but on social networks and from balconies.

Emmanuel Macron also set the tone on Friday, posting a video on social networks to greet "the spirit of May Day", with "a thought for union organizations".

A speech welcomed by the unions.

"We will have to stop managing things with only a budgetary logic. We see the deadlock in which it has brought us to the hospital level", reacted on France Info Laurent Berger, the number one of the CFDT, inviting the executive to "acts".

Philippe Martinez, his CGT counterpart, was even more skeptical: "We are used to this kind of message from the president, which is forgotten a few days later. We must now take action". "If he supports the + first of drudgery +, let him demonstrate it," he launched on France Inter.

Health workers, employees in commerce, the food industry, paramedical, social, cleaning, public service agents ... It is precisely these "forgotten" and "invisible to society" that his confederation, but also the FSU, Solidaires, the high school movements Fidl, MNL, UNL and Unef student called to highlight workers' day.

As of Thursday, initiatives have flourished. Caregivers and CGT activists demonstrated in front of the Pitié-Salpêtrière in Paris ... without forgetting the health precautions now in use: masks and physical distancing.

On their placards, one could read "SOS Public Hospital", "300 euros for everyone, immediately" or "Increase our salaries". Friday morning, Fabien Roussel (PCF) distributed thrush to caregivers in front of the same public hospital.

- "Bella Ciao" -

But no way to beat the pavement, even if some calls to rally were launched outside the unions.

"We start from the principle that confinement and the minimum of interaction between people are one of the best ways to avoid the spread of this virus, so we try to be consistent," says Eric Beynel, of Solidaires.

Among the demands proposed by the unions, the "demonstrators" will be able to choose between "For a just, sustainable and united world" (CGT), "Anger confined, explosion guaranteed!" (Solidaires), "Public service, useful as never before" (FSU) ...

The CGT invited to make videos or photos with the message to complete: "the day after ...". The first signs ask for "early retirement", "a fair distribution of wealth", "a 32-hour week" or "not to die at work".

In the morning, a concert by around twenty artists from around the world will be broadcast on the Montreuil central website and its Facebook page. There are also calls to perform casserole concerts at noon (#casserolade), and the first songs of the Partisans "Bella Ciao" have started to be broadcast.

Faithful to its tradition, FO launched an appeal on its side and sees a parallel between the crisis linked to the coronavirus and the day of May 1, born in the United States in 1886 during a social movement calling for the day of 8-hour work and the 48-hour week, questioned by an order presented in March and which provides for exceptions to 60 hours.

"The watchword for FO is health must be recognized as a fundamental right," said Yves Veyrier on RTL Thursday.

The CFDT, CFTC, Unsa and the students of Fage, who traditionally celebrate May 1 together, reaffirm on social networks their general demands "for employment, social justice and for a development model respectful of 'environment and women and men at work ".

The CFDT will attach to all its posts on the networks the hashtag #construisonsdommemain.

© 2020 AFP