https://socialistaction.org/2020/03/19/french-strikes-wane-but-not-the-outrage/
French Strikes Wane but Not the Outrage
Socialist Action / 2 days ago
Massive Paris demonstration against cuts to pensions proposed by French
President Emanuel Macron. (Photo by Marty Goodman)
By MARTY GOODMAN
The massive strike wave begun Dec. 5 in France against a proposed
rollback of pension rights has slowed down.
Disruptive strikes and giant marches of mostly public workers across the
country topped over 1.5 million, but the leading edge of the movement,
city and regional rail and bus workers, announced the end of their
strike on Jan.24, after living weeks on meager strike fund benefits.
The neoliberal French President Emanuel Macron, a millionaire former
financial investor, is attacking workers’ hard won pension rights in
the immediate aftermath of WW II, and for transit workers, in 1907.
Pension rights in France remain amongst the best in the western world,
including the U.S.
The last major mobilization, the tenth such action, was on Feb. 20, with
numbers significantly down. According to the Interior Ministry, 7,800
marched in Paris on Feb. 20. A month earlier marches in Paris were in
the hundreds of thousands. (See January and February Socialist Action.)
Widely viewed videos showed French cops brutalizing marchers, including
the use of so-called “non-lethal” weapons, such as explosive tear gas
grenades, the only European country to use them.
On Feb. 29, Prime Minister Edouard Philippe announced the use of
Constitutional article 49.3 that will bypass parliamentary debate on
pension changes. Unions called an emergency demonstration on March 3
that attracted over 20,000, far smaller than recent protests.
Workers’ oppose “reforms”
Opinion polls say that as much as 70% of the French people oppose the
pension “reforms” and a similar number support the strikes, despite
inconveniences.
The pension “reform” aims to roll back the age requirement for full
benefits from 62 to 64 and to consolidate 42 pension guidelines into one
“point system” based strictly on employee contributions.
Scandal erupted when it was revealed that two top Macron officials had
an interest in insurance companies whose profits would increase by
pension changes.
It is estimated that the pension slashing measure cuts 30% of benefits.
Women workers, whose pensions are already 29% lower than men’s, and who
are concentrated in the low-wage service industry, will see their
pensions further reduced. The CGT (General Confederation of Labor) says
the gap with men may increase to as much as 42%. For unemployed workers,
above 8% of the entire workforce, benefits are reduced. Workers with
physically taxing jobs must continue working until 64 for full benefits.
As Prime Minister Philippe put it bluntly, “You’re going to have to work
longer.”
In an open attempt at splitting the labor movement, Macron, after weeks
of strikes and massive demonstrations moved the optimum age back
temporarily back to 62 and implementation from 2022 to 2027.
The French Democratic Labor Confederation (CFDT), an anti-communist and
conservative union federation and France’s largest, first opposed the
plan on the age requirement, but not the point system. Macron’s
“modifications” ended CFDT opposition. In response, some CFDT members
tore up their union cards.
However, the CFDT, CGT and other unions will participate in some three
months of “negotiations,” although the CGT has now withdrawn from talks.
None of the terms of the proposal have changed; Macron’s “concessions”
are seen as temporary, not fixed. As the government sees it, the issue
is closing a so-called funding gap of about $19 billion (U.S.) by 2027.
Macron has refused to increase employer contributions to the fund.
The more militant SUD Rail said it would refuse to meet with the
government and would continue to mobilize until the withdrawal of the bill.
The proposal was to be introduced in March and expected to be voted on
in April. Macron’s party, “Republic on the March,” has the majority and
passage is assumed. To delay passage, Left-Wing politicians added a
record 41,000 amendments.
Boris Vallaud, a Socialist Party member of the National Assembly said,
“The President says that we don’t have the means, but it found the means
to give 4 billion euros to the 1% of our wealthiest citizens” through
tax breaks to the rich.
Léon Crémieux, a militant in SUD Rail and a leader of the New
Anti-capitalist Party (NPA), says the conference is a trap which “is
going to close quickly since this conference will only be able to put
the “pivotal age at 64” back in the frame, forcing retirement two years
later.”
Capitalism’s “race to the bottom”
The attacks on French workers are part of capitalism’s world-wide “race
to the bottom,” i.e., insuring a competitive edge for French capital
over its European, U.S., and Chinese rivals. The U.S. dominated World
Bank and the European Union call for measures to trim France’s budget —
on the backs of working people.
“We’re really sick of being in the soup by the 15th of the month,” said
Christian Porta, a demonstrator, who works in a bread factory. “It’s
gotten really terrible.”
Fabien Roussel, General Secretary of the Communist Party, asked in
Parliament, “When have we seen so many teachers go out into the
streets? Everybody is upset.’’
The recent strike was the longest since the historic May-June 1968
strike. For rail workers, it was the longest strike since the 1930’s.
However, the latest mobilizations, however large, did not reach the
peaks of the huge demonstrations against attacks on the working class
in 1995, 2003 and 2010. The recent peak was some 1.5 million nationally
but in 2010 a pension fightback mobilized 3.5 million.
An obstacle to a genuine general strike (all workers walking out) is the
unionization of only 11% of the French public workforce and only about
5% of private workers. Moreover, the CGT is a reform-minded, not a
revolutionary union federation, and is dominated by the Stalinized
French Communist Party (PCF), whose leadership has historically sought,
in the end, accommodation and parliamentary solutions. Nevertheless, the
CGT is the leading trade-union body opposing the pension proposals.
What is missing in France today is a mass revolutionary party capable of
steering the working masses away from the disasters of reformism and
presents a challenge to capitalism itself. Under certain conditions
working class leadership can change very fast. Stay tuned!
Share:
Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to share on
Facebook (Opens in new window)Click to email this to a friend (Opens in
new window)
March 19, 2020 in Uncategorized.
Related posts
Workers Shut Down France to Defend Pensions!
French workers and students on strike!
French strikes continue
Post navigation← Assange: Empire of Surveillance and
ImperialismStatement of Socialist Action National Committee: Coronavirus
threatens the lives of billions →
Search for articles
Search
Search …
Get Involved!
Donate to help support our work
Get email updates
Join Socialist Action
Social Media
View socialistactionusa’s profile on FacebookView SocialistActUS’s
profile on Twitter
Subscribe to Our Newspaper
Newspaper Archives
Newspaper Archives
Upcoming Events
No upcoming events
--
___
Neil deGrasse Tyson
“God is an ever-receding pocket of scientific ignorance.”
― Neil DeGrasse Tyson