Workers protest against pension "reform" austerity in Paris. (Photo: FIRAS ABDULLAH / ANADOLU AGENCY VIA GETTY IMAGES)
France raised the pension age in the name of a "reform" that is nothing more than the EU sanctions regime at work. French workers have been in a continued state of protest in response.
"They tell us that unemployed workers and the poor are parasites who use the system but who are those who will share the 80 billion euros of dividend which is the wealth that YOU have created last year? Who has created this wealth? Is it you or is it the handful of billionaires who have been stuffing their faces for the last decades?"
Olivier Mateu, Secretary of the Union CGT, Section 13
Today France is witnessing a very large movement of protest against the activities of Emmanuel Macron’s government. While it is true this large movement arose in reaction to the promotion of a bill bringing retirement age from 62 to 64 years old, the movement amplified after Macron bypassed a parliamentary vote on the bill with the use of an article, 49.3, allowing the executive to do so despite motions of opposition by left parliamentarians. This anti-democratic motion has been the drop in a glass overfilled with popular discontent. Despite a large mobilization, the bill was then validated last week by the Constitutional Council, made-up mostly of representatives in line with Macron’s politics.
However, for many demonstrating and on strike, the anger goes well beyond the bill on retirement. Under the rules of the European Union, the French people have been witnessing the destruction of public services, industries, and the relentless privatization (and offshoring) of many public sectors of industry and services in the country.
The present bill is basically an injunction sponsored by the European Commission and BlackRock in order to privatize the French pension system. The rise of the retirement age to 67 years old was already the cause of a general strike in 1953, which led then to the withdrawal of the bill by the government at the time.
On March 19 of this year, over 8 million workers went on strike in many sectors and many demonstrations have occurred since then throughout the country. The Inter-Union association has so far coordinated many strikes and organized large demonstrations across the country. Moreover, many actions have been conducted by unions such as roadblocks and blocking transports from factories. Refinery, port, and dock workers have prevented transport, loading, and unloading of materials and fuel. Fishermen have blocked entry to harbors, leaving in one region, over 50 of tankers stuck at sea. Railroad workers have also been on strike, limiting the number of trains functioning while demonstrators invaded rail tracks and train stations. Energy workers (electricity, gas and nuclear) have also gone on strike, at times turning off electricity to wealthy neighborhoods and offering free electricity to public hospitals and even cutting electricity off to a whole region for a couple of hours, demonstrating for all the power of workers. Solidarity from within France and abroad remains strong and powerful as food has been gathered along with fundraising to support striking workers.
On top of strikes organized by unions, popular anger has been obvious as many spontaneous demonstrations, particularly after the validation of the bill by the Constitutional Council, of hundreds of thousands of people have erupted in many cities. In the last few days, garbage collection workers have gone back on strike claiming they will leave garbage uncollected until Macron’s bill on retirement is withdrawn.
Many high schools, whose youths, who will be most affected by the consequences of the bill in years to come, have also been on strike, subjected to a rise in police violence like any other strikers and demonstrators. Minors have also been arrested and subjected to hours in cramped cells or handcuffed to furniture for hours on multiple days of detention. Arbitrary arrests with little or no cause, random beatings among crowds or passerby have become so common that such police actions can no longer be claimed to be exceptional.
The violence by police and the constant violation of civil liberties have been particularly significant and clearly illustrates the government response to popular discontent and anger at the reform. This has led to an increase in injuries among demonstrators but also to an increase in civil liberties violations as seen with the arrests of union representatives. The anger is spilling in many areas as a police station was set on fire and the BlackRock office in Paris was invaded by demonstrators and unions while Macron’s favorite restaurant in Paris was attacked by demonstrators who attempted to set the place on fire.
Macron addressed the country on April 17 and made promises to improve health care and working conditions but he also pledged to hire more police and crack down on illegal immigration. Electricity workers asked the masses to turn off their electric counters and unions asked people to gather in front of their town’s city hall and bang pots in protest. So far, many cities have prohibited such gatherings, most likely furthering violence and confrontation between demonstrators and police. Yet the prohibitions were in vain and protests continued across the country.
France is witnessing the renewal of what French people refer to as red unionism and the engagement of unions into the class struggle. Last week, according to a national poll conducted by an official institute (IFOP), over 80% of the French people thought the class struggle was a reality today, about 80% thought that sectors like education, healthcare and housing should not be subjected to economic competition, and more than 70% thought that workers should have decision power in enterprises.
The next big date for the inter-union association and the French people is May 1, the true International Day of Labor in commemoration of the general strike that began on May 1st, 1886, in the United States, a commemoration that has become a tradition across the world.
Philippe Gendrault, Ph.D. is a mental health provider committed to the anti-racist, anti-imperialist struggle for social and political justice.
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