CGT is considering suspending gas storage work
CGT readies its weapons ahead of the first day of mobilizing against pension reforms on Jan. 19. While its general secretary, Philippe Martinez, dreamed of a 1995 “remake,” the union energy federation, the first union organization for electricity and gas, hoped for a renewable strike and held back from “nothing in its” battle plan. ” is generally expected to occur in the energy sector, given the abolition of the special regime for electric and gas workers, Francis Casanova, representative of the central CGT workers’ union at channel managers very high and high voltage TEN warned Thursday.
Multiple strategies
According to Claude Martin, federal secretary of the FNME-CGT, different strategies can be applied depending on the location: strikes are renewed “every night for the following day”, movements over several days, over several periods, “leaving a break in the middle” (“but not impossible it will be tough from the start everywhere” according to the unions if January 19 is successful) “targeted cuts” in administrative buildings, such as ministries, or on street radars, and actions to support other striking sectors. Strikers in transport, metallurgy, petrochemicals, or ports and docks can rely on electricians and gas workers to stop their work tools: “there will be no federation isolated each in their corner”, has indicated to AFP Claude Martin, whose federation intends to “work on the convergence of struggles”.
“Energy, electricity and gas are at the heart of the whole economy, so for all employers to express their dissatisfaction, unfortunately the economy must be affected and certain companies are also having difficulties to operate,” the union leader added.
In addition to reducing electricity production, CGT plans to postpone gas storage work or prevent the loading and unloading of LNG carriers.
“Nothing has been decided yet, there are still discussions,” said Claude Martin.
Monday night, the CGT will meet, with all the energy federations, to see if they are on the same track and if they can implement a “common plan of action”.
United Front of Trade Unions
Forming a united front for the first time in twelve years, eight major unions (CFDT, CGT, FO, CFE-CGC, CFTC, Unsa, Solidaires, FSU) plan a “robust” mobilization against the pension reform presented Tuesday by Elisabeth borne . They hope that January 19 strike and mobilization day “is the start of a strong mobilization for long-term retirement, even if, on condition of anonymity, a union official told AFP on Thursday that “we don’t know if it will actually be succeed. But security sources noted the tense social climate, and fears of major mobilization following the Prime Minister’s announcement. The inter-union will take place on the 19th to decide the consequences of the move, possibly with a new day of mobilization the following week.
At the forefront of the conflict in the winter of 2019-2020, during a previous pension reform effort, the RATP union vowed to “do everything possible to resist” the reforms brought about by its Elisabeth Thick. Other federations also called for mobilization. FO-Transports and logistics, which brings together truckers as well as ambulance drivers, bus drivers or money carriers, wants to go “as far as possible in this fight. The Federation wants to launch an “unlimited” movement from January 19 to prepare for a “massive and violent response”. The SNCF, an inter-union consisting of CGT, Unsa, SUD, and CFDT called for a press release “for a strong strike” on the rails on January 19. FSU teachers plan to get the ball rolling by mobilizing on the 17th.
Gabriel Attal on tour
For its part, the government is trying to reassure France. The Minister of Public Accountants, Gabriel Attal has decided to tour the country until the examination of the text in Parliament in February to try to calm public opinion on the condemned reforms. Thursday evening, he was in a function room in Juvisy-sur-Orge, south of Paris. While the majority of French people oppose reforms.
Presented as a “fairness project” by the government, pension reform is hard to pass off as fair because it requires more effort from the middle class than from managers, according to several economists interviewed by AFP. This argument was made many times by Elisabeth Borne, during her presentation on pension reform: the project aims to “make the system fairer”. Especially “for women”, but also “the most fragile”, without forgetting “those who start work earlier”.
So many categories are subject to adjustments that should reduce the impact of delaying the legal age from 62 to 64, “which will remain a sign of violence”, predicts Eric Heyer, director of OFCE’s Analysis and Forecasting department. This is especially true of “unskilled employees who start work between the ages of 19 and 21, (and who) will have the greatest effort to make, while managers and those who start work at 23 have the least to contribute,” he explains.
