They want to harden the standoff engaged against the government since January 19 against the pension reform. The CGT chemical federation (FNIC-CGT), which includes refineries in particular, is calling for a renewable strike from Monday evening March 6, as confirmed to Agence France-Presse Eric Sellini, CGT coordinator for the TotalEnergy group. This, on the eve of the “shutdown” of the country to which the inter-union calls during a sixth day of mobilization on March 7.
The call concerns the entire chemical sector, including “refining, petrochemical industry, pharmaceutical industries, rubber, plastics”, underlined Mr. Sellini. If the strike lasts for several days, it could lead to the total shutdown of some oil refineries, like the social movement started last October, which caused a shortage of fuel across the country.
Call to “bring France to a halt” from March 7
This desire to harden the mobilization in several sectors echoes the ultimatum issued to the government by the inter-union, Saturday, February 11. On the evening of the fourth day of mobilization against the bill, the eight main employee unions and five youth defense organizations announced their intention to “bring France to a standstill” et “to harden the movement (…) in all sectors », from March 7, if the pension reform was maintained as it is.
The CGT has already called for a renewable strike for garbage collectors, trades for which it is the majority in Paris. A call for a renewable strike was also launched by an inter-union of the RATP.
On the side of the CGT-Energie, which has been on renewable strike since the start of the social movement at the end of January, the union also called on electricity and gas employees to mobilize.
The stakes are high for this new sequence: to succeed in mobilizing more, while the participation in the street decreased Thursday, February 16, during the fifth day of mobilization: 440,000 people demonstrated everywhere in France according to the Ministry of inside, against 1.3 million according to the CGT. Lowest turnout since January 19.
The choice to bet on this new date for a renewed participation is not trivial: this new day of action will take place the day after the school holidays throughout the territory and will allow a stronger mobilization according to the unions.
In parallel with the social movement, the examination of the pension reform bill, examined within the framework of the Social Security Amending Finance Bill (PLFSSR), must end Friday evening at midnight at the National Assembly, before being debated in the Senate hemicycle from March 2.