The unions organize a highly supported work stoppage in the RATP and with much less follow-up in other sectors
The circulation of paris metro practically interrupted. The operation of metropolitan transport in the French capital has been greatly affected this Thursday by a strike very busy. Only two metro lines (those with a robotic pilot) work normally, while on five, out of a total of 16, no cars circulate and the rest only run during peak hours, with significant delays. With this work stoppage, backed by all the unions, the RATP workers They demand wage increases in the face of inflation and improvements in working conditions.
The strike affected mobility in a more than considerable way in Paris, a city that welcomes millions of workers from its periphery every day. This morning they formed traffic jams in about 334 kilometers in the Parisian region, while on a normal day there are usually 200 kilometers. There was also a large concentration of passengers and saturated wagons on those subway lines or commuter trains that did work, although less frequently.
“We have only had a salary increase of 1.1% throughout this year despite strong inflation,” said Vincent Gautheron, secretary of the CGT – the second largest union in France – in the RATP, to justify this mobilization, whose new president is former Prime Minister Jean Castex. “We are prepared, we are prepared for it & rdquor ;, responded Arole Lamasse, general secretary of the UNSA among Parisian transport workers, after being asked about the possibility that this stop for a day flow into one of undefined. This Thursday there was a certain feeling of deja vu in Paris. The mobilization of RATP employees had already been the spearhead of the massive protests against the pension reform at the end of 2019.
Minor follow-up in the other sectors
Taking advantage of this strike by subway and bus drivers, the CGT called for this Thursday a day of protests and sectoral strikes throughout the country. However, the follow-up other sectors was much lower. For example, the circulation of trains was hardly altered.
“The salaries are earned every month, they represent social contributions. The bonuses are only one drink at a time,” said Philippe Martinez, general secretary of the CGT, regarding the policy of the Emmanuel Macron government that, instead of encouraging salary increases, promotes the granting of tax-free bonuses by companies, although most of them do not even give these bonuses.
represents the fourth day of national protests of the unions from the rented in September. On October 18, some 300,000 people, according to the unions, mobilized throughout France. Some levels of mobilization much lower than the more than a million people who took to the streets at the end of 2019, although it was one of the most important union demonstrations in the neighboring country since the pandemic. Despite a inflation of 7.1% —and 9.9% in the case of food—, the unions fail to promote mass protests in France.