A “half-baked” mobilization on October 1: 170,000 protesters in France for salaries and pensions, according to the CGT

Three unions (CGT, FSU, Solidaires) as well as several youth defense movements called for demonstrations and strikes on Tuesday, October 1, at the same time as Prime Minister Michel Barnier was delivering his general policy statement to the General Assembly. deputies, announcing that they will return their hand to the social partners to discuss pensions and unemployment insurance.

Some 170,000 people demonstrated in France, the CGT announced to Agence France-Presse (AFP), although the figure from the authorities was not immediately available. For comparison, the last mobilization over wages in October 2023 brought together between 92,500 protesters in France (according to the police) and 200,000 (according to the CGT).

The last to leave on Tuesday, protesters in Strasbourg began taking to the streets shortly after 2:30 p.m. behind a banner that proclaimed: “for our salaries, our jobs, our work and study conditions”. “This demonstration is to show the Prime Minister that there are social issues, issues related to pensions, issues related to public services”Laurent Feisthauer, secretary general of the CGT of the Lower Rhine, told AFP.

In Paris, where the CGT announced 20,000 protesters, Camille, 31, a high school teacher in the Paris region, is worried about the budget decisions Barnier could make. “We know very well that the right will want to save money and that we will further reduce national education resources”The thirty-year-old regrets that “There are already thirty-six students in class in the general course”. “We don’t even know what they’re going to find to cut. There’s nothing left! »breathes desperately Murielle, 54 years old, social worker in a hospital in Seine-et-Marne.

There were also around 2,200 in Bordeaux (prefecture), between 2,700 (prefecture) and 6,000 (CGT) in Lyon, between 800 (prefecture) and 1,500 (organizers) in Perpignan, 2,800 in Rennes (prefecture) or 2,900 in Nantes (prefecture). . ).

“Halftones”

This mobilization for the repeal of the controversial pension reform, an increase in salaries and public services, was limited throughout France, despite the reinforcement of several youth organizations (Students’ Union, UNEF, Fidl or Schools Union Secondary).

With some 190 meeting places, “It is a mobilization worthy of action days of this type”said Sophie Binet (CGT) from the Parisian procession, also concerned “observe in the workplace a great democratic and social fatigue among employees”. Solidaires co-delegate Murielle Guilbert admitted to AFP “a half-hearted mobilization”emphasizing that “That does not mean that the issues raised do not have the support of the population.”

National education registered 6.08% of strikers among teachers, a low participation. On the transportation side, traffic was ” normal “ for TGV. Only slight disturbances were recorded on some regional and intercity trains.

Some Parisian secondary schools were also blocked on Tuesday morning. A hundred high school students paraded in the Latin Quarter, with banners such as “Barnier, it is not square”. Unlike the united battle against pension reform, CFDT, FO, CFE-CGC, CFTC and UNSA did not join the mobilization. “It seemed premature to respond to this call. (…) To be effective, mobilization must have very specific demands”highlighted Marylise Léon (CFDT), in the regional newspaper Western France.

The ambition of the unions was to put a little more pressure on Barnier, who revealed his priorities to the deputies, after receiving the social partners last week. He announced that he would return control of unemployment insurance to the social partners, thus hiding in its current form the reform of this system planned by the Attal government and the employment of older people. “They are in the best position to offer solutions”according to Barnier. The latter requested that this negotiation be opened “in the coming weeks”while the current compensation rules for job seekers will end on October 31.

Regarding the much criticized pension reform adopted last year, which gradually raises the retirement age to 64, “we must resume the dialogue”He also judged when remembering the“It is imperative to preserve the sustainable balance of our system”. Another opening to the concerns coming from the processions, the announcement of a revaluation of the “Smic of 2% as of November 1, anticipating the date of January 1”.