29 August, 2023French judicial authorities have decided to summon and prosecute several FNME-CGT trade union leaders and activists for collective action during the pension reform protests earlier this year. Together with industriAll Europe and EPSU, IndustriALL Global Union is taking a firm stand against the move to target union leaders exercising their rights and are joining the call for solidarity actions.
The decision to target union leaders, including FNME-CGT general secretary Sébastien Menesplier, follows on the mass industrial action against the French government’s pension reforms and the closure of pension funds for electricity and gas workers in France earlier this year.
Renaud Henri, general secretary of CGT’s energy workers in Marseilles, together with his colleagues Mathias and Jean-Philippe, are due to appear in court in September. In November, the leader of CGT energy workers in the Gironde region, Christophe Garcia and his colleague Alexandre, will be in court in Bordeaux.
The charges of public safety in the context of strike action are a direct attack on the fundamental trade union freedoms and the right to strike. The right to strike is under attack across Europe, and legislation is emerging in several countries like France, Belgium, the United Kingdom and Italy designed to constrain unions.
“Trade union rights are under attack all around the world. The attacks from the French government on the right to strike and collective action must be met with a strong, unified message from the union movement – attacking fundamental trade union rights is unacceptable and stops now,”
says Atle Høie, IndustriALL general secretary.
FNME-CGT is protesting in front of Montmorency police station on 6 September 9am. IndustriALL is joining EPSU’s and industriALL Europe’s call for solidarity on 6 September.
We call on our affiliated unions to:
- Write to the French minister on energy transition (model letter below)
- Use the above images to show solidarity on social media
- Send messages of solidarity to the FNME leadership on:
Twitter/X: FNMECGT Seb_Menesplier
