The inter-union mobilization on wages, Friday October 13, remained well below the records of the recent pension battle, before a social conference scheduled for Monday on the hot topic of purchasing power.
The CGT counted 200,000 demonstrators throughout France when the police counted only 92,500 nationwide. This is significantly less than during the 14 days of action against the pension reform which were organized between January and June, the union having reported the lowest of some 900,000 demonstrators on June 6.
More than six months after the adoption of the controversial reform, the inter-union focused on purchasing power undermined by inflation: “this is the number 1 subject of concern for workers”, insisted Marylise Léon, general secretary of the CFDT. The unions had called for a march for “gender equality, increased wages, minimum wage, pensions, minimum social benefits and scholarships.”
20,000 people in Paris, according to the CGT
While predicting a “strong” mobilization, CGT number one Sophie Binet recognized in the morning that she would “probably not be at the level of those against pension reform”. But, she judged on the sidelines of an inter-union press conference in the capital, “it’s normal, we have experienced six months of historic mobilization”, “we cannot beat French records all the time “.
In Paris, the demonstration between Place d’Italie and Place Vauban brought together 20,000 people, according to the CGT, whereas during the retirement movement, the union had never counted fewer than 300,000 people in the capital. “A few arrests” took place, according to the prefecture.
In Marseille, there were 10,000 according to the CGT, 2,100 according to the prefecture, demanding to be able to “live, work, age with dignity”. In Toulouse, there were between 2,000 (prefecture) and 15,000 (organizers). “I am here to express my dissatisfaction with the salaries that are much too low and which do not keep up with inflation at all,” explained Édith Franco, 45, who works in agricultural education.
In Nantes, several thousand people also marched behind a “flammable inflation” banner, while in Rennes, there were between 3,000 (CFDT) and 1,770 (prefecture) and in Rouen between 2,000 (CGT) and 1,300 (prefecture). In Bordeaux, the organizers counted 3,500 demonstrators, the prefecture 1,300.
“We are not going from a movement that fails [against pension reform] to easy mobilization,” noted Rindala Younes, a French professor unionized at Snes-FSU, in the Lyon procession, emphasizing that “on the question of salaries , people are really struggling.” The prefecture counted 2,600 demonstrators in this city.
There were still between around 1,200 (police) in Saint-Étienne and 4,000 (CGT) or between 1,300 and 2,000 in Grenoble.
In transport, train traffic was slightly disrupted on certain regional lines but normal for the TGV. In Ile-de-France, disruptions also affected certain RER lines, but in Paris, metros, buses and trams ran normally. Air traffic was also disrupted in France and Europe.
On the civil service side, the ministry reported 3% of strikers in the State civil service and 3.8% in the Territorial.
“Springboard”
CFDT, CGT, FO, CFTC, CFE-CGC, Unsa, Solidaires and FSU, and youth organizations, followed a call from the European Trade Union Confederation (CES). Demonstrations were thus organized in Italy, Belgium, Germany, Spain, among others, before a new meeting on December 13.
In France, union leaders hope that this day will make it possible to weigh in on discussions with the head of government Élisabeth Borne during the social conference on Monday at the Economic, Social and Environmental Council (Cese).
This mobilization must serve as a “springboard”, argued Sophie Binet. “On Monday, we are going to talk about salaries from starter to dessert,” Frédéric Souillot (FO) also stressed on Friday on France 2, determined to “put pressure” on the government and employers.
The unions will notably demand “conditionality of public aid to businesses”, i.e. the maintenance of exemptions from contributions provided that the sector does not have a minimum below the minimum wage. But some fear that there will be “not many effective proposals” at the end of the conference.
