unions turn up the pressure on Macron

The battle for pension reform in France is entering its final phase. After two weeks of truce in the protests due to the winter school holidays, the unions have called for this Tuesday a new general strike with which they want to “paralyze France & rdquor;. With their massive protests, the workers’ organizations had already demonstrated in January and February the outrage caused by the increase in the minimum retirement age from 62 to 64 years (with 42 or 43 years contributing to receive a full pension). To the strength of the number, now they want to add the pressure of the “paralysis & rdquor; of economic activity.

Despite being the most massive protests in the neighboring country since 2010, Emmanuel Macron’s Executive did not make any concessions to the unions and advanced with the unpopular measure, rejected by 66% of the French, according to the latest polls. Currently, it is being debated in the senate. Faced with this absence of social dialogue, the unitary union coalition —led by an unusual alliance between the moderate CFDT and the combative CGT— has opted for harsher methods of action, such as unlimited strikes or actions to block the economy.

Unlimited strikes in various sectors

The main novelty in this day of national protests and strikes —the sixth since January 19— will be the Unlimited stops on trains, subways and buses, refineries, power plants, in garbage collection, in ports or shipyards. The list is long of the sectors where they promote redirectable grèves, although it is unknown if they will be able to keep them for several days, due to the difficulty of giving up a day’s salary in these times of inflation. Unions and left-wing parties organized resistance boxes, with which to financially support the strikers. He 56% of the French supports these unlimited strikes, according to a poll by the Elabe institute, published on Monday.

The railway company SNCF anticipates that it will not circulate no commuter train and only 20% of regional and high-speed. An affectation of rail traffic that will continue beyond Tuesday, although it is unknown if with such a high impact. The railway agents had already disrupted the movement of trains for more than two months in the winter between 2019 and 2020, when they protested against another attempt by Macron to reform the French retirement system, one of the most advanced in Europe.

With respect to the previous mobilizations, the unions hope to raise a step the support in the private sector. The truckers, who until now had remained on the sidelines of the protests —they hoped to be able to keep their retirement regime that allows them to retire at 57, but in the end it will not be the case—, have joined them. This Monday they began a strike and blockade actions on roads and industrial estates. There will also be notable strikes in large companies in the metallurgical sector. “In construction, we ask that the works stop and we also encourage the merchants to lower the blinds, even for a few hours,” said Marylie Léon, number two of the CFDT.

“Show of force & rdquor;

“We are going to make a show of force & rdquor ;, affirmed this moderate trade unionist. “We feel that tomorrow will be a social tsunami,” added Murielle Guilbert, general co-delegate of the combative Solidaires. More than 260 protests They have been summoned in the neighboring country as a whole. The intelligence services estimate that there will be between More than a million and close to a million and a half protesters. Everything indicates that the unions will give another forceful blow to the table.

Although these protests have deteriorated the popularity of Macron —it is at its lowest levels since the start of the covid-19 pandemic, but above the drop suffered by the yellow vests in 2018— and could mark his second term, the centrist leader does not seem willing to withdraw the reform . He also does not make concessions to the unions, for example, with a later entry into force (currently, it is scheduled for the summer). As if it were a matter of principle.

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Faced with this wave of opposition, which does not abate, the Executive wavers with its communication tactics. Some ministers opt to harshly criticize the demonstrations. The fact of “paralyzing France & rdquor; would mean “assuming the risk of an ecological, agricultural, health catastrophe or even human & rdquor ;, assured the government spokesman, Olivier Véran, in statements that sounded rather exaggerated. Others try to divert attention by announcing other measures, but with limited success. The announcement this Monday by the Minister of the Economy, Bruno Le Maire, that supermarkets agree to offer a “hundred” of products with low prices has practically had a greater media coverage in Spain than in France.

And other leaders bet on the classic ostrich strategy. Put your head in the ground in the hope that sooner or later the indignation will subside. Macron himself tries to stay out of the spotlight, focusing on international politics — with a recent tour of Africa, for example — although he is aware that he will lose a few feathers in this crisis. “The only thing that matters now is that the reform is approved. I think the president does not care about the content (of the measure). His objective is only political & rdquor ;, recognized a presidential adviser to the digital newspaper media part.

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