Millions march in France against pension cuts

Ernst Debets edebets1 at EURONET.NL
Fri Oct 29 22:39:31 CEST 2010


REPLY TO: D66 at nic.surfnet.nl

Ik wordt onderhand een beetje onpasselijk van dat gestaak in Frankrijk en ik denk met mij vele anderen. Probleem is dat de vakbonden te machtig zijn en ook nog eens onderling in een machtstrijd verwikkeld zijn zodat zo ongeveer 1x per 2 maanden er een sector platgelegd wordt om te laten zien welke vakbond er nu weer aan de macht is (socialisten of communisten). Ik herriner mij nog goed dat een aantal jaar geleden er regelmatig een aantal vakbondsmilitanten pamfletten stonden uit te delen voor ons hoofdkantoor. Het is zelfs al zo idioot dat de directie van mijn bedrijf ter gelegenheid van de opening van het nieuwe gebouw in de "banlieu" een dreigbrief van een van de vakbonden ontving met daarin het dringende verzoek om toch vooral maar een jeux de boules veldje op het complex aan te leggen, anders zou de betreffende vakbond wel even het bedrijf platleggen.
Hoe dit idiote verhaal verder afgelopen is heb ik niet gehoord, maar ik heb geen enkel stakingssignaal van mijn geachte collegae gehad.
Ik snap die Fransozen overigens helemaal niet: ik wou dat ik ook met 62 jaar met pensioen mocht! Dan heb je tenminste iets om voor te staken.
Bewijst maar weer dat het vooroordeel over de Fransen (en met name hun overheidsdienaren) waar is: er zijn in Frankrijk ca 20% ambtenaren onder de beroepsbevolking, in Nederland slechts 11,5%. De ambtenaren in Frankrijk hebben een goudgerande, zoniet platina pensioenvoorziening waarbij hun gemiddelde Griekse collega de vingers aflikt. Ofwel zoals het verhaal gaat van een jongeman uit een klein dorpje in het zuiden van Frankrijk: op goede dag moest hij naar de grote stad om een examen af te leggen. Als hij dat haalde dan was zijn kostje gekocht want dan was hij "fonctionair" (ambtenaar) en hoefde hij nooit meer te werken...

Iets genuanceerd ingaand op een bepaald citaat: Frankrijk is een schitterend land, jammer dat het vergeven is van ambtenaren, vakbonden en Parijzenaars.

Ernst Debets/
Zaanstad

-----Oorspronkelijk bericht-----
Van: owner-d66 at nic.surfnet.nl [mailto:owner-d66 at nic.surfnet.nl] Namens Antid Oto
Verzonden: vrijdag 29 oktober 2010 10:00
Aan: Discussielijst over D66
Onderwerp: Millions march in France against pension cuts

REPLY TO: D66 at nic.surfnet.nl

Millions march in France against pension cuts
By Kumaran Ira and Alex Lantier
29 October 2010

Millions of workers and students took to the streets across France Thursday to
protest final approval by the National Assembly of President Nicolas Sarkozy’s
pension “reform” bill. The French economy was still crippled by gasoline
shortages due to ongoing refinery and port strikes.

The General Confederation of Labor (CGT) estimated that about 2 million people
participated in the day of action, down from 3.5 million in the previous
national mobilization, held October 19. The government, which has given lowball
estimates of previous days of action, said the turnout was 560,000 as compared
to 1.1 million on October 19.

The demonstration had overwhelming popular support, with 65 percent of the
population approving it, according to the most recent Le Parisien poll. The
Sarkozy government, on the other hand, has fallen in recent polls to a record
low 29 percent approval rating.

In line with numerous statements by government and media officials aimed at
discouraging strike action, Labor Minister Eric Woerth said the “significant
slowdown of the mobilization” meant there could be “an exit from the crisis in
coming days or weeks.”

Yesterday’s nationwide protest was the seventh national day of action called by
the unions against Sarkozy’s pension package since September 7. The bill raises
the minimum retirement age from 60 to 62, and the age to retire with a full
pension from 65 to 67.

According to the unions, 170,000 marched in Paris, versus 330,000 on October 19.
The turnout was similarly lower in most other cities, including Marseille
(150,000), Lyon (32,000) and Toulouse (120,000). Despite the All Saints Week
holidays, many students joined the protests, although in somewhat reduced
numbers than in previous days of action.

Both private- and public-sector workers struck. Strikes hit air transport, with
50 percent of flights cancelled at Paris Orly Airport and 30 percent cancelled
at the remaining metropolitan airports. Public transit was also affected by the
strike movement. Workers at the national railway company (SNCF) and the Paris
region railway system (RATP) walked out. According to company figures, four in
ten regional trains did not run.

The CGT-Energy union said striking workers at France’s electricity monopoly EDF
cut energy production by roughly 6,250 megawatts. It suggested strike action
would continue, stating: “The two methane terminals at Fos are still out of
operation… There is no doubt that, whatever form they decide on, workers will
continue to mobilize against the pension bill. On many sites, plans to continue
action are already organized.”

Workers at four of the country’s twelve refineries continue to block fuel
shipments, and five of the six domestic refineries of French oil firm Total
remain on strike.

In many refineries that have voted to end the strike, it is impossible to resume
production due to continuing strikes at oil terminals located at major ports,
such as Fos-Lavéra near Marseille. The Marseille port reported that 79 ships
were anchored offshore, including 58 oil tankers—38 with crude oil and 20 with
refined petroleum products.

One in five gas stations still faces supply problems. According to the Zagaz web
site, which is widely used to compare fuel prices online, “20 percent of gas
stations still lacked one or several types of fuel Thursday, compared to 27
percent Wednesday afternoon.”

Le Parisien commented, “The situation Thursday was identical to the day before,
that is, striking port terminals blocking crude supplies to most French
refineries. This is the case with the oil terminals at Fos, Le Havre and Donges.”

Although garbage collection workers in southern cities like Marseille, Nantes,
Pau and Agen have voted to return to work, garbage collectors in the Paris
region and Toulouse are still in striking. Some 15 percent of the 7,000
municipal garbage collectors, along with workers from private garbage companies,
are on strike. Workers continue a blockade, which began October 19, of the
incineration center of Ivry-sur-Seine on the outskirts of Paris.

Many press accounts spoke of an angry mood at the demonstrations, with
protestors dismissing government claims that the strike movement was over and
criticizing the unions for not organizing more effective action.

Le Monde cited a psychologist, Jean-Noël, in Paris, saying, “There are plenty of
people anyway, it’s good and we should continue. The supposed collapse of the
demonstrations, that’s a bunch of speeches that are being repeated by the media.”

The newspaper quoted several workers who bitterly criticized the unions. A
hospital employee said, “There was no real will to fight on the part of the
union leaders. They let themselves get overrun by their base.” Another said the
unions “allowed industrial action to proceed, but without really supporting it.”

Le Monde worried about what strategy the union bureaucracy could pursue to wind
down the protests, writing: “In this context, what to do? Continuing as if
nothing had happened seems difficult, but so is winding things down. The union
leaders must surely know that they could take a wallop from the most motivated
protestors.”

Yesterday’s protests show that large sections of the working class do not accept
the cuts, even after they have been voted into law. Their determination to
continue the fight poses starkly the need for a new leadership and new strategy
to carry through a political struggle against the Sarkozy government.

The policies proposed by the World Socialist Web Site—organizing committees of
action independently of the unions and preparing a mass political strike to
bring down the Sarkozy government and fight for a workers’ government—flow
directly from the logic of the political situation.

The unions have shown they are hostile to the struggle against the cuts. They
have isolated strikers, refusing to mount sympathy strikes to protest police
strikebreaking against oil workers, and have refused to call for a general strike.

Now, they are limiting themselves to appeals for Sarkozy to renegotiate the cuts
with them. Such appeals are cynical and impotent, as Sarkozy has already
obtained passage of the law, making clear that he will not negotiate.

The CGT said yesterday’s protest was an “exceptional event in the social history
of our country,” yet it did not call for the repeal of the cuts. Instead, it
repeated its demand for talks: “The president of the Republic must finally
listen to the message of the great majority of the population,” and “open real
negotiations with the unions.”

French Democratic Labor Confederation (CFDT) Secretary François Chérèque said
the law is not “fair,” adding, “Vast majorities of workers are against this law,
and our duty is to continue to say it.” He then suggested postponing opposition
to the indefinite future, suggesting that “after the promulgation of this law”
the “fight” might take the form of the “discussion of 2013.”

Such a “fight” would, in fact, lead only to more social attacks on the workers.
Chérèque is referring to a provision of the current pension bill specifying that
in 2013 there will be talks between the unions and the government on passing to
a “points-based” pension system. This would allow the authorities to change—that
is, cut—pension payments based on various factors, including life expectancy.

http://wsws.org/articles/2010/oct2010/fran-o29.shtml

**********
Dit bericht is verzonden via de informele D66 discussielijst (D66 at nic.surfnet.nl).
Aanmelden: stuur een email naar LISTSERV at nic.surfnet.nl met in het tekstveld alleen: SUBSCRIBE D66 uwvoornaam uwachternaam
Afmelden: stuur een email naar LISTSERV at nic.surfnet.nl met in het tekstveld alleen: SIGNOFF D66
Het on-line archief is te vinden op: http://listserv.surfnet.nl/archives/d66.html
**********

**********
Dit bericht is verzonden via de informele D66 discussielijst (D66 at nic.surfnet.nl).
Aanmelden: stuur een email naar LISTSERV at nic.surfnet.nl met in het tekstveld alleen: SUBSCRIBE D66 uwvoornaam uwachternaam
Afmelden: stuur een email naar LISTSERV at nic.surfnet.nl met in het tekstveld alleen: SIGNOFF D66
Het on-line archief is te vinden op: http://listserv.surfnet.nl/archives/d66.html
**********



More information about the D66 mailing list