Pension reform: on March 7, the inter-union wants to do "stronger than January 31"

Europe 1 with AFP 9:33 p.m., February 21, 2023

The eight main French unions and five youth organizations on Tuesday reaffirmed their desire to bring "France to a standstill" on March 7, promising to make this date the most important day of strikes and demonstrations since the beginning of the movement against pension reform.

The inter-union wants "to make March 7 the strongest day" since the start of the movement on January 19, declared Yvan Ricordeau, CFDT national secretary, during a press conference after a meeting at headquarters. of the CGT in Montreuil in Seine-Saint-Denis.

#nonàlaréformedesretraites

All trade unions are calling for France to be shut down on March 7 to defeat the decline in the retirement age to 64 years.

pic.twitter.com/QuIVrBDVCW

– The CGT (@lacgtcommunique) February 21, 2023

"Do stronger than January 31"

"There is a consensus between us to say that the objective is to do better than January 31," he added.

That day, the unions had counted more than 2.5 million demonstrators and the authorities 1.27 million.

“We are determined to succeed in an extremely massive March 7,” said Catherine Perret (CGT).

Asked about possible renewable strikes from March 7, Yvan Ricordeau returned the responsibility for this decision to the federations of the different sectors.

It is up to "the professional sectors to discuss what they are doing on the 7th or after the 7th", he stressed.

Is it a question of not discouraging possible renewable strikes?

"We do not discourage mobilizations that go beyond March 7," replied Patricia Drevon (FO), referring to this formula from the inter-union press release published on Tuesday: "Together, from March 7, let's put a kick stop this unacceptable pension reform project".

It is up to everyone, in each company, to mobilize, noted Ms. Perret, for whom there will be no strikes or demonstrations "by proxy".

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“We know how to mount mobilizations”

“The employers will be attentive to what the strike produces: the paralysis, the slowdown or even the cessation of economic production,” she said.

The unions have agreed to produce a common visual which "symbolizes France at a standstill" and on a communication tool which makes it possible to identify the "thousands, tens of thousands of initiatives".

"All this shows that we are strategic, we know how to mount mobilizations, we are calm, serene, determined and that we are going to win", hoped Dominique Corona (Unsa).