2023-04-29 08:00:00
Since 1is May 1890 and the first day of demonstrations, France experienced many 1is– May tense. In recent history, the violence of “black blocs”, which mainly emerged from 2016 and the adoption of the Labor Law, sparked several clashes with the police, as in 2018. The context politics is often a catalyst for the importance of mobilization on International Workers’ Day.
Read alsoRetreats: May 1, and after? The tracks of the unions to compensate for the retirement age
And this year, after demonstrations against pension reform such as France had not known for more than thirty years, all the ingredients are there for a significant day. Overview of what the day will bring together.
Unions in united front
Frédéric Souillot, the general secretary of Force Ouvrière, announced the color. “1is May will be historic, he said at the microphone of Radio J, Thursday, April 27. Usually it’s FO who doesn’t like unit parades for the 1is May (…) There will be no trade union organization behind the banner. All the number 1s will be there“, he warned.
As during the mobilizations against the pension reform, the inter-union seems set for a real demonstration of unity. Guest of the morning RTL, Thursday, Sophie Binet, the new general secretary of the CGT held the same speech as her counterpart from FO. For her “the mobilization of the 1is May will be unprecedented and exceptional. This is the first time that all the trade union organizations have called for demonstrations.”
Read also“Hard line”, “strong convictions”, the strengths and challenges ahead of Sophie Binet at the CGT
She also called for the parade to be as large as possible. “You have to be extremely numerous on the 1is May for our messages to be heard. I really call to come in numbers on 1is May with family, children, friends so that we are as numerous and numerous as possible.”
And #1erMai “historic” and “vengeful” expected? “Still the classic strategies of demobilization to scare. In the union processions, there is nothing to fear”
Sophie Binet, general secretary of the CGT, guest of @amandine_begot In #RTLMatin pic.twitter.com/kmRkgh5VC8
— RTL France (@RTLFrance) April 27, 2023
The union organization has planned 300 processions throughout the territory. From the promulgation of the pension reform by Emmanuel Macron on the evening of April 14, Laurent Berger, the leader of the CFDT had wished “that the 1is May, we break the house in number of demonstrators in the street. (…) You have to go there with your family, in popular, festive, friendly mobilizations, say that you want another world of work and not at the age of 64.” This will be his last 1is– May at the head of the CFDT since he announced his departure in June.
Several political figures also called for demonstrations in numbers for the day, like Manuel Bompard, the LFI deputy for Bouches-du-Rhône. “We must ensure that this demonstration is the most powerful that has ever been organized in this country” so that “the President of the Republic understands that it is not time to move on, that the subject is still (the one) (d) pensions”, he assured.
Vigilance of law enforcement
In Paris, according to a territorial intelligence note unveiled by Europe 1, between “80,000 and 100,000 people” are expected during the day in Paris. Among them, “1,500 to 3,000 yellow vests” will also parade and the authorities also foresee the presence of potentially violent individuals with “1,000 to 2,000 elements at risk”. “It will be family, popular, festive since in the union processions, the safety of the demonstrators is always assured”, tried to reassure Sophie Binet.
In Matignon, Elisabeth Borne put the ball in the camp of the trade unions. She assured them “to trust” so that the day goes without a hitch.
On Telegram messaging, calls to demonstrate “massively” in front of the Elysée were relayed by groups of yellow vests still active. For territorial intelligence, quoted by Europe 1, this mobilization “will thus go beyond the sole question of work and will more broadly be a unifying day around the profound rejection of the general policy pursued by the government”. One more sign of tension than this 1is– May arouses.
Disruptions to be expected in transport
“Do 1is may be a day of successful strikes and demonstrations all over the country”. This is the watchword of the SNCF inter-union, which is made up of the CGT Cheminots, UNSA-Ferroviaire, SUD-Rail and the CFDT Cheminot. However, the traffic forecasts will only be released 48 hours before the deadline, as provided by law, i.e. this Saturday at the end of the day.
As far as air traffic is concerned, it will be severely disrupted. Between 25 and 33% of flights will be canceled at the largest French airports due to the participation of controllers in the strike movement against the pension reform.
These work stoppages, at the call of unions mobilized against the reform promulgated in mid-April, will also concern many regional airports: 33% of flights will have to be canceled preventively in Marseille, Lyon, Bordeaux, Nantes and Toulouse, while that 25% of movements will be canceled in Nice and Beauvais, said the DGAC in a press release. This mobilization of air traffic controllers promises to be one of the strongest since the beginning of the challenge to the reform.
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