By Caroline J., Cécile D., Graziella L. Photos by Raphael R. Published on March 17, 2023 at 8am
The unions intend to continue the mobilization against the pension reform, after the use of 49.3. They call for a new day of strikes and demonstrations on Thursday March 23, 2023.
Following the use of 49.3 by the government and after a spontaneous demonstration organized on the Place de la Concorde on Thursday evening, the eight trade union organizations again called for a rally during a new day of strikes and demonstrations interprofessionalscheduled for Thursday, March 23, 2023.
For more than a month now, the social movements of protest against the pension reform multiply in France. Each day of demonstration is widely followed in France: the March 7, 2023the CGT has identified 3.5 million people in the streets of France (they were 1.28 million according to the Ministry of the Interior). On March 15, during the 8th and last major mobilization, the demonstrators were however less numerous. They were 1.7 million everywhere in France, according to the CGT, and 480,000 demonstrators, according to figures from the Ministry of the Interior.
Thursday, March 16, the pension reform bill has taken a new step, since it there was no vote of the deputies in the Assembly; the government having preferred to use 49.3. An appeal that aroused the anger of the opposition, unions and citizens who did not hesitate to demonstrate spontaneously this Thursday evening at Place de la Concorde.
But the intersyndicale does not want to stop there: in a statement published jointly on March 16, the French are called upon to renew their actions on Thursday, March 23, 2023.
“Faced with the refusal to submit the text to the vote and to resort to article 49.3 to have the pension reform adopted, the mobilization continues, the next one will take place on Thursday March 23“, launch the unions.
🔴 Representatives of union organizations met this evening and announced a day of inter-union mobilization on Thursday, March 23th.
Full press release ⤵️ pic.twitter.com/c5p3SYNhAC
– The CGT (@lacgtcommunique) March 16, 2023
The inter-union (CFDT, CGT, FO, CFE-CGC, CFTC, Unsa, Solidaires, and FSU) is therefore organizing a new and 9th big day of strikes and demonstrations on March 23, 2023, and criticizes the government for using 49.3. “ Instead of withdrawing their project, they decide to force through by resorting to 49-3. The inter-union measures with seriousness the responsibility that bears the executive in the social and political crisis which results from this decision, true denial of democracy. »
Will this call be heard again by the French? Answer in the next few days. Note also that the intersyndicale also calls for union rallies this weekend. ” With the support of the vast majority of the population, mobilized for weeks, the inter-union continues to demand the withdrawal of this reform in complete independence in calm and determined actions. She decides to continue the mobilization and calls for local union rallies this weekend and for a new big day of strikes and demonstrations on Thursday March 23rd. “they detail in this same press release.