The general secretary of the General Confederation of Labor (CGT), Sophie Binet, called, on Wednesday, November 27, “Employees must go on strike and occupy their factories to avoid layoffs”as well as a day of mobilizations in front of factories and prefectures on December 12.
The CGT also calls “Employees take action to defend jobs and the industry”he continued, believing that “Nearly 250 layoff plans are in preparation, affecting between 170,000 and 200,000 jobs” are in progress. Michelin, ArcelorMittal, Auchan, MA France… Social plans have been multiplying for several weeks in France and affect all regions. The National Council of Administrators and Judicial Agents estimated the number of jobs threatened at around 150,000 in October.
A mobilization “open” to other unions
“There is an extremely fatalistic discourse that is maintained”judged Mme Binet, but “The mobilization of workers always changes the situation, there is never anything inevitable in terms of employment”. “There is nothing worse than unemployment”he insisted.
On December 12, the second national union organization – behind the CFDT – called on employees “mobilize in unity to defend their jobs and the industry”.
Asked about the position of the inter-union on the day of December 12 and the desire of other union organizations to join this mobilization, Sophie Binet specified that this day was “open to all”. “I hope it expands”said. “Today the mobilizations are united in the companies that are organized against job cuts and each time there is a united inter-union” in the affected sites, he assured.
