A tenth mobilization day is already scheduled for February 20. The intersyndicale, opposed to the pension reform project, met on Thursday evening after a ninth day of strikes and demonstrations in France, to decide on the follow-up to be given to the movement.
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The CGT, Force Ouvrière, FSU, Solidaires as well as youth organizations (MNL, UNL, Fidl) and student organizations (Unef) “ call all youth, salaried workers, private individuals 'employment, retirees (e) s a new day of convergence of strikes and demonstrations on February 20 "three days after the start of consideration of the bill in the National Assembly, said the inter-union in a statement.
A funding counter-conference
The unions said they were convinced that " this unprecedented and historic mobilization will win ". They announced the setting up soon of a counter-conference of financing: the intersyndicale works with the organization of a “national counter-conference current March, declined locally, to discuss widely and publicly solutions and possible proposals for a serious plan to improve pension plans ”. A funding conference - suggested by the CFDT - was launched on January 30 by Prime Minister Édouard Philippe. The social partners have until the end of April to find out how to guarantee the balance of the pension system in 2027.
The unions are also calling for " new moments of mobilization, around March 8, the international day for the fight for women's rights ". They believe they would be the “ biggest losers ” in the future pension bill. These announcements come at the end of a new day of demonstrations where mobilization was slightly up, according to the Ministry of the Interior. According to Beauvau, 121,000 people demonstrated throughout France, including 15,000 in Paris against 108,000 in France on January 29, 13,000 in the capital. According to the CGT, 130,000 people beat the pavement of Paris against 180,000 on January 29.
In France, several rallies also took place. The demonstrators were 5,300 in Lyon, 4,500 in Marseille, 3,500 in Toulouse or Bordeaux, 2,700 in Rennes, 2,300 in Nantes, 1,700 in Lille or 1,600 in Clermont-Ferrand, depending on the prefectures or the police. " We are far from the end of the movement, " said the secretary general of the CGT, Philippe Martinez, shortly before the departure of the Parisian procession, denouncing the " pseudo law " arrived at the Assembly.
Philippe Martinez was present in the Parisian procession this Thursday. AFP