TRANSLATION by Mr Rogers https://padlet.com/MrRogers1312/gb58jh4ea9ug Made with a quick smile en-us 2020-03-12 13:37:15 UTC 2020-03-12 15:27:31 UTC hello@padlet.com MrRogers1312 https://padlet.com/MrRogers1312/gb58jh4ea9ug/wish/459193575 The demonstrations have decreased in intensity. They have failed to reach the scale of the 10 2010 interunion protests against N.S's pension reform.]]> 2020-03-12 14:29:11 UTC https://padlet.com/MrRogers1312/gb58jh4ea9ug/wish/459193575 MrRogers1312 https://padlet.com/MrRogers1312/gb58jh4ea9ug/wish/459195071 The standoff with the government has deepened the rift between reformist and protesting unions.The power struggle with the government has widened the division between the unions who are fighting for and against the reform.By Michel Noblecourt. Analysis. Thursday January 16th was the 43rd day of the strike in public transports against the pension reform. In terms of duration, this protest has already broken the record set during the events of May 1968. The social crisis is far from over and it will have political and electoral consequences until the presidential elections, but the conflict has been fading away day by day. At the SNCF, one of the frontrunners of the movement, only 4.7% of employees were still striking on Wednesday 15th January. Despite the rapid increase in national strikes, the strike has never taken on the expected cross-industry dimension. The private sector did not join the cause. 

The demonstrations, which appear to be running out of steam, have never reached the scale of the ten 2010 inter-union protests against Nicolas Sarkozy's pension reform. According to unions, those protests had gathered up to 3.5 million demonstrators (compared to 1.8 million on 17th December 2019) whereas police recorded up to 1.23 million (806,000 on 5th December 2019), yet they failed to reach their objective to obtain the withdrawal of the reform.

Prime Minister Edouard Philippe's surprising shift, finally responding to the wish of Emmanuel Macron to find "the path of a rapid compromise", has resulted in the withdrawal - at least temporarily - of the pivotal age measure which was to reach 64 years old in 2027. It comes as somewhat of a turning point.

A deepening divide between reformists and hardliners

Laurent Berger, the General Secretary of the CFDT, saw "a victory" in the withdrawal of this pivotal age, which he described as a "provocation". By making this gesture to the reformist unions [...], the head of government sent a clear signal to the central protesters [...], who started the movement on December 5, 2019: contrary to what they loudly demand, relayed by the political left, from the Socialist Party (PS) to the New Anti-Capitalist Party (NAP) via La France insoumise (LFI), there will be no pure and simple withdrawal of the reform. UNSA Secretary General Laurent Escure immediately accused the CGT, FO and LFI of having "manipulated" the strikers by taking them "into the wall".For the trade unions, it is time for an accounting. Clearly, none of them will come out a clear winner in this arm wrestling match, which has accentuated the fracture between reformists and protesters, but there will be losers.Le Monde, 16 January 2020]]> 2020-03-12 14:30:58 UTC https://padlet.com/MrRogers1312/gb58jh4ea9ug/wish/459195071 justine_klipfel https://padlet.com/MrRogers1312/gb58jh4ea9ug/wish/459202059 Those protests had gathered 3.5 million protesters according to the unions. There were 1.8 million of them on December 17th 2019. According to the police, there were 1.23 million in 2010 and 806,000 on December 5th 2019. However, the demonstrators did not achieve their goal: the withdrawal of the reform project.
Against all odds, the Prime Minister has decided to provisionally withdraw the pivotal age measure. It projected retirement at age 64 by 2027. This announcement responds to the wish of the President, Emmanuel Macron, who wanted to quickly find a compromise. This announcement should change a great deal.

]]> 2020-03-12 14:38:24 UTC https://padlet.com/MrRogers1312/gb58jh4ea9ug/wish/459202059 https://padlet.com/MrRogers1312/gb58jh4ea9ug/wish/459206636 Split accentuated between hardline and reformist unions 

Laurent Berger, the general secretary of a major French union, the CFDT, saw the removal of the pivotal age as a victory. By this gift for the reformist, the prime minister sent a clear signal to the dissenters who started the social movement, on 5th December 2019. Contrary to what the left wing clamours for, from the socialist party to the communist party (La France insoumise), the reform won’t be withdrawn…..

For the syndicates, it’s time to 

Obviously, none of them will win the struggle which will accentuate the split between the reformist and protesters; but for sure there will be losers. 





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