The Vinny Eastwood Show
  • HOME
  • LATEST
  • MP3 DOWNLOADS
  • VENDETTAS MUSIC
  • Bio
  • Merch
  • Donate
  • Contact
  • HOME
  • LATEST
  • MP3 DOWNLOADS
  • VENDETTAS MUSIC
  • Bio
  • Merch
  • Donate
  • Contact

Millions march in France against pension cuts.

20/10/2010

0 Comments

 
By Alex Lantier 

An estimated 3.5 million workers and students marched nationwide in France yesterday in a day of action called to oppose pension cuts demanded by President Nicolas Sarkozy. Though the most critical provisions of the pension “reform” have been passed—a two-year increase in the retirement age and a corresponding increase in the pay-in period—the law has yet to be formally voted on by the Senate.


The turnout testified to the determination of workers and young people to fight Sarkozy’s policies. Strikes and protest actions have been building for more than a week.

While it had been reported that the Senate would postpone its final vote on the bill until Thursday, and possibly delay the vote even further, some media outlets were reporting that the vote could take place today, as originally scheduled.

The strikes have spread to oil refineries, oil depots, ports and trucking firms, resulting in a growing gasoline shortage across France. The response of prominent union leaders to the upsurge in working class militancy and the widening economic impact of the strike wave—and opinion polls showing more than 70 percent of the population supporting the strikes—has been to indicate that the mass movement should be ended once the Senate has passed the pension bill.

The union leadership has from the onset sought to use the strikes and protests as a lever to obtain some cosmetic concessions from the government, while accepting the major cuts in the “reform.” They have rejected any struggle to bring down the Sarkozy government, insisting that the movement be limited to applying pressure on the president and the parliament.

They hoped that repeated one-day protests would wear down and exhaust the opposition of workers and students, but to date the intensity of the movement has only increased.

Sarkozy is moving to use the police to break numerous blockades of depots by oil workers. Last week, a large force of riot police was used to end a blockade at a strategic depot near Marseille. As of this writing, the union confederations have organized no public defense of workers occupying the oil depots.

Demonstrations in France’s largest cities were as big or bigger than the record turnout on October 12, the previous day of action. According to estimates by the unions, 330,000 marched in Paris, 240,000 in Marseille, 155,000 in Toulouse, 140,000 in Bordeaux, 60,000 each in Clermont-Ferrand, Rouen, Le Havre and Caen, 50,000 in Rennes, and 45,000 in Lyon.

Smaller regional trade union federations are pushing for broader strike action. In the Ardennes, the all trade union alliance passed a resolution calling for a renewable general strike “in all sectors of economic activity,” with rail workers and Peugeot auto workers voting in large numbers for the resolution.

Speaking to France3 television, Ardennes CGT (General Confederation of Workers) official Patrick Lattuada explained that his members had “completely had it” and were “fed up” with the fact that “the government pays no attention to the population’s demands and expectations.” The October 12 demonstration at Charleville-Mézières, with 10,000 people, was the largest in the region since the May-June 1968 general strike.

Student protests were at record levels, according to statistics provided by high school student unions. The FIDL (Independent and Democratic High School Student Union) said 1,200 of France’s 4,302 high schools were on strike, with 850 schools blockaded. At ten universities students met in general assemblies and voted to blockade their institutions. Youth marching in demonstrations chanted: “Unemployed at 25, exploited at 67, no, no, no!”

Police clashed with demonstrators across the country. In Lyon, police fired tear gas and fought with demonstrators at Bellecour Square and neighboring downtown areas. Dozens of cars were overturned and store windows smashed during the confrontation. Police blamed “1,300 violent protestors.”

The administration of Université Lyon-2 closed the institution “indefinitely” after students voted to blockade it. Similarly, the administration closed Toulouse-Le Mirail University after 75 percent of the 2,000-strong general assembly voted a blockade. Rennes-2 was also closed.

Youth clashed with riot police throughout the Paris suburbs. In Argenteuil, police attacked youth in a confrontation apparently planned in advance by city authorities. City official Nicolas Bougeard told Le Parisien: “It could have been worse. Incidents like that take six months of work to prepare. We put 20 very experienced people in place [official mediators wearing official vests, according to the newspaper] who know the youth and the area very well.” Police helicopters flew overhead to monitor the fighting.

Speaking yesterday morning in the beach resort of Deauville, where he was attending a summit with German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Russian President Dmitri Medvedev, Sarkozy said he would “see with law enforcement that public order would be maintained.” Sarkozy indicated his concern over the situation, but said he would not modify the cuts: “Do I fear excesses? Of course, it’s not with a light heart that I confront them. However, the greatest excess would be to not do my duty, which is to arrange for the financing of pensions.”

He threatened workers occupying refineries and oil depots, saying that “there are people who want to work and who must not be deprived of gasoline.” Upon his return to Paris, Sarkozy met with Prime Minister François Fillon, Interior Minister Brice Hortefeux and several other leading officials. He explained that the meeting aimed to “unblock a certain number of situations.”

The government acknowledged yesterday that France is in the grip of a growing gasoline shortage, with Ecology and Transport Minister Jean-Louis Borloo admitting that 4,000 of France’s 12,500 gas stations are running dry. Prime Minister Fillon said it would take four or five days for gasoline supplies to return to normal.

Trucking company federations warned that numerous enterprises were running out of fuel and might shut down and furlough their workers. According to Agence France-Presse, the Caen Chamber of Commerce and Industry released a report yesterday stating: “There is currently no more fuel available on our territory… We are currently witnessing a slowdown of economic activity, which could halt completely in 48 hours if supplies are not re-established.”

An open struggle is looming between the working class and the state, as police forces try to break the oil strike and resupply businesses, taking away the workers’ most powerful weapon against the passage of Sarkozy’s cuts. In addition to the strike-breaking action by CRS riot police against oil workers outside of Marseille, workers at Grandpuits were formally “requisitioned” and forced back to work under threat of 5-year prison terms.

According to one report, managers secretly arrived by boat at a struck oil depot in Le Havre to restart kerosene shipments to Roissy-Charles-de-Gaulle airport. Workers warned that they could not guarantee that the managers would be able to safely operate the equipment to produce kerosene. At a Caen oil depot police broke through workers’ barricades with a bulldozer, after which trucks arrived to haul away supplies.

The press is citing in threatening terms the legal measures available for use against blockades. Le Monde cited lawyers claiming that workers could face immediate dismissal without severance pay. According to the press, high school students could face immediate suspension, 3 years imprisonment and €45,000 fines if they participate in a blockade at a school that is not their own.

The national trade union leaderships have not responded with any campaign to defend striking workers. They are undoubtedly in talks with the government over the terms of a sellout. The major union federations are set to meet Thursday to discuss their next moves.

At yesterday’s protest march, Bernard Thibault, leader of the CGT, which is linked to the Stalinist French Communist Party, appealed to Sarkozy, saying, “Please be reasonable, accept discussion with the trade unions. Do not close yourself off from us with a unilateral choice.”

Thibault vaguely declared that the size of the demonstrations “will allow us to consider other initiatives.” However, unlike on previous days of action, the all trade union alliance did not announce a date for the next day of action.

The CFDT (French and Democratic Labor Confederation), which is France’s second most influential union and is politically close to the Socialist Party, is signaling that it will oppose further action against the cuts if the law is passed by the Senate. CFDT officials told business daily Les Echos: “If strikes continue and broaden, we will have to pursue them. But if they become hard conflicts in a few isolated industrial sectors, we will not be able to give it our approval indefinitely.”

The officials added that they expected this would not lead to a break with the CGT, as Thibault supports their positions: “The situation is challenging for us, but it is for the CGT as well. Bernard Thibault is pushing, but he can’t do too much to bolster his more activist wing, which is contesting his leadership inside the union.”

Thibault’s right-wing record has provoked considerable opposition among workers, including those in the CGT. He was publicly criticized last year by CGT auto delegate Xavier Mathieu for not assisting auto plants targeted for closure. Mathieu said that people like Thibault were “scum” who “are only good for chatting with the government and calming people down.”

Thibault was also criticized for negotiating pension cuts for public sector workers with Sarkozy in 2007, and for mobilizing CRS riot police and CGT thugs against striking undocumented workers occupying CGT offices in Paris last year.

The unions are effectively acting as counselors to Sarkozy on how to impose the cuts. They are warning the government not to move too rapidly in passing the pension bill so as to avoid provoking uncontrollable opposition in the working class.

CGT official Nadine Prigent told Agence France-Presse: “It’s not a done deal that a Senate [vote for the cuts] will calm things down.” The UNSA (National Union of Autonomous Trade Unions) warned: “No one knows what effect that vote will have.”

0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    REMEMBER TO LIKE! SHARE! SUBSCRIBE! DONATE! www.thevinnyeastwoodshow.com

    ALL DONORS GET:
    Unlisted Content!
    Exclusive Club Access!
    And So Much More!
    (Special Rewards Below)

    Picture
    Kiwibank: 38-9010-0455296-00
    VMAN COMPANIES LIMITED
    (For NZ Gifts and AP's use your email as reference)
    Recommended AP
    $5 Per Week - $100 Per Month

    Gifts
    Weekly & Monthly Gifts

    ALREADY DONATED?
    CLICK HERE FOR YOUR SPECIAL REWARDS!

    Picture
    Vinny Updates Every Day!
    Picture
    Watch Vinnys Videos

    Author

    Vincent Eastwood (AKA MR. NEWS) was born in the ominous year of 1984, the same year set out in Orwells masterpiece and the year of New Zealands neoliberal economic reforms. 

    Vinny is a media activist, syndicated talk show host. 

    A dynamic personality with a strong commitment to bringing different factions of the truth movement together.

    We are all in this together!

    Archives

    August 2021
    August 2020
    December 2018
    November 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    May 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    January 2014
    June 2013
    January 2012
    December 2011
    September 2011
    April 2011
    March 2011
    February 2011
    January 2011
    December 2010
    November 2010
    October 2010
    September 2010
    August 2010
    July 2010

    Categories

    All
    1080
    2011
    2012
    2015
    2016
    2017
    2018
    420 Banks Demand 1 World Currency
    5 Eyes
    911
    9/11
    911 Conspiracy Theory New Zealand America Freedom Of Speech
    911 Fluoride Climate Change
    99%
    9's
    Aaron Dykes
    Adam Kokesh
    AE911 Truth
    Aerosol
    After America
    Agenda 2030
    Agenda 21
    Alan Gurden
    ALCP
    Alex Jones
    ALLCAPS Podcast
    America
    American Freedom Radio
    American History
    Antarctica
    Anti Corruption Watchdog
    Aotearoa
    Aotearoaawiderperspective
    Aotearoa A Wider Perspective
    Aotearoa Legalise Cannabis Party
    Aotearoa Legalize Cannabis Party
    Architects And Engineers For 9/11 Truth
    Argument
    Arthur Shopenhauer
    Ashley Farrell
    Asset Sales
    Atacama
    Attack
    Auckland
    Audio
    Australia
    Authority
    Autism
    Banking
    Becker Carter
    Ben Cooney
    Ben Vidgen
    Beyonce
    Bigot
    Bill Hicks
    BLM
    Bluetooth
    Bob Jones
    Bomber Bradbury
    Bomb Threat
    BPA
    Bruce Rogan
    Bundy Ranch
    Business Brown Table
    Cancelled
    Cancer
    Cannabis
    Cannibal
    Captain Aotearoa
    Carbon Credits
    Carbon Tax
    Carol Rosin
    Cattle
    Censorship
    CERN
    Charlotte's Web
    Chem Trails
    Child Abuse
    Child Smile
    China
    Chinese Intelligence
    Chinese Market
    Chris Christie
    Chris Fowlie
    Christmas
    Chris Woodney
    Climate Change
    Climatology
    Clint Meyer
    Cliven Bundy
    CO2
    Codex Alimentarius
    Collapse
    Collapse Of America
    Colorado
    Colorado Calling
    Comedy
    Committee For Auckland
    Community Service
    Complex Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
    Conspiracy
    Conspiracy Theories
    Conspiracy Theory
    Conviction
    Corrupt
    Corruption
    Council On Foreign Relations
    Country Music Concert
    CPTSD
    Criminal
    Crisis
    Cult
    Cult Indoctrination Techniques
    Cure
    CYFS
    Dakta Green
    Dark Ages
    David Cunliffe
    David Icke
    David Lange
    David Richwhite
    Debate
    Deception
    Decriminalize
    Deleted
    Derivatives
    Disease
    Documentary
    Dog
    Donald Trump
    Donation
    Driving
    Driving Impairment
    Dr Paul Connett
    Dr Steven Greer
    Dr TIm Ball
    E4 Records
    Eastwood
    Economic Collapse
    Economic Hitman
    Economy
    Editing
    Ed Opperman
    Election
    Election 2014
    Election 2017
    Electromagnetic Radiation
    EMF
    EMR
    End Of America
    Energy Saver Light Bulb
    Enlightenment
    Eugenics
    Evelyn Gilbert
    Exposed In 6 Minutes
    Exposed In Minutes
    Facebook
    Face Television
    Face TV
    Facts
    Federal Reserve
    Financial Collapse
    Fire Dragon Chillis
    Fluoride
    Fluoride Free New Zealand
    Food
    Food Bill
    Forrest Lucas
    Fracking
    Freedom
    Freedom Of Expression
    Freedom Of Speech
    Freemason
    Free Speech
    Fundraiser
    Gareth Morgan
    Gary Franchi
    Gender Bending
    Geoengineering
    George Carlin
    Gerald Celente
    Get Up Stand Up Tour
    Ghandi
    Global
    Global Financial Crisis
    Globalist
    Global Warming
    Gluckman
    God
    Gold
    Goldman Sachs
    Graham McCready
    Green Cross
    Green Party
    Green Planet FM
    Greens
    Griffen De Cat
    Guerilla Media
    Guitar
    Hate Speech
    Helen Clark
    Hemp
    High
    High Frequency Trading
    Hikoi
    Homeland Security
    Hone Harawira
    Iain Parker
    Ian Wishart
    Illuminati
    Illumination
    IMac
    IMF
    Inside Job
    Inspiring
    International Monetary Fund
    Internet Censorship.
    Internet Mana Party
    Interview
    Iwi
    Jacinda Ardern
    James Dunne
    James Shaw
    Jenny Shipley
    Jerome Corsi
    Jim Bolger
    Joe Carolan
    Joe Trinder
    John Banks
    John Bolton
    John Key
    Jon Eisen
    Journalism
    Judiciary
    Judith Collins
    Judy Wood
    Katherine Smith
    Keith Stewart
    Kellyanne Conway
    Kelvin Davis
    Kim Dotcom
    Labour
    Labour Party
    L A Marzulli
    Large Hadron Collider
    Las Vegas
    Lauren Southern
    Lecture
    Legalise Cannabis
    Legalize
    Liar
    Live Music
    Live Performance
    Logan Campbell Center
    Love And Family
    Lucy Lawless
    Mainstream Media
    Maki Herbert
    Mana Party
    Mangawhai
    Maori Elites
    Maori Land Court
    Marama Davidson
    Marijuana
    Mark Emery
    Martyn Bomber Bradbury
    Masons
    Mayor
    Media
    Medical
    Medical Cannabis
    Medical Marijuana
    Medicinal Cannabis
    Medicine
    Melissa Melton
    Merrill Lynch
    Metiria Turei
    Michael Fay
    Michael Woods
    Midas Resources
    Mihael Flynn
    Mikey Havoc
    Mikhail Pierce
    Militia
    Mining
    Motivational
    MR NEWS
    Music
    Musician
    Narcissism
    National
    National Party
    Natural Medicine
    Nazi
    Negro
    Neoliberal
    Neurolinguistic Programming
    Nevada
    News
    Newt Gingrich
    New World Order
    New Zealand
    New Zealand First
    New Zealand Herald
    New Zealand Journal Of Natural Medicine
    New Zealand Story
    Ngai Tahu
    NORML
    NZ
    NZ Election 2017
    NZfirst
    Nzherald
    NZ Herald
    NZ Journal Of Natural Medicine
    NZ Military
    Obama
    Occupy Auckland
    Occupy Auckland Albert Park United We Strike Vinny Eastwood
    Occupy Corporatism
    Occupy Queen Street Joe Carolan Freedom New Zealand Police Court Eviction Christmas Eve
    Occupy Savvy
    Oil Companies
    Oil Drilling
    Oil For Food Program
    Oilspill
    Oil Spill
    Other Points Of View
    Owen Glenn
    Palantir
    Paradigm
    Parininihi Ki Waitotara
    Parliamentarians For Global Action
    Patsy Reedy
    Paula Bennett
    Paula Gray
    Paul Little
    Paul Ryan
    Paul Waddell
    Pedophile
    Penny Bright
    Peoples Liberation Army
    Peter Dunne
    Pete Santilli
    Pharmaceuticals
    Philip Vela
    Poison
    Police
    Police State
    Police States
    Politics
    Postman Investigates
    Postman Productions
    Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
    Pot
    Prediction
    Prime Minister
    Prime Sinister
    Princess Diana
    Privatisation
    Propaganda
    Protest
    Protestors
    Psychopath
    PTSD
    Public Credit Or Bust
    Public Watchdog
    Pyramid
    Queenstown
    Racist
    Radiation
    Radio
    Radio Live
    Rap Music
    Rates Revolt
    Raw Milk Organic New Zealand Katherine Smith Vapi Kupenga
    Red Star 309's
    Reefer Madness
    Removed
    Reptilians
    Resignation
    Resistance
    Richard Gage
    Rick Simpson
    Ritchard Boswell
    Robert Muldoon
    Robin Malcolm
    Roger Douglas
    Rogernomics
    Ross Meurant
    Roundtable
    Rudolph Giuliani
    Russell Malcolm
    Ruth Richardson
    Safe Food
    Safe Space
    Sarah Eastwood
    Sarah Palin
    Save Our Landlines NZ
    Science
    Scotland
    Secret
    Sentence
    Sentencing
    September Collapse
    Sexual-abuse
    Sheriff-richard-mack
    Shooting
    Sid Miller
    Silver
    Simon Bridges
    Singing
    Sirius Disclosure
    Sir Robert Jones
    SJW
    Skegg
    Skull And Bones
    Smart Grid
    Smart Meter Dangers
    Smart Meter Health Risks.
    Smart Meters
    Smart Surveillance
    Social Justice Warrior
    Society Collapse
    Stanford
    State Of America
    State Secrets
    Stefan Molyneux
    Stepping Down
    Steven Mnuchin
    Steven Town
    Steven Wilkinson
    Stock Market Crash
    Stoned
    Stuff.co.nz
    Subscribe
    Subscription
    Sunday Program
    Super City Auckland
    Surgery
    Susanne Posel
    Suzette Marie Dawson
    Suzie Dawson
    Swine Flu Vaccine
    Synthetic Cannabis
    Synthetic Drugs
    Synthetics
    Tainui
    Tazer
    Ted Anderson
    Telecommunications (New Regulatory Framework) Amendment Bill
    Te Tai Tokerau
    Te Ture Whenua Maori Bill
    The Club De Madrid
    The Daktory
    The Green Party Of Aotearoa New Zealand
    The Internet Party
    The Maori Party
    The Opportunities Party
    The Outer Dark
    The Pakehachis
    The Power Station
    The Queen
    The Twist
    The US Independent
    The Vinny Eastwood Show
    The Vinny Eastwood Show!
    Time Cube
    Tim Lynch
    Todays Blog
    Todays Show Blog
    Todays Show Blog
    Todays Show Blow
    Tooth Decay
    TOP
    Totalitaria
    Toxic
    Treason
    Treasury
    Treaty Of Waitangi
    Trilateral Commission
    Truth
    TV
    UN
    Uncensored Magazine
    UN Development Project
    UNICEF
    United Future
    United Nations
    Urgent Alert
    US Dollar
    Us Election
    US Military
    Vaccine
    Vaccine Court
    Vaccine Injury
    Video
    Vinnie
    Vinny
    Vinny Eastwood
    Vinny Eastwood Mr News Guerilla Media Don Brash Act Party Cannabis Decriminalize Marijuana Pot Freedom Amsterdam Youth Culture National Radio Panel
    Vinny & The Vendettas
    Violence
    Vote
    V&V
    War
    Watchdog
    Water
    Wealth
    Weight Loss
    White
    Wilbur Ross
    Wildlands
    Wine Box Inquiry
    Winston Peters
    Wireless
    Wireless Modem
    Word Play
    World Bank
    World Bank New Zealand John Key Asset Sales Financial Collapse Privatisation
    World Government
    World Trade Center 7
    World Wide Wake Up
    WTC7
    Youtube
    Youtube Channel

    RSS Feed

The Vinny Eastwood Show, where the only thing worse than living in a high tech global police state run by child trafficking satanists, is Vinny's jokes...