French Public Servants Go on Strike to Protest Budget Cuts
Citizens on strike in the streets of Nancy, Dec. 5, 2024. X/ @bleusudlorraine
December 5, 2024 Hour: 1:40 pm
They are calling on President Macron to boost employment, improve public services and repeal pension reform.
lOn Thursday, French public sector unions organized a day of strikes, primarily affecting education and air traffic, in response to austerity measures. The strikes come a day after Prime Minister Michel Barnier’s government was toppled by a no-confidence vote in parliament
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Seven unions, excluding the Force Ouvrière union, had called for the strike in mid-November, primarily in response to proposed cuts by Public Administration Minister Guillaume Kasbarian.
These proposals included increasing the waiting period for sick leave compensation for public sector workers from one to three days—aligning with the private sector—and reducing sickness benefits. These measures were expected to save €1.2 billion.
The unions had also presented a broader list of demands, including increased budget allocations for public services, which they argue are underfunded, and salary increases.
Approximately 160 protests were planned across the country, with the largest taking place in Paris. Prominent union leaders, including Sophie Binet, Secretary of the General Confederation of Labor (CGT), participated in the demonstrations.
The CGT leader criticized “austerity policies” and highlighted what she described as a “social and democratic crisis” in France. Binet also emphasized that “hundreds of thousands of jobs” are being cut in both public and private sectors, further deepening the crisis.
Referring to the collapse of the conservative government led by PM Barnier, Binet called on French President Emmanuel Macron to heed the demands of the unions.
She warned that “no government will last long if it fails to address social demands” and described Macron’s economic policies as “catastrophic.” For Binet, the three key priorities should be “employment,” “public services,” and “repealing the pension reform.”
teleSUR/ JF Source: EFE
