STRIKE. The call for a general strike will have been little followed this Thursday, January 27, 20222. If several thousand people marched all over France, less than one teacher in ten mobilized, far from the expectations of the unions.
17:26 – 20,000 demonstrators in Paris according to the CGT
[Fin du direct] According to the CGT, 20,000 people took part in the demonstration in Paris. The Ministry of the Interior has not yet communicated.
17:25 – The demonstration is over in Paris
The Parisian procession arrived at the place of destination: Bercy. Leaving from the Place de la Bastille, it brought together several thousand demonstrators in an atmosphere that did not degenerate.
3:25 p.m. – A lookalike of Jean-Michel Blanquer in the demonstration
During the demonstration in Paris, the escapade of Jean-Michel Blanquer in Ibiza, the subject of strong criticism from the teaching staff, was derided. Standing on a truck, a lookalike of the Minister of National Education and several people dance to the sounds of summer music. It was he who had already danced under the windows of the ministry on January 19. This is Nour Durand-Raucher, an elected EELV.
15:13 – Jean-Luc Mélenchon among the demonstrators
Jean-Luc Mélenchon went to the demonstration organized this Thursday in Paris. The presidential candidate LFI came to bring his “support for the strike for the increase in wages in the face of the high cost of living”. For the deputy of Bouches-du-Rhône, “we must increase the SMIC to 1400 euros net and launch mandatory negotiations by branch for the general increase in wages!”
14:02 – What route for the demonstration in Paris?
Scheduled from 2 p.m., the major demonstration organized in Paris this Thursday sets off from the Place de la Bastille to join Bercy and the foot of the Ministry of the Economy, via avenue Dausmenil. A course of about three kilometers, concentrated in the east of the capital.
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 1st, the 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”.
National Education teachers were there on Thursday Several organizations (CGT, FO, FSU, Sud-Solidaires or even the FCPE in particular) had called for demonstrations to demand “an immediate increase in salaries, in particular by significantly increasing the value of the index point; immediate recruitment and up to the needs of personnel under status in schools, establishments and services; all the creation of classes, hours and positions necessary during school mapping operations to come; real protective measures for staff and students; real measures to get out of precariousness for AED and AESH concerning employment and salary conditions”. Finally, between 8 and 9% of teachers responded according to the Ministry of National Education. This is more than January 20 (less than 2%), but less than January 13 (38.4% in the first degree, 23.7% in the second).
Beyond schools, several strike notices had been filed in the transport sector. In Paris and Île-de-France, the RER network was 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 were also impacted, as were the Transilien H, J and L (see below).
On the SNCF side, the CGT and Sud-Rail railway unions had also filed a national strike notice. While the TGVs were not affected by the strike, the TER trains circulating in Normandy experienced disruptions, especially on the Paris – Argentan – Granville lines; Caen – Le Mans – Tours and Caen – Granville – Rennes.
On the Nice side (Alpes-Maritimes), the tram network did not work. Lines L1, L2 and L3 were stopped and disrupted bus lines.