STRIKE. Demonstrations sprung up everywhere in France, this Thursday, January 27, 2022, in response to the call for a general strike launched by several unions. Schools and transport are experiencing disruptions. The latest news live.
The essential
- A general and interprofessional strike is organized everywhere in France this Thursday, January 27, 2022, at the call of many unions, including the CGT, FO, FSU, Solidaires, Fidl and MNL.
- All sectors of activity are called to take to the streets “to demand wage increases and defend jobs and working conditions” according to an inter-union press release. National Education teachers will be part of it.
- Public transport will be disrupted in a few large cities, such as the RER B in Île-de-France or the tramway in Nice.
- Follow this new day of mobilization live on Linternaute.
Live
12:22 – How many demonstrators marched this morning?
Many processions were organized this Thursday morning in the region. If the final figures from the unions and the Ministry of the Interior will only be released at the end of the day, estimates have been made in the municipalities. Local media report 1,000 participants in Saint-Etienne, 350 in Roanne, 3,400 in Toulouse, 900 in Cherbourg, around 1,000 in Nice or even 900 in Lorient.
11:56 – Renewed mobilization of teachers: 9% of strikers announces the Ministry of National Education
Slight revival of mobilization in National Education. While during the mobilization of January 13, 27.34% of striking teachers had been identified by the ministry, the figure had fallen to 1.63% last Thursday. But for this third mobilization, the services of Jean-Michel Blanquer announce that 8.95% of primary school teachers and 8.11% of secondary school teachers are on strike this Thursday, January 27.
11:33 – Demonstration in Reunion
The national strike call was followed overseas. In Reunion, a demonstration was organized in Saint-Denis, capital of the island, Thursday, at 10:30 a.m. local time (7:30 a.m. Paris time). According to The 1stthe mobilization only brought together about 500 people.
11:17 am – Toulouse, Nice, Rouen.. The first processions set off
While the big demonstration in Paris is only scheduled from 2 p.m., in the region, several processions have already started pounding the pavement to be heard. This is particularly the case in Toulouse, Nice or Rouen, cities in which the unions had called to take to the streets during the morning.
10:40 – The CFDT does not participate in the strike
On the other hand, the CFDT will not participate. Laurent Berger, general secretary of the union, indicated on Franceinfo, Monday January 24, to want “to privilege the sectoral mobilizations”. “It is the multiplication of concrete and targeted initiatives that will make the result. Not the big interprofessional event. The catchall does not work”, he pleads. The CFDT has decided to organize on its side on February 3 “a march of essential workers”, which should bring together several hundred people in the west of Paris.
10:29 – A high school blocked in Rennes
In Rennes, a high school has been blocked since 6:30 a.m. according to a student, met by West France. Clashes reportedly took place when the police arrived. The blockade is still not lifted.
10:09 – Why has a general strike been called?
The organizers are calling for an increase in the minimum wage and the index point for civil servants, and more generally of all salaries, allowances and retirement pensions, in a context of high inflation (+2.8% over one year in December) and record dividends. The unions deplore that there has been no boost to the minimum wage during the five-year term, beyond the automatic increases, and no further raising of the index point.
09:35 – Blockade in front of a high school in Paris, the police intervene
Beyond professionals from all sectors, high school students are also mobilizing this Thursday, mainly in support of teachers. In Paris, a blockade of the Georges Brassens high school was organized in the 19th arrondissement, early this morning. But the police quickly intervened, making several arrests.
09:29 – About 20% strikers among teachers?
Teachers, already on the streets on January 13 and 20 to protest against the management of the Covid-19 health crisis at school, will be “nearly 20%” to be on strike in the first degree, according to the Snuipp union -FSU, which represents kindergarten and elementary school teachers.
09:23 – At least 170 gatherings everywhere in France
Some 170 rallies and parades will take place at the call of the CGT, FO, FSU and Solidaires unions, according to Céline Verzeletti, CGT confederal leader. “We really think we’re doing a lot more than October 5,” she told AFP. This day of interprofessional mobilization brought together 85,400 people according to the Ministry of the Interior, and more than 160,000 according to the CGT.
09:18 – A day of general and interprofessional strike
It had been announced since January 5. This Thursday, January 27, 2022, a day of general and interprofessional strike is organized by several trade unions, including the CGT, FO, FSU, Solidaires, Fidl, MNL “to demand wage increases and defend jobs and working conditions” according to a joint press release, in the “social and economic context [d’] increases in basic necessities, energy and food and, ultimately, the cost of living for everyone, young, active, job seekers and retirees”.
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National Education mobilized for the strike of January 27
National Education teachers will therefore be there. Several organizations (CGT, FO, FSU, Sud-Solidaires or even the FCPE in particular) are calling for demonstrations to demand “an immediate increase in wages, in particular by significantly increasing the value of the index point; immediate recruitment and level of the needs of staff under status in schools, establishments and services; all the creation of classes, hours and positions necessary during future school mapping operations; real protective measures for staff and students ; real measures to get out of precariousness for AED and AESH concerning employment and salary conditions”.
What will be the mobilization within the staff? If on January 13, 38.4% of strikers had been identified in the first degree by the Ministry of the Interior (75% according to the unions) and 23.7% in the secondary (62%), the day of protest of the January 20 had been radically less followed with less than 2% of strikers.
SNCF, RATP… Transport affected by the January 27 strike?
Beyond schools, several strike notices have been filed in the transport sector. In Paris and Île-de-France, the RER network will be mainly disrupted on the RER B with 1 train out of 3 to the north and 2 trains out of 3 to the south. The RER A, C, D and E will also be impacted, as will the Transilien H, J and L (see below).
On the SNCF side, the CGT and Sud-Rail railway unions have filed a national strike notice. Presumably, the TGVs will not be affected by the strike. On the other hand, on the TER side, the trains circulating in Normandy will experience disruptions. The Paris – Argentan – Granville lines; Caen – Le Mans – Tours and Caen – Granville – Rennes are concerned.
On the Nice side (Alpes-Maritimes), the tram network will not work. Lines L1, L2 and L3 will be at a standstill and bus lines will be disrupted. “The call is individual but it is very likely that it will be very followed”, warns Stéphane Scie (Departmental Union CGT 06) toNews Nice. The public transport network of Grenoble (Isère) should also be affected, the inter-union of the M’TaG network inviting “all M’TAG employees to go on strike and come and participate in the demonstration which will start from the station at 10 a.m. hours”, as reported The Dauphine.
The January 27 strike followed in Paris, Nice, Lille, Bordeaux…
If questions hover over the mobilization that this interprofessional call for a general strike will experience, the fact remains that the local federations of the various trade union organizations have been active in recent days to organize the protest. Thus, processions should parade in many cities of France, in Paris, of course, but also in the region, near Nice, Lille or Bordeaux.
Like always, Paris should be the city in which the most protesters gather to try to be heard. A gathering is planned from 12 p.m. Place de la Bastille, before the procession leaves at 2 p.m. for Bercy.
AT Nice, a rally is also planned as part of the call for an interprofessional strike. The trade unions have planned a regrouping of demonstrators from 10:30 a.m. at the Théâtre de Verdure, on the Promenade des Anglais, before the departure of the procession.
On the side of Lille, a first gathering is scheduled for 10 a.m. in front of the Hôtel de Région, then a demonstration will leave at 2.30 p.m. from Porte de Paris. On the other hand, no disruption is to be expected on the metro, tram and bus network, as learned Lille News with Ilévia, the manager. On the other hand, schools should be very disrupted.
For Bordeaux, little information has, for the time being, circulated concerning a mobilization in the prefecture of the Gironde. It should be noted, however, that a rally is scheduled from 11:30 a.m. Place de la République.
Map of events organized in France:
This is a map of the SNES-FSU union which lists the vast majority of demonstrations organized on Thursday January 27, 2022 in France.