“A black day”: authorities and unions, who are calling for strikes and demonstrations against the “brutal” budgetary measures announced this summer, are planning a massive mobilization on Thursday, similar to some in 2023 against pension reform.
“None of the catastrophic measures from Mr. Bayrou’s museum of horrors are buried!”, the leader of the CGT, Sophie Binet, was indignant on Monday after meeting the new Prime Minister.
Sébastien Lecornu, after promising “substantive ruptures”, received the representative unions in turn – with the exception of Frédéric Souillot (FO) whose interview is scheduled for September 22 – but the union leaders maintain their call for a strike and demonstration on Thursday. Their ambition: to influence future budgetary directions.
CFDT, CGT, FO, CFE-CGC, CFTC, Unsa, FSU and Solidaires will thus be united in the street on Thursday, a first since June 6, 2023 – the date of the last mobilization against pension reform.
“Cuts in the public service, yet another reform of unemployment insurance, freezing of social benefits, deindexation of retirement pensions”… For the trade union organizations, the measures put forward this summer are of “unprecedented brutality”.
The abandonment by Sébastien Lecornu of the very controversial elimination of two public holidays wanted by François Bayrou is “a first victory”, which “confirms that we are in a position of strength”, estimated Sophie Binet.
“Show of force”
Even the CFDT is “more motivated than ever to take to the streets,” said its leader Marylise Léon.
“The budget, as it has started to be constructed, is not compatible with social, fiscal and environmental justice so there is really a need to review it from top to bottom,” she said on France Inter on Monday.
On the taxation of high assets, which returned to the heart of the debate, Ms. Léon nevertheless appreciated that the new Prime Minister said he was aware of the need to “do something”.
But “the budget will be decided in the street,” says Ms. Binet. Thus, “we must make a show of force on Thursday and after,” she insists, suggesting a long-term mobilization.
After a first day of mobilization on September 10, born on social networks with the slogan “Let’s block everything”, which brought together nearly 200,000 people throughout France according to the authorities, the trade union centers plan to exceed this figure.
“We already have excellent feedback on Thursday’s mobilization,” assures Frédéric Souillot, while his CFTC counterpart, Cyril Chabanier, indicates that the objective is “to have a million people with us”.
Transportation disrupted
On Tuesday, a security source told AFP to expect a very significant mobilization with more than 250 processions declared so far, approximately as many as during the demonstrations against the pension reform in 2023 which brought together between 280,000 and more than a million people.
Earlier, the authorities had estimated that participation could reach more than 400,000 people, double that of September 10, and said they feared the presence of several hundred radical demonstrators in processions.
In a note sent Tuesday to the prefects, the resigning Minister of the Interior Bruno Retailleau asks them to “guarantee the fundamental freedom to demonstrate while ensuring public order and tranquility.”
In Paris, the union procession will set off at 2 p.m. from Bastille to rally Nation, passing through the emblematic Place de la République.
On the transport side, traffic will be “disrupted” or even “very disrupted” in the capital – FO promising a “black day” on the Parisian lines – and Ile-de-France trains, a little less in the regions with 3 TER out of 5 and 9 TGV out of 10, according to the resigning Minister of Transport Philippe Tabarot.
At school, a third of primary school teachers (nursery and elementary schools) will be on strike, according to forecasts from the FSU-Snuipp, the leading primary school union.
