A new day of mobilization against the pension reform is planned for Saturday March 11, 2023. But will there be strikes?
The mobilization is not yet over that another is already taking shape. On this 6th day of demonstration against the pension reform, the unions are already working on a new day of action to make their opposition to the bill heard. This time, no preparation for a few weeks, but only a few days. And a once again unusual day seems to hold the rope: that of Saturday March 11, 2023. BFM TV advances this hypothesis, corroborating elements already disclosed by The Parisian last week. Like last February 11, the unions want to bet on a weekend day to hope to fill the ranks of the demonstrations copiously. “Saturday February 11 was a success, it allowed families and workers who cannot strike to participate in the movement”, argued a trade unionist with the Parisian to defend this new date.
The contours of this possible 7th day of mobilization – which is not yet confirmed – are not, at this stage, publicly defined. Nevertheless, the model of February 11 could be reproduced. That day, only calls to demonstrate and not to strike had been launched. Transport, a sector which concentrated concerns, had thus not been disturbed, whether on the side of the SNCF or the local public transport authorities. Organizing parades on a weekend day, thus not entailing the loss of a day’s wages for the strikers, had been a success for the unions since “more than 2.5 million” people had demonstrated across the France according to the organizers, when the Ministry of the Interior had counted 963,000.