Electricians, gas operators, refiners, railway workers, but also dockers, glass and ceramics workers, the representatives of the CGT federations called on these sectors on Thursday to “step up a notch” in the mobilization against the pension reform and to “put France at a standstill” on March 7.
At the headquarters of the CGT, at the gates of Paris, in front of several hundred union secretaries (600 according to the organizers) gathered in front of the cameras and wearing red hats, the leaders of these federations closed ranks and galvanized their troops, calling them to anchor the movement over time.
“The renewable strike will be effective in all French refineries, on all imports”, thus proclaimed Emmanuel Lépine, secretary of the federation of chemistry, under the cheers of the militants gathered in front of the platform. “We have to work together, comrades, we will win!”
The secretary general of the CGT of electricians and gas, Sébastien Ménesplier promised “a dark week in energy”, with targeted cuts, blockages, occupations, and always “Robin Hood operations” for the population.
“We will have to expect it to be much stronger than what we have done so far from Monday evening 9:00 p.m.,” he assured then, during a press conference.
If the government “does not want a paralyzed France, a France at a standstill, it must really come to its senses and stop the debate in Parliament and withdraw its reform, hammered Mr. Ménesplier , ensuring to be ready to strike “as long as the reform is not withdrawn”.
“Expect that there are no trains, and that there are not many things from the 7th”, added Laurent Brun, for the CGT-Cheminots.
His ports and docks counterpart, Tony Hautbois, spoke about the representativeness of his organization in this sector: “90% of dockers, 80% of port workers”, announcing a “dead ports” day on March 8.
“As well in the production of fuel, as in the distribution, as in the import, we aim to block the whole economy, in particular by the strike”, concluded Mr. Lépine, who says he is ready to “bring the French economy to its knees”, in order to win the case.
Asked about the risk, as in previous movements of a “proxy strike” which would see leading sectors strike for the rest of the population, as in 2019 against the previous pension reform project, the CGT-Cheminots s is meant to be optimistic.
“We are not afraid of the proxy strike this time, because we see that there is a lot more mobilization than the previous times but also because we are organizing so that it does not take place” , said Mr. Brun.
He is betting precisely on this displayed “coordination”, so that “each one does not wait for the others to take action” and even hopes for a “ripple effect”.
Other sectors, which were not represented on Thursday, are called to the renewable strike, such as garbage collectors and all waste collection. Other federations which have not yet entered the dance could join the movement, such as CGT Commerce and CGT Construction.
03/02/2023 20:43:37 – Paris (AFP) – © 2023 AFP
