‘THE CONFEDERATION has brought together all of its federations in order to continue the mobilisation against the pension reform and to prepare for “France at a standstill”, from March 7. All responded present,’ said Frederic Souillot General Secretary of Force Ouvrière.
He continued: ‘To do this, the federations are calling on their unions and their union sections to organise General Assemblies, to inform workers in both the private and public sectors and to prepare for the blockage of the economy from March 7 through the strike and the actions decided by the workers.
‘We were millions of workers, retirees and young people present at the various mobilisations of January 19 and 31, February 7, 11 and 16, 2023.
‘On March 7, let’s capitalise on this dynamic, and count on the support of all French people to make the government listen to reason.
‘FO denounces the attitude of the President of the Republic and his government who persist in carrying out this reform despite the massive and determined mobilisations of millions of people since January 19.
‘As such, the inter-union sent a letter to deputies and senators to make them face their responsibilities and ask them to reject this project.
‘FO contests this unfair and brutal reform project and will do everything possible to ensure that it is withdrawn.’
Meanwhile, the trade union confederation the CGT says: ‘In the midst of a battle for pensions, large groups are recording staggering profits.
‘In full mobilisation against the pension reform, the record profits of large groups like Total or BNP, which has also announced the elimination of 921 positions, are shocking. Especially since households are experiencing unprecedented inflation.
‘TotalEnergies made a profit of 19 billion euros in 2022 (+28% compared to 2021). BNP announced a record net profit of 10.2 billion euros (+7% compared to last year), and at the same time its unions fear the loss of 921 jobs.
‘Other big companies prance with record results, without the investments of these companies matching their profits.
‘The explosion in the price of energy, oil, gas and basic necessities supplied by these big companies is ruining households.
‘Production has not increased, large companies are now taking advantage of the post-Covid economic recovery and the war in Ukraine to increase their margin rates and payments to their shareholders and enrich the richest.
‘While some large CAC40 companies are announcing record profits, should employees work two more years?
‘Only by really increasing wages will it be possible to combat the consequences of inflation. In this sense, the CGT will continue to promote the Smic at 2,000 euros gross, the sliding scale of salaries and the restoration of social contributions,’ argues Mathieu Cocq, economist at the CGT.
The CGT noted: ‘These superprofits should irreparably call into question the 157 billion euros of annual public aid to businesses and even more so the exemptions from social security contributions.
‘A tax on “super profits” is essential, of course. But more generally, we need to reassess the question of wage increases, the collective takeover of energy, and more broadly of everything that underpins life in society (housing, education, transport, health, industry, etc.).
‘What is collapsing is the idea that the market is efficient; what is being revealed is that our economic system is incapable of producing anything other than the grabbing of wealth by a minority, and repeated crises for the majority.
‘The CGT wants to set up:
- A tax on profits, and fights to take essential activities out of the logic of the market, in order to avoid an economic, social and environmental collapse.
- From a minimum wage to 2,000 euros.
- To put an end to the 28% wage gap between women and men: it would bring in 6 billion euros to the pension funds.
- To increase contributions by 0.8 points: ie 8.25 euros per month in employee contributions and 8.25 euros in employer contributions for a minimum wage of 2,000 euros.’
In a separate statement the CGT warned:
No social conquests without freedom
of association
The statement said: ‘In Montauban, since 1945, the CGT like the other trade union organisations was housed by the municipality, permanently and free of charge, at the Maison du Peuple.
‘But in 2019, the mayor of the city decided to renovate this “labour exchange” to transform it into a third place, and relocated the trade union organisations to different places in the city.
It is trade union activity that is threatened
‘A decision that is not insignificant: a “labour exchange” is a place that allows the various local unions of employees to come together, discuss, organise meetings.
‘Activists organise union training there, run legal hotlines, act as employee advisers in very small companies, often without a union.
‘It is a place of solidarity, of convergence of struggles.
‘By choosing to relocate the local unions to different places, the town hall weakens union work and restricts the possibilities for dialogue.
‘Since October 2019, no work has been carried out. This proves that the objective was to expel the organisations and associations present in the Maison du Peuple,’ analyses Lionel Pastre Secretary of the CGT Regional Committee.
The CGT in the sights
of the town hall
‘The town hall reserved a special fate for the CGT82, since a conflict has been opposing it for months to the UD82 around the signing of the agreement for the use of the premises.
‘At the beginning of August, citing the lack of signature of the lease, the town hall changed the locks of the premises to prevent access. A first court decision ruled in favour of the CGT, which filed an interim relief for obstruction of freedom of association.
‘The conflict escalated when the town hall attacked the CGT for illegal occupation.
‘The Montauban court delivered its verdict in early December, ordering the expulsion of the CGT from its premises on April 1, 2023, without obligation to relocate, while recognising the public utility of the CGT.
For a protective bill
‘The Departmental Union 82 denounces the contempt towards the first trade union organisation of the department, and more generally towards all the employees of Tarn-et-Garonne.
‘It has appealed to the courts and has organised a mobilisation to obtain premises.
‘A meeting with the other unions and with all the deputies of Occitanie – except those of the RN – was organised with the aim of defending the UD82 but also of working on a bill which would guarantee to all the interprofessional organisations the possibility to have access to premises made available by the municipalities.’
