6 September, 2010
All of France’s main trade union confederations will strike tomorrow throughout the country, protesting President Sarkozy’s bid to raise the retirement age from 60 to 62, increase public sector workers’ pension contributions, and increase the pension required contribution period to 41.5 years before a worker is entitled to a full state pension.
The national strike will be held tomorrow, 7 September, to coincide with the Plenary debate of the bill in the National Assembly. The stoppage will be conducted from 7pm this evening, until midnight Tuesday. Stoppages are predicted across sectors, from public transport, power generation, teaching, telecommunications, while hospital staff will guarantee only emergency services. The action will seek to fight the proposed pension reforms, and also defend jobs and demand government action for economic recovery.
The proposed pension reform is extremely unpopular in France, and unions are aiming to build on the 2 million people mobilised in June to protest the changes. Union activists plan strategy meetings on 8 September to consider next steps in the campaign.
President Sarkozy is seen to be scrambling at present, with record low levels of public support, 18 months before presidential elections, the president’s government last week scrapped plans to cut student accommodation subsidies, in an effort to reduce student support for tomorrow’s protest. Defeat of the pension reform bill would conserve workers’ conditions, but also strike a significant blow to Sarkozy’s right-wing UMP party’s election chances in 2012.
ICEM French affiliated union FCE-CFDT describes the pension reform and other government austerity measures as “carriers of social injustice”, adding that it is unacceptable that all the financial burden of the economic downturn is passed onto employees in both the public and private sector.
Sarkozy is also suffering heavy criticism for his crime crackdown which is targeting the Roma community. The president’s decision to target a group based on their ethnicity has concerned many, including members of his own cabinet.