Barring a miracle, the convergence in the street of left-wing parties, associations and unions will not be for October. This is the result of the meeting held on Monday, September 12, by videoconference, between some of the unions (the CGT, FSU, Solidaires, the Peasant Confederation), several associations and the parties of the New Ecological Popular Union. and social (Nupes). The idea of “great march against the high cost of living”launched by Jean-Luc Mélenchon in July, may have turned into a unitary attempt, green with the idea of“ecological and social emergency”, the calendar carried by La France insoumise (LFI) – October 15 or 16 – was considered rushed. And above all too close to the calls for mobilization of September 22 (in the health sector) and September 29 (interprofessional mobilization for wages launched by the CGT, FSU and Solidaires).
“We will not call for participation in the march proposed by Nupes. The approach seems a little too closed to us and we don’t want to be embarked on fields that are not union-based. Our priority is the success of the mobilization day that we are organizing on September 29 with the CGT and the FSU”, justifies the co-delegate of Solidaires, Simon Duteil. The two previous meetings had resulted in vague commitments, without date, in particular to spare the autonomy of the unions. But the “rebellious” – and in particular Jean-Luc Mélenchon – continued to show their desire to organize it in mid-October, a weekend, and in Paris.
The link is still not broken. The participants, unions and associations (Attac, Friends of the Earth and Oxfam in particular) agreed to meet again on October 4th. “We said that we could not join in the co-construction of a national march in October, but we remain open to the idea of mounting broad movements on extended demands – for example – to environmental issues”notes, for the CGT, Céline Verzeletti, confederal secretary, not excluding other initiatives “to raise the balance of power” after September 29. At FSU, “we have not yet made our decision, but it is likely that we will not call to participate in the march proposed by the Nupes”explains Benoît Teste, Secretary General, without excluding “forms of support or benevolence” with regard to the initiative.
Political differences
As for the political parties, already shaken by an eventful weekend at the Fête de Humanity, the meeting gives rise to divergent readings. The deputy of Seine-Saint-Denis Aurélie Trouvou (LFI), ex-president of Attac, says to herself ” optimistic “while measuring the difficulty of coordination between parties and unions: “There is a long process of restoring the relationship of trust between associations and trade unions and political organizations. La Nupes helps to restore this link », she wants to believe. The conclusion of this meeting, in his view, is “that the initiatives of each other are welcome, to impose the necessary changes on the government”. Even if they don’t happen all at once. Moreover, LFI will begin preparations: “We are not going to wait until October 4 to start the organization”assumes the deputy.
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