STRIKE 11 FEBRUARY. The fourth day of mobilization against the pension reform is scheduled for this Saturday, February 11. The intersyndicale is only calling for demonstrations, but in the transport sector some strikes could take place.
Strike or no strike? This is the question that arises as the fourth day of mobilization against the pension reform looms for this Saturday, February 11. A great first since the beginning of the protest movement, the unions are calling on the French to mobilize on a weekend, in their free time. But this detail pushes them to think about the form of the movement, especially with regard to strikes: with fewer people in the companies, strikes will automatically be less followed, but especially those which would be organized would affect the daily life and the movements of the French during a holiday weekend.
After mature reflection, the inter-union said that there was more to lose, in particular public opinion for the time being mainly favorable to the fight against the pension reform, than to gain. The appeal of the eight French federations for February 11 therefore provides for a simple day of demonstration. Still, the general instruction could not be respected everywhere, in particular in transport, a sector where however a strike on a holiday weekend would have serious consequences.
No strike at the SNCF on February 11
Assiduous in almost all social movements and present in every mobilization since the start of the fight against pension reform, the SNCF will not be on strike on February 11. The inter-union contented itself with a call for demonstrations. If the desire to protest is strong among drivers, controllers and signalmen, that of maintaining the support of the French in this battle with the government has taken over. It would be dangerous for the SNCF to incur the wrath of users who still remember the strikes organized for the end of year celebrations. The trains should therefore all be running for the first weekend of the school holidays.
RATP transport on strike on February 11
At the RATP, the unions have fewer scruples and seem ready to organize a new strike on Saturday February 11. And the decision is unanimous, motivated by the desire to defend the special scheme for RATP employees endangered by the pension reform. The strike confirmed in Ile-de-France transport, the details of the expected traffic disruptions must be published on the evening of Thursday February 9, the strikers being required to declare themselves 48 hours in advance in the transport services.
Planes and airports on strike the weekend of February 11?
If strike movements were announced in the air sector for the three previous mobilizations, none really disrupted air traffic. This time again the General Directorate of Civil Aviation (DGAC) could ask airlines to cancel a small percentage – 10 to 20% – of their flights to Orly or Roissy Charles de Gaulle.
A hardened strike in the refineries on February 11?
Refinery unions, for their part, remained discreet about the organization of a strike on February 11. In addition to the days of national mobilization, the refineries have sometimes renewed strike days. But the efforts of employees who stopped fuel deliveries for one or two days were not enough to be heard. CGT-Petrole is now calling for the movement to be toughened with a total shutdown of refining facilities to block the economy, but at the beginning of February the employees were not yet “ready” to mobilize in this way. The social movement could possibly take this turn during the next strike days but for that of Saturday February 11, the movement – if it is maintained – should be similar to the previous ones.