While a national strike call against the pension reform has been launched for March 7, the movement could continue in several sectors the next day, when demonstrations are already planned, in another context.
For weeks, they have been repeating over and over that March 7 will be a “Black Tuesday” in France. Mobilized against the pension reform, the unions are calling for a mass mobilization that day, to which tens of thousands of French people should respond. But after ? What about movement? The pressure should not completely come down in France, while the text which plans to push back the retirement age from 62 to 64 is still under consideration in the Senate. Other actions should take place, starting with this Wednesday, March 8, 2023. Every year, this date is already synonymous with demonstrations: it is indeed Women’s Rights Day. If usually, the processions display slogans to denounce wage differences or even feminicides, this year, the mobilization will also have an air of demonstration against the pension reform. But that’s not all. Other strike movements should be renewed on this date.
New disruptions at SNCF and RATP?
Main sector of concern for the French on a day of strike, transport could be affected by a new mobilization of employees of the SNCF, the RATP but also other local public transport authorities. At the SNCF, it is a call for a strike renewable from March 7 which has been launched. Thus, new disruptions could impact the circulation of trains on Wednesday, the day after a Tuesday during which few trains will have circulated in France.
On the side of the RATP, the inter-union also called for a renewable strike. However, no information is yet known about the circulation of metros, trams and RER on March 8. It should be noted that since the start of the movement, traffic has never been disrupted the day after the main day of the strike.
AESH absent in schools?
On the side of National Education, this March 8 could be marked by a more limited strike movement than the day before. If the South union calls for a new day of mobilization against the pension reform, the organization also intends to defend the cause of AESH, 92% of whom are women, and denounce precarious jobs in this sector.
Health continues its fight for better conditions
In the field of health, a new day of mobilization is also planned for this Wednesday, March 8. It is part of a different context than that of pension reform since it is a question here of denouncing a series of decisions taken in the medical sector. A strike notice for the day was thus filed by the CGT, valid for all medical and non-medical staff in hospitals, private medical establishments, the French Blood Establishment or even medico-social services.
Discrepancies in refineries
Another sector whose strike could greatly impact the French: refineries and nuclear power plants. In the first, a renewable strike movement is launched from March 6 in the evening. With what impact? The ambitions differ according to the sites. At Esso-ExxonMobil, “no entry or exit of fuel” will be possible, announced the CGT to 76News, posing the risk of a lack of supply to petrol stations. But at Total, “we are not looking for shortages. We just want to hit the business economy.” The impact should therefore not be as strong as last fall.
As for nuclear power plants, the movement initiated on Friday evening has lowered electricity production in France. This reduction is currently equivalent to five nuclear reactors shut down. The movement is renewable every day but remains supervised in order to avoid power cuts.