France: a test day of mobilization against the pension reform
Railway workers voting to renew the strike on March 8 at Strasbourg station.
AP - Jean-Francois Badias
Text by: RFI Follow
4 mins
The French are called on this Saturday, March 11 to demonstrate for a seventh day against a very unpopular pension reform and wanted by Emmanuel Macron, against a backdrop of persistent strikes, a test day for the continuation of the showdown between the government and the unions.
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This is the seventh day of action since January 19 against this pension reform wanted by French President Emmanuel Macron and his postponement of the legal retirement age from 62 to 64 years old.
The French are, according to the polls, mostly hostile, judging it "
unfair
" especially for women and employees in difficult jobs.
►Also read: Pension reform: Emmanuel Macron responds to the unions but does not move, vote blocked in the Senate
Friday, the Minister of Labor, Olivier Dussopt, drew the constitutional weapon, the article of 44.3 of the Constitution, of the single vote before the Senate, which will have to decide by a single vote on the whole of the bill. , retaining only the amendments proposed or accepted by the government - approximately 70 in number for the rest of the articles under discussion.
Even without a debate or a vote on the thousand remaining amendments, the latter can however simply be presented by their authors.
A way to save time, and to give hope to the left that the text “
is not put to the vote
” before the deadline scheduled for Sunday at midnight.
"
We have had 74 hours of debate together
" since February 2 and, "
with each article, despite substantive discussions, obstruction has become a methodical choice
," said Mr. Dussopt.
A symbolic reform for Emmanuel Macron
Reacting to this decision, the CGT Energy warned against an "
escalation of anger
".
For his part, in a letter to the inter-union dated Thursday, Emmanuel Macron declared to the unions that the government remained "
listening
" to this reform, while stressing that it was essential.
The French government has chosen to raise the legal retirement age in response to the financial deterioration of pension funds and the aging of the population.
The French president plays an important part of his political credit on this flagship measure of his second five-year term, a symbol of his declared desire to reform, but which today crystallizes the discontent of some of the French against him.
Emmanuel Macron, however, confirmed his firmness by not agreeing to meet the unions, believing that the time was in “
parliamentary time
”, after the “consultations carried out” by Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne and the adjustments already made to the text.
On Friday afternoon, he also declared that the pension reform must go to its "
end
" in Parliament, suggesting that he did not rule out anything, including the use of adoption without a vote via article 49.3 of the Constitution (which allows the government to pass a legislative text without a vote by incurring its responsibility).
Still strong protest in the country
Across the country, the protest remains strong, even if France has not been put "
on hold
" as desired by the unions.
Uncertainty remains on the question of whether the blockades and renewable strikes taking place since Tuesday and affecting key sectors of the economy (transport, energy, etc.) will continue.
In Paris, garbage cans are piling up in some districts, with 3,700 tonnes of waste not collected on Thursday, according to the town hall.
The French air transport authority has asked airlines to cancel 20% of their flights scheduled for Saturday and Sunday at several airports, due to a strike by air traffic controllers.
On the rail side, the national company SNCF predicted traffic that was still “
strongly disrupted
” on Friday and on weekends.
Fabrice Coudour, federal secretary of the CGT Energy, indicated Friday that the strikes continued, in particular in the power plants.
The gas workers' strike is also continuing at all LNG terminals and gas storage facilities.
France is one of the European countries where the legal retirement age is the lowest, without the pension systems being completely comparable.
(
With
AFP)
►Also read: Movement against pension reform in France: the most followed day so far
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