The eight main French trade unions and five youth organizations reaffirm their desire to bring “France to a halt” on March 7. 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 (Seine-Saint-Denis).
“There is a consensus between us to say that the objective is to do better than January 31,” he adds. 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”, assures Catherine Perret (CGT).
Asked about possible renewable strikes from March 7, Yvan Ricordeau returns 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”, underlines the trade unionist.
No demonstrations or “proxy” strikes
Is it a question of not discouraging possible renewable strikes? “We do not discourage mobilizations that go beyond March 7,” replies 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, notes the CGT trade unionist, for whom there will be no strikes or demonstrations “by proxy”. “The employers will be attentive to what the strike produces: the paralysis, the slowdown or even the cessation of economic production,” she specifies.
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”, hopes Dominique Corona (Unsa).
Fabien Roussel invites town halls to close their doors
Questioned this morning by Apolline de Malherbe on BFM TV, the national secretary of the PCF Fabien Roussel affirms his support for the inter-union. “It’s been at least 50 years since it happened in our country (…) it’s historic”, comments the deputy. “What matters is to be united (…) I believe we can win,” he insists, inviting the town halls to close their doors on March 7.
This is not the first time that Fabien Roussel has asked city councilors to engage in battle. Anne Hidalgo responded to her call on January 31, while emphasizing that the continuity of public service would be ensured for users, in particular for civil status services. The Minister of Labor Olivier Dussopt then considered that this action of solidarity with the mobilization against the pension reform posed a problem of “neutrality”.