This Thursday begins a national mobilization against the pension reform presented by French Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne and the French government.
Total Energies refineries are closed, high school students are trying to block the streets of the capital and, according to the Ministry of Education, around 40% of teachers are on strike. Public transport is suspended or continues to run at a very low rate.
Laurent Berger, general secretary of the CFDT, the first French trade union organization, believes that it is time to listen to all workers from the north to the south of the country.
“We have to listen to all those who are here behind me, who are participating in today’s demonstrations in Paris and in all the cities of France. Work is all these people. These people cannot be forced to work longer, often because the hard work they do does not allow it. This reform mainly affects all those who started working between the ages of 18 and 21 and a half: all these workers considered modest are in the crosshairs of this reform”, defended the general secretary of the CFDT, Laurent Berger.
Philippe Martínez, general secretary of the French union CGT, believes that “the million” protesters “will be surpassed” throughout the day.
According to the union, there are “75% more protesters” compared to the 2019 demonstration against Édouard Philippe’s former pension reform project.
Marine Tonnelier, general secretary of the ecological party Os Verdes (EELV), considers that this is only the first day of many mobilizations.
“We are going to experience a memorable day of mobilization. There are many French people who experience daily humiliation, for months or years. The time has come to raise our heads, to raise our pride, our dignity. We will continue to fight against this reform in the coming weeks” , assured the general secretary of the EELV.
More than two hundred protest marches are planned for this afternoon. During this day of strike, French President Emmanuel Macron, as well as 11 members of the Government -including the Ministers of the Interior and Transport- participate in the Franco-Spanish summit in Barcelona.
Source: TSF
