New mobilization day for opponents of the pension reform. This Tuesday, demonstrations are planned throughout France, more than three months after the start of the social movement. Wind standing against the government's use of 49-3 to unblock the debate in the National Assembly, announced on Saturday, several union organizations hope to re-mobilize their troops.
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After a quick meeting on Monday morning, the intersyndicale grouping the CGT, FO, FSU, Solidaires and CFE-CGC had estimated that " mobilization " remained the only possible solution in the face of " contempt " of the executive. " The government refuses the debate and wants to force this project of minority social regression into public opinion ", sanctions the joint declaration of the unions, supported by several organizations representative of youth, including the FIDL, the MNL, the UNEF and UNL. The press release recalls the long-known opposition of these groups to the reform project, and calls for generalizing the actions to all sectors and territories.
" We always ask for the withdrawal of the project, " said Tuesday morning the boss of FO, Yves Veyrier. The representative remains firmly opposed to the government's plans: “ if we globalize the system by point, it will take into account each period of professional life, including those at the start of their career or those where they lost their job, where the 'we had a low salary ', he recalled, stressing that it will be ' more difficult to build up a capital of points '. In addition, FO is worried about a device that will ultimately leave the hand to the State, in the definition of certain essential points, including “ the limit of the age of equilibrium, the value of the point [… ] the penalty rate to dissuade those who still choose to leave before the equilibrium age or […] the bonus ”granted to people who later retire.
Veyrier is also assuming its choice to leave the door the day before, for the conference to finance the future retirement system. The union denounces forced and biased negotiations: " we cannot negotiate dues ", he regrets, while FO was ready to open discussions on a possible increase in employer contributions, " including by putting on the table public aid to companies […] part of which goes to multinationals which make their turnover abroad ”. "The solution is already pre-established, so there is no point in negotiating," said Michel Beaugas, the union's retirement negotiator , yesterday.
Will the 49-3 serve as an electric shock?
Events are therefore planned in several major French cities. In Paris, the procession will leave the Republic at 1:30 p.m. to arrive at Place de la Madeleine. The prefecture ensures that it will deploy a sufficient device to secure the event: the day before, people were " dispersed in a wild procession to the north of the Capital, overturning and burning trash cans in their path, " she said. denounced on Twitter. The police intend to act well to avoid seeing such scenes happen again.
The big unknown however concerns the extent of mobilization in France. During the last rallies, the processions appeared significantly less supplied, far from the 806,000 participants nationwide on December 5. On February 20, less than 100,000 people - 92,000, to be precise - were pounding the pavement during the last big day of action. Responding to the call from the inter-union, Monday, only a few thousand people gathered in France, including a few hundred in Paris, Place de la République.
Evolution of national mobilization against pension reform Le Figaro
However, the unions hope that the use of 49-3 could have served as an electric shock, giving the opposition a boost. However, the fear of the COVID-19 epidemic could demobilize some of the potential participants. The next meeting of the opponents is in any case already booked, for next March 31. In the meantime, the CGT also hopes to mobilize for pensions on the occasion of International Women's Rights Day, Sunday March 8.