Is the social movement against the pension reform running out of steam?

So far, the movement against pension reform has held up well. There are already six important days of mobilization, the last of which, on March 7, brought together 1.28 million people according to the police, a record since mid-January.

March 7 also marked the beginning of the hardening of the struggle with the emergence of blockades and renewable strikes. The unions are gambling with everything against an inflexible government with a great challenge: to continue to mobilize.

Renewable strikes, until when?

Initiated on Tuesday in several key sectors, the renewables strikes continue this Friday in transport, refineries, garbage collectors or even LNG carriers.

“We were at the end of a very strong mobilization strategy, […] Now we have to toughen up as much as possible,” he added. Harden, and above all not weaken.

But, after 4 days of strike, signs of shortness of breath are noticeable: movement inside Esso-ExxonMobil’s Normandy refinery ended yesterday while lockdowns continue almost everywhere.

On the RATP, traffic is “a notable improvement compared to March 9”, while on the SNCF, 1 out of 2 TGV Ouigo circulates on average on March 10, compared to 1 out of 5 on March 7. The energy strikers always mobilize without consequences in the network.

New national mobilization on March 11

It is clear that France is not “stopped” as the inter-union wanted.

They had done it in the past. The 1995 strikes against the Social Security reform defended by the then Prime Minister Alain Juppé had paralyzed France with no more trains or subways in circulation. France Telecom, La Poste, EDF, the sorting centers had joined them in the fight that had brought the government to its knees.

Today, discontent is also brewing among the French, most of whom support the demonstrations and oppose the pension reform. Without fatigue in public opinion, for the moment, and a new day of national mobilization planned by the unions on Saturday, March 11 to continue giving life to the movement so that it does not lose its breath until the vote on the reform that will take place place in the coming weeks.