The pressure from French unions on Emmanuel Macron and his government to derail the pension reform continues to grow. This Tuesday there is a new strike in multiple sectors, from transportation to energy, from schools to garbage dumps, and demonstrations throughout the country.
“The President of the Republic cannot remain deaf, he cannot continue with this silence that has lasted two months,” declared the president of the country’s largest union, the French Democratic Confederation of Labor (CFDT), Laurent Berger. Berger’s role in the protest against the delay in two years -from 62 to 64- in the legal retirement age- is being decisive, since he is in charge of a union of Christian origin, with a reputation for pragmatism and possibility . The participation of the CFDT gives greater credibility to the protest movement and damages the position of the Government.
The railway service is one of the most affected by the strikes, which in their case already began at 7 pm on Monday. Most high-speed trains have been cancelled, and all those that communicate with Germany and Spain. The strike is very widespread in public transport in the Paris region: metro, buses and commuter trains. Groups of truckers have been blocking large logistics centers since last weekend.
The Minister of Transport, Clément Beaune, invited all those who have that possibility to telework. Beaune warned that it would be “one of the most difficult days we have known” in the wave of protests.
The Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris canceled 20% of its flights. Those of Nice, Paris-Orly, Bordeaux, Lyon, Marseille, Toulouse, Montpellier and Beauvais suppressed 30% of their operations.
Due to the strike, Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) had to advance their trip to Munich to Monday, where they will play the second leg of the Champions League round of 16 against Bayern on Wednesday. Those responsible for the club did not want to risk having problems to reach the Bavarian capital.
The energy sector, where the presence of the General Confederation of Labor (CGT), the traditionally most combative union, is very powerful, has intensely joined the strike. Refineries and the state company EDF participate. In the latter, due to union action, power has decreased in recent days by three megawatts, equivalent to the production of three nuclear reactors.
Strikes are called in the pharmaceutical, rubber and plastics industries. The largest teaching union trusts that 60% of teaching staff in schools do not go to work. The garbage collectors in the main cities will go on strike.
The pension reform is now being debated in the Senate, after its passage through the National Assembly was highly controversial. The Labor Minister, Olivier Dussopt, has reiterated that the protest is legitimate but this does not invalidate the need to carry out the reform due to a question of sustainability of the system. Dussopt confirmed the will to introduce improvements during the parliamentary process, although without altering his fundamental philosophy or the key point of the delay in the retirement age.
The police have warned that hundreds of very radical yellow vests and anti-system rioters could participate in the demonstration this Tuesday in Paris, mixed with pure casseurs who only seek to cause a clash with the riot police, the destruction of street furniture and vehicles, in addition to from the occasional looting of shops.
