Salaries, gender equality… More than 6 months after the pension battle, 200,000 demonstrators take to the streets according to the CGT

2023-10-13 15:39:00

[Article publié le vendredi 13 octobre 2023 à 06h57 et mis à jour à 17h39] The unions, still united, more than six months following the battle once morest pension reform, met across France this Friday, October 13, with the hope of remobilizing the troops three days before the social conference. The inter-union emphasizes purchasing power undermined by inflation. She judges “ necessary (the) equality between women and men, the increase in salaries, the minimum wage, pensions, social minima and study grants ».

« This is the number 1 subject of concern for workers », insisted Marylise Léon, general secretary of the CFDT, this Friday at the microphone of France Info.

“Bosses are accountable” (Marylise Léon, CFDT, and Sophie Binet, CGT)

« The mobilization will be strong today, probably not at the level of those once morest the pension reform but that is normal, we have experienced six months of historic mobilization », recognized CGT number one Sophie Binet on Friday. “ We can’t beat French records all the time », she pleaded on the sidelines of an inter-union press conference.

CFDT, CGT, FO, CFTC, CFE-CGC, Unsa, Solidaires and FSU, and youth organizations – including Unef, Fage and Fidl – are following a call from the European Trade Union Confederation (CES). Demonstrations are thus organized in Italy, Belgium, Germany, Spain, among others, before a new meeting scheduled for December 13. The eight unions representing the public also joined the movement and recalled in a press release that “ public spending for the civil service and its staff are investments for our society and the population ».

Lower mobilization

Some 230 actions have been announced in many cities, but the first mobilizations do not seem to represent a large-scale movement. The first processions were in fact far from the levels of the spring mobilization. In Marseille, there were 10,000 according to the CGT, 2,100 according to the prefecture. In Toulouse, there were 2,000 according to the prefecture and 15,000 according to the organizers.

In Montauban, there were between 600 demonstrators according to the organizers and 350 according to the police, between 700 and 900 in Tarbes, between 300 and 400 in Auch, between 2,500 and 900 in Perpignan. On the education side, the ministry reported a strike rate of 3.65% on average among teachers. The Louvre Museum was briefly closed.

Train traffic is slightly disrupted this Friday on certain regional lines, for which the SNCF invites travelers to inquire region by region, but traffic is normal for the TGV. In Ile-de-France, the disruptions mainly concern the RER D and C with two trains out of three, as for lines H, L, U and R of the Transilien. In Paris, the RATP network (metro, bus and trams) runs normally.

In the sky, 40% of flights will be canceled at Paris-Orly, France’s second largest airport, 20% at Marseille-Provence and 15% at Beauvais (Oise), according to the General Directorate of Civil Aviation. In Paris, the procession will set off at 2 p.m. from Place d’Italie towards Place Vauban.

Supplementary pensions: a majority of unions announce their support for the revaluation agreement

In total, 200,000 demonstrators marched throughout the country, including 20,000 in Paris, according to the CGT, the figure from the authorities not yet available. Far from a tidal wave or the million demonstrators reached several times at the start of the year, according to the authorities, in the processions once morest the pension reform which raised the retirement age from 62 to 64 years.

The street, a “springboard”

However, some union leaders hope to reach a few hundred thousand demonstrators to weigh in, at the start of next week, in discussions with the head of government Elisabeth Borne during the social conference organized on Monday at Cese (Economic, Social and Environmental Council).

Low wages: Emmanuel Macron confirms the holding of a “social conference” in October

The unions will once once more plead for increased wages and equality between women and men, in particular, during this conference where different themes will be discussed (minimum branches, part-time work and exemptions). They also demand a “ conditionality of public aid to businesses », i.e. the maintenance of exemptions from contributions provided that the branch does not have a minimum below the minimum wage. But some fear that there will be ” not many effective proposals ».

This mobilization in the streets must serve as “ springboard », pleaded Sophie Binet, general secretary of the CGT. “ Expectations are extremely high from the world of work », detailed the leader of the CFDT, Marylise Léon, estimating that “ on a social level the situation remains worrying ».

« The question of purchasing power is the priority with inflation which is panicking the meters ” while ” many people fall into poverty », she was alarmed. According to police sources, the “ yellow vests », who will celebrate their 5th anniversary in mid-November, should not join the union procession on Friday. “ The radical movement, including the former yellow vests, should reserve themselves for the next day with a mobilization entitled “outbreak of anger” », According to a police source interviewed by AFP.

« Monday, we’re going to talk regarding salaries from starter to dessert », car « it’s with pay that we fill the fridge », also underlined Friday on France 2 Frédéric Souillot (FO), who decided to “ put pressure » on the government and the employers.

Liberal doctors draw the curtain this Friday

In this ” black friday “, general practitioners and liberal specialists are called upon to close practices, cancel consultations and cancel all planned operations, excluding vital emergencies. The objective is to ” reporter » patients to the public hospital for “ show the importance of liberal medicine ”, even if it means provoking “ a health crisis “, explained Tuesday Philippe Cuq, president of the surgeons’ union Le Bloc and spokesperson for a brand new ” inter-union » which brings together 12 organizations of professionals or future doctors.

Strong in unity never seen » according to its representatives, the inter-union promises a large-scale mobilization, “ well beyond » of the 10% of unionized practitioners in France. This time the six representative unions (Avenir Spé-Le Bloc, CSMF, MG France, FMF, SML, and UFML-S) have decided to stand up.

First demand: the resumption of price negotiations with Health Insurance, with “ real means » to breathe new life into the profession. The failure last year of a first attempt at negotiation led to a minimum increase of 1.50 euros in the basic consultation (26.50 euros for the general practitioner), which will come into force on November 1st.

Everyone, including the government, considers this revaluation insufficient. The last one dated from 2017. But the executive does not want to give up any more without obtaining new commitments from doctors that serve its objectives, such as helping the French find a doctor, or limiting the increase in the consumption of medicines.

The inter-union also criticizes the proposed Valletoux law on “ access to care through the territorial commitment of professionals », which will be examined at the end of October in the Senate. This text, ” bureaucratic » et « coercive » according to the unions, aims to impose on private doctors a form of territorial responsibility. Specialists in particular fear being mobilized to provide on-call duty, or even being forced to go to the public hospital to provide on-call duty.

The Health Insurance budget planned for 2024 is finally judged “ largely insufficient » in the face of the crisis facing the health system, between an aging population and an exponential shortage of doctors.

(With AFP)