|
|
"Mobilisation sociale": 3 million people take to the streets
Friday, March 20, 2009, 12:11 Hrs
France - 19 March 2009
 According to French unions 3 million people took to the streets yesterday, to protest against the government's management of the crisis. Unions are demanding measures to protect current jobs and stop job cuts in the public sector, to increase the minimum wage and unemployment benefits, and to guarantee investments,…
The situation in the private sector is particularly dramatic. In EMCEF sectors alone, the planned closure in 2010 of the Continental plant in Clairoix will cause 1,120 workers to lose their jobs. Total is laying off workers while announcing record profits and the same is true for Saint-Gobain.
Unemployment is on the rise, with 330,000 jobs lost in 6 months according to the French national institute for statistics (INSEE), which forecasts even more dramatic figures for the next 6 months. It comes as no surprise that 75% of the French population support these protests all across France.
The government says it will do nothing for the moment but will see what effects the first recovery plan, proposed in December, will have. A monitoring committee will meet once a month to see whether the measures are implemented and effective. This reply is obviously far from satisfactory for the workers and their representatives, and further actions are to be expected in France.
EMCEF fully supports its French affiliates in their struggle whether at national or plant level. Actions at the European level are also being organized by the ETUC on 15 May in Brussels and 16 May in Prague and Berlin. Massive demonstrations are also being planned in Spain and the UK.
More information will follow.
|
|
|
|
