“Raise our wages, not misery
”: the demonstrators hit the pavement Thursday, at the call of the CGT, FSU and Solidaires and youth organizations, to demand wage increases and give a warning shot on the pensions, when the executive clarifies its method for reform.
The CGT claimed, for this first day of interprofessional mobilization since the start of the school year,
“more than 250,000”
participants in nearly 200 demonstrations in France (against
“nearly 80,000
” on March 17 and
“more than 150,000”
on January 27).
Some 40,000 demonstrators, according to the organizers, marched in Paris from Denfert-Rochereau to Bastille, behind a banner proclaiming:
"Increase in wages, social minima, scholarships and pensions, it is urgent to act!"
.
The secretary general of the CGT, Philippe Martinez, put forward
"a first warning to the government and employers so that wage negotiations begin quickly"
and to point out,
"since it is the news", that the French do not want "to work any longer"
.
Read alsoThe social return of the CGT promises to be little followed
“The emergency on wages, it becomes vital for a lot of people”
, pleaded Murielle Guilbert (Solidaires).
Among the demonstrators, Ibrahima Tell, a 39-year-old catering employee:
“An additional 30 euros per month will not change the situation.
What is needed is a 100 to 200EUR increase.
Everything has increased, I can clearly see that in the field of catering (...) And then there is also energy, heating (...) They want me to put the heating at 19 degrees?
But we are already dying of cold
, ”he testifies.
Several left-wing politicians were present, including Fabien Roussel (PCF), Mathilde Panot (LFI), Olivier Faure (PS) and Sandrine Rousseau (EELV).
Read alsoFrédéric Souillot (FO): "I don't believe in preventive demonstrations"
From the morning, several thousand people (4,300 according to the police) had demonstrated in Marseille, in the presence of Jean-Luc Mélenchon (LFI).
They were between 3,200 (police) and 4,500 (CGT) in Nantes, 770 in Besançon, more than 2,000 in Toulouse, several hundred in Strasbourg, 500 in Belfort (police), between 1,600 (prefecture) and 3,500 (CGT) in Caen, between 3,500 (police) and 8,500 (unions) in Le Havre or between 1,870 (prefecture) and 3,500 (CGT) in Rouen.
In Reunion, a thousand people marched through the streets of Saint-Denis (north of the island) and Saint-Pierre (south).
The Ministry of National Education reported at midday a strike rate of 11.01% among teachers.
The Snes-FSU claimed, him,
"30% of strikers"
in colleges and high schools, while the Snuipp-FSU identified 20% in the primary.
A pension bill
“before winter”
On the transport side, three out of four unions, including the CFDT-Cheminots, had called for a strike at the SNCF.
Disruptions have been reported on certain TGV Inoui, Intercités, Ouigo, TER, and Transilien lines in Ile-de-France.
On the RATP side, where only the CGT had called for a strike, traffic was disrupted on the RER B or buses.
The CGT agrifood federation has identified
"nearly 400 strike calls"
and
"at the very least, 50,000 strikers"
.
Prime Minister Élisabeth Borne announced to AFP on Thursday that the government would open a new round of consultations with a view to adopting a draft law on pensions
"before winter"
, allowing it to come into force in November. summer 2023 of a reform providing for the
“gradual postponement of the retirement age”
until 65 years of age in 2031.
“We do not want to negotiate the extension of the retirement age”
, warned Philippe Martinez.
As for participating in the consultations planned by the executive from next week,
“if it is to tell us this is what we want and now do what we tell you, we will not stay long”.
The CFDT which, like FO, did not participate in the day of mobilization, indicated that it
"will engage (it) in the discussions" and calls for "loyalty and transparency
".
All national unions (CFDT, CGT, FO, CFTC, CFE-CGC, FSU, Solidaires and Unsa) must meet at Unsa headquarters on Monday.
It will be a question of discussing
"the modalities to continue this movement"
, said Mr. Martinez, pleading for the unity
"as broad as possible"
.
The CFDT will go to
"build common proposals on the areas of consultation that are opening up and counter the postponement of the legal age to 65
," she said.
The left-wing parties are planning a
"big march against high prices and climate inaction"
, October 16, without the support, a time considered, of the CGT.
