STRIKE JANUARY 19. Faced with the pension reform, the unions are still calling for a strike and a “massive mobilization” on January 19, 2023. Transport, energy, schools, refineries… Many sectors are concerned.
[Mis à jour le 14 janvier 2023 à 14h07] “On January 19, millions of people are needed on strike and in the streets”, once again affirmed Philippe Martinez, general secretary of the CGT, at the microphone of RMC/BFMTV on the morning of Friday, January 13. A day of “massive mobilization” was decreed by the inter-union (CFDT, CGT, FO, CFE-CGC, CFTC, Unsa, Solidaires, FSU) in order to denounce and fight the pension reform presented on Tuesday January 10 by the government by Elisabeth Borne.
“I have rarely felt so much discontent,” said Philippe Martinez. The secretary general of the CGT also reacted to the statements of Elisabeth Borne, who called, Thursday, January 12, the unions “to responsibility” for “not to penalize the French”. “I find these remarks scandalous. She is the one who should have thought before launching this reform, she is the one who set the fire, it is not us. All the unions, and this is rare, have warned. That it assumes responsibility for the mobilization”, replied Philippe Martinez.
The trade unionist hopes that the mobilizations of January 19 will only be a first step: “This is the first meeting, that means that there will be others. There will, I hope, be several millions of strikers and demonstrators. Because everyone is concerned.” If we will have to wait for the day of the mobilization to find out how much the movement is followed, several sectors have already responded positively to the call to strike: transport, the energy and oil sector or even schools. and health. Find below all the mobilizations planned, sector by sector.
A call for an inter-union strike on January 19
United in a common front for the first time in 12 years, the eight leaders of the French trade unions have called for a strike and a collective demonstration against the pension reform presented by Elisabeth Borne on Tuesday January 10, which they consider “unfair” . CFDT, CGT, FO, CFTC, Unsa, FSU, CFE-CGC and Solidaires invite all their trade union branches to stop work and hit the pavement. Many hopes rest on this day of mobilization, because “the moment that can most federate in the country will be the date proposed by the trade unions”, recognized the deputy LFI Clémentine Autain on BFM TV January 10. Regroupings are planned everywhere in France. On the site of the CGT, several of them are already listed.
The whole left, from the PS to the ecologists, has called for people to join the ranks. “My sneakers are ready”, declared to theAFP Marine Tondelier, new national secretary of EELV. On the side of the French Communist Party, led by Fabien Roussel, the call is shared. However, not all the opposition will be present. On BFM TV, the secretary of the CGT, Philippe Martinez, declared that “deputies or representatives of the National Rally” were not invited. On franceinfoLaure Lavalette, spokesperson for the RN in the National Assembly, had said earlier that “demonstrations are not part of the DNA” of the party.
Strikes at RATP and SNCF on January 19
The RATP, which was already on strike on Friday January 13, the day of the mandatory annual negotiations, promises an even greater social movement on January 19. Objective: “zero transport” according to the CGT-RATP which is however not sure of reaching it. The union, which represents 35% of RATP employees, will use an “unlimited duration” strike notice which was filed in December 2019 during the previous “aborted” pension reform, as indicated TF1 News. It should however be remembered that there is no inter-union at the RATP. However, each of the unions is calling for a strike on its own.
At the SNCF, the inter-union (CGT, Unsa, Sud Rail, CFDT) promised a “powerful” strike in a press release published on January 11. “In the railways, the trade unions (…) affirm their desire to build an offensive (…) the strongest in order to make the government give in”, can we read there. Unions which are also studying “methods of action going beyond twenty-four hours after the day of January 19”. Whether for SNCF and RATP, traffic disruptions due to strikes will only be known twenty-four to forty-eight hours before D-Day, when the companies publish their traffic forecasts.
Truck drivers also intend to mobilize against the pension reform. Fabrice Michaud, representative of the “Transport” branch of the CGT, told TF1 News Friday January 13 that the objective is that of a “general mobilization”. “Strike notices have been filed by truck drivers, cash couriers, but also by delivery companies,” he said, even if for the moment, a “blockage” is not considered. However, “if the government sticks to its positions”, a mobilization similar to that planned in the refineries could be put in place.
The energy sector on strike, cuts to be expected?
The energy unions are due to meet on January 16 to determine their “battle plan”. They are already expecting “a very strong mobilization”, and the CGT-FNME is campaigning for offensive actions that may include “power cuts [ou des] reinstatement of lines or free distribution of electricity for precarious people”. Others, such as Stéphane Chérigié of CFE-energy, do not go as far but warn against the risk of “drop in load in power stations” , and “of delay in maintenance days”, writes the Figaro.
Will the strike have an impact on the French? The speech questions but on January 11 on franceinfo, Sébastien Menesplier, secretary general of the National Federation of Mines and Energy CGT-FNME, assured: “We will not penalize users.”
Refineries on strike at the call of the CGT-Petrole
The “illegitimate and unacceptable” pension reform must not come into force for oil sector unions. CGT-Petrole has invited employees to multiply and intensify strikes in the coming weeks, anticipating “decreases in flow” and “stopping of shipments” of fuels, according to Eric Sellini, the union’s national coordinator at TotalEnergies.
The union is planning a 24-hour strike on January 19, another 48 hours on January 26, and finally a three-day strike starting on February 6. A three-step plan that leaves the way open for a renewal of the social movement and even “if necessary, to stop the refining facilities”. In response, and before reliving the fall crisis, Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne urged the strikers to “not penalize the French” during a trip on January 12.
Civil service on strike in January
Wednesday, January 11, the day after the announcements of Elisabeth Borne concerning the pension reform, the inter-union of the public service invited all the agents to mobilize on January 19, denouncing an “unfair and useless” reform. In a joint press release, CFDT, CFE-CGC, CGT, FA, FO, FSU, Solidaires and UNSA “simply demand” from the government “the withdrawal of its plan to postpone the legal retirement age from 62 to 64 and increase the contribution period”. And to add: “The improvements mentioned in the rights of agents by the establishment of a progressive retirement in certain cases, the preservation of the rights linked to active service and now their portability, can in no way compensate for the decline in the retirement age or the extension of the contribution period.” A strike notice has been filed for the whole month of January, which will therefore allow employees to mobilize on January 19.
The health sector also on strike on January 19
Already mobilized in an “unlimited” strike since January 10, the hospitals will undoubtedly join the strike movement on January 19. But out of professional conscience and to avoid penalizing patients, the unions and the Federation of French Hospitals (FHF) explain that many caregivers will participate in the mobilization from their post, wearing an armband “on strike” on their blouse.
In addition to denouncing the pension reform, caregivers are demanding an increase in wages – some are campaigning for a minimum wage of 2,000 euros -, retirement at 60 and possibly early at 55, but also the recruitment of “200,000 agents in the sectors health, social and medico-social”. In addition to hospitals, some liberal doctors, who were on strike at the beginning of the month, could individually take part in the January 19 strike day. Liberal doctors who demand an increase in consultation rates from 25 to 50 euros, a reduction in their administrative tasks or even incentives to reduce the number of medical deserts.
Strikes in National Education?
The inter-union call for a strike on January 19 found a lot of echo on the side of the National Education unions, in particular the Snuipp-FSU, the Snes-FSU, the Unsa-education or the Sgen-CFDT. Many teachers should therefore take to the streets to denounce the pension reform, especially since the teachers of vocational high schools have been opposing for several weeks the reform of the professional path wanted by Emmanuel Macron. Moreover, a one-day strike is scheduled for January 17 to demonstrate against the government’s plan.
Teachers’ unions hope the strike will be widely followed, but the government’s inaction in the face of long-standing demands by the education sector has already caused “a lot of disappointment and resignation in the profession”, reports Le Figaro. Some workers may therefore be demotivated even before they have started to protest.
The yellow vests back?
The January strikes could be the starting point for the return of the “yellow vests” movement. On Saturday January 7, between 3,000 and 4,000 people demonstrated all over France to give a second wind to the citizens’ movement which was fighting against inflation and pension reform from October 2018. Several Facebook pages are still calling for the major themes to be resumed. back to school under a new struggle of yellow vests: fight against pension reform, inflation, energy and fuel prices or the use of 49.3. It remains to be seen whether this call will be heard.