the unions hail a successful first day and call for a mobilization on January 31

by time news

Gathered in Paris this Thursday evening, following a day of mobilization against government projects, the organizations announced a new mobilization at the end of the month.

The strikes and demonstrations are just beginning. In the early evening, in Paris, the organizations grouped together in the inter-union mobilized against the government’s pension reform met to decide on the follow-up to be given to the movement. The conclusion is clear: at the end of a first day deemed very successful and “powerfulby the unions, the time has come to intensify the pressure on the executive.

While more than 1.1 million people beat the pavement in France this Thursday according to the interior, the CFDT, Force Ouvrière, the CGT, the Unsa, the CFE-CGC, Solidaires, the CFTC and the FSU have therefore announced a new interprofessional mobilization on January 31. The organizations also called on the general assemblies to multiply to organize actions and mobilizations, in particular around next Monday, the day of presentation of the reform project in the Council of Ministers.

The trade unions are also urging workers and students to multiply initiatives by January 31, in order to keep the fire smoldering in the street alive. “From next week“, and in particular on Monday. There will be actions, indicate Simon Duteil and Murielle Guilbert, of the Union Syndicale Solidaires. Objective: to strengthen the mobilization, and to mark the determination of the opponents of the reform. For the CFDT, the objective is above all to succeed in the mobilization of January 31. In parallel, “there must be a debate in the workplace, general assemblies”, pleads the organization led by Laurent Berger. The union also calls on opponents to massively sign the online petition, in order to increase pressure on the executive.

SEE ALSO – Olivier Dussopt recognizes “a significant mobilization” this January 19 against pensions

On the Unsa side, we hope to see local actions on Monday. “Why not go before the prefectures, the sub-prefectures, to express your disagreement with the reform?”, launches a representative. An idea also brandished on the Solidarity side. After a “first big hit” in the street this Thursday, Unsa wants to continue this momentum: “A mobilization, it is built, so we will do it, from next week”. And add, as a warning: “If the government is betting on the differences between the unions, it is wrong. There won’t be any”. The front of the opponents thus promises to remain united, until the withdrawal of the text.

“It’s a first victory, but the government obviously hasn’t decided to back down tonight, so we’ll have to give it a little extra kick”. On the CGT side, Catherine Perret does not hide her satisfaction after a successful first day. The trade union organizations leave time for the field to build the mobilization of January 31, while “we are at the beginning of a long process”. “We know that the confrontation will be difficult (…) but other prime ministers have said that they were straight in their boots” and finally backed off, let go “madam pensions” of the union led by Philippe Martinez. And the government is warned: if it does not back down on January 31, “there will be new days of mobilization, of course”in the face of a reform project considered “very bad”.

A little earlier, Philippe Martinez, secretary general of the CGT gauged the participation in more than two millionof demonstrators all over France. This milestone of two million had also been crossed, according to the unions, on the first day of the strikes of 1995. Quite a symbol: at the time, the mobilization had resulted in the withdrawal of the pension reform carried by Alain Juppé. The authorities put forward another figure – 1.12 million – which nevertheless confirms the success of the demonstrations on Thursday. The Minister of Labor Olivier Dussopt has also recognized a mobilization “important” .

A mobilization that is anchored in the long term

From the first hours of the mobilization against the government’s project, the trade unions warned that the day of January 19 would only be the first stage of a long march to roll back the executive. “This union date gives the start of a powerful mobilization on long-term pensions”proclaimed Laurent Berger, surrounded by his counterparts from other plants, on January 10. “It will be lasting anyway, we cannot imagine, given the mobilization, that it will fall back immediately”, assured this Thursday Benoît Teste, of the FSU. Something to remind the French of the atmosphere in December 2019, when the day of 5 – 806,000 participants, according to the police – had been followed very quickly by other calls for mobilization.

Questioned in the Parisian procession, several union officials spoke out for action almost permanently, without calling for an indefinite strike, which was difficult to bear financially for the strikers and heavy with consequences for the French. Perhaps it will be necessary to multiply symbolic actions, like the throwing of lawyers’ robes seen in 2019, wondered the leader of a central.

For its part, the executive still hopes to defuse the crisis and convince the French, by multiplying calls for “responsibility”. “What we don’t want is only French people who haven’t asked anyone” find themselves unable to go to work or care for their children, government spokesman Olivier Véran said on Wednesday. And to add: “Block the country, the daily life of the French, no”. The standoff with the unions therefore continues.

SEE ALSO – Pension reform: can the strike grow?

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