After twelve days of mobilization against the pension reform, which pushes back the legal retirement age from 62 to 64, the inter-union, still united, plans for May 1st a “historic” day and “a tidal wave in the street, calling for the “repeal” of the text.
Since the last day of mobilization, the Constitutional Council validated on April 14 the main part of the reform, promulgated in stride. In the street, the anger remained strong: in addition to two days in the form of a “heating lap” on April 20 and 28, with actions focused on transport or work accidents, at the initiative of the CGT in particular, pot concerts disrupt the movements of the executive, head of state included.
The unions are now looking to two new dates after tomorrow: 3 May, when the Council will vote on a second request for a shared initiative referendum, and 8 June, when a bill from the Group of Liberties, Independents, Overseas and Territories (LIOT) deputies repealing the reform will be on the menu of the National Assembly.
The Prime Minister, Elisabeth Borne, must also send invitations to the unions “next week”, according to Matignon. A test for their unity? “If we have an invitation, we’ll go talk,” and “in whatever format she decides,” Berger said Sunday. “We will decide the day after tomorrow in the inter-union, the decision will be taken collectively”, tempered Sophie Binet, the general secretary of the CGT, who maintains the objective of withdrawing from the pension reform.
12,000 police and gendarmes mobilized
Some three hundred gatherings are announced in the country. In the capital, the procession will set off at 2 p.m. from Place de la République towards the Nation. The authorities are counting on 500,000 to 650,000 people throughout the territory, including 80,000 to 100,000 in Paris. In the capital, between 1,500 and 3,000 “yellow vests” and 1,000 to 2,000 so-called “at risk” individuals are expected by the authorities, according to a police source at Agence France-Presse. About 12,000 police and gendarmes will be mobilized, including 5,000 in Paris.
Disruptions are expected in transport, especially for the air sector. Traffic promises to be very disrupted with between 25 and 33% of flights canceled at the country’s largest airports. “Cancellations and delays are to be expected”, announced the general direction of civil aviation, citing in particular the airports of Paris-Orly, Marseille-Provence, Lyon or Bordeaux.
On the SNCF side, the inter-union called all employees to strike for Monday, despite a declining mobilization, especially among drivers, during the last days of national mobilization. At the end of the day, Sunday, the public company had not released an outline forecast for the next day. On Saturday, SNCF customer service on Twitter wrote that it had not “identified at this time any risk of disruption which would be due to a call for a strike”.
In Paris, the RATP has announced that because of the procession of May 1, the Paris Police Prefecture has requested the closure from 11 a.m. of several metro stations in eastern Paris, namely République, Oberkampf , Saint-Ambroise, Voltaire, Charonne, Rue des Boulets and Daughters of Calvary. The reopening will be done with the authorization of the prefecture.
