Strike in France: demonstrations and disruptions in public transport

Forty-eight hours after a march against the high cost of living organized in Paris, employees throughout France are called to demonstrate this Tuesday, October 18 for wage increases and against the requisitions of strikers in refineries.

Nearly 150 assembly points are planned in France according to the unions and two processions must march through the streets of the capital.

REUTERS - ERIC GAILLARD

Text by: RFI Follow

2 mins

Forty-eight hours after a march against the high cost of living organized in Paris, employees throughout France are called to demonstrate this Tuesday, October 18 for wage increases and against the requisitions of strikers in refineries.

Nearly 150 assembly points are planned in France according to the unions and two processions must march through the streets of the capital.

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From the civil service to energy and public transport, many sectors have answered

.

Disruptions were observed in public transport, in particular in regional trains as well as on the Ile-de-France networks operated by the SNCF.

In the oil industry where the conflict

started at the end of September, the strike was to continue on Tuesday at TotalEnergies, in the refining and/or fuel depot teams.

The CGT will decide Tuesday evening on the continuation of the movement.

About 350 to 400 people gathered Tuesday morning

, the largest French nuclear power plant, whose employees voted Monday at an GA to continue the strike for wages.

500 demonstrators in front of the prefecture of Périgueux to defend the right to strike and demand salary increases with the UD FO 24 pic.twitter.com/EtbxW9thDJ

– force_ouvriere (@force_ouvriere) October 18, 2022

In Marseille, 2,200 people gathered on the Canebière and displayed signs of “

”, but the protests were mainly aimed at the reform of vocational high schools wanted by the government. 

"Today, there is no more social justice. On the one hand there are those who stuff themselves and on the other hand, misery and poverty which are growing more and more and we can see it more in Marseille in the Bouches-du-Rhône where we have a poverty rate of more than 25% ", according to a Marseille protester, at the microphone of our correspondent,

. 

In Paris, several high schools were blocked while the Ministry of Education reports a rate of strikers of 5.67% (22.94% in vocational high schools).

In addition to the increase in wages, the participants protest against the requisitions of strikers implemented by the government to facilitate the distribution of fuel.

The prospect of a 49.3 - "

" Wednesday, according to Olivier Véran - to have the budget adopted in the Assembly, the coming tightening of the rules for unemployment benefits, the pension reform expected for the end of the year , are all ingredients that stir up social anger.

(and with AFP)

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