[Marxism] BBC: Strikes in France

[sabocat59@xxxxxxx]

  French unions claim 3m on street                         Demonstrations have 
been held in about 200 French towns and cities    
French unions have claimed that up to three million people have taken part in 
street protests amid a national strike against France's economic policies. 
Police gave an estimate of 1.2 million people at rallies nationwide. Schools 
have been closed and public transport disrupted, with demonstrations held in 
about 200 towns. Unions are demanding more is spent to protect workers in the 
recession. Unemployment has reached two million and is expected to rise 
further. 

Union members marched towards the Place de la Nation in Paris behind a banner 
that read: "United against the crisis, defend employment, spending power and 
public services."  

   We have a president who aggravates the crisis by making the wrong economic 
and social choices Benoit Hamon, Socialist Party      

"They have a profound sense of social injustice," said Jean-Claude Mailly, head 
of the large Force Ouvriere union, "and that, I think, is something that 
neither the government nor the employers have understood." Benoit Hamon, a 
spokesman for the French Socialist Party said.  France was experiencing similar 
problems to other countries, but that the situation was being made worse by 
President Nicolas Sarkozy. "We have a president who aggravates the crisis by 
making the wrong economic and social choices, by his deafness regarding the 
general dissatisfaction," said Mr Hamom. "He refuses to give answers regarding 
layoffs, regarding the cost of living, regarding the way to objectively avoid 
the rise in job losses in the public sector or in the public health system." 

Marches were also being held in Marseille, Lyon, Grenoble and many other towns 
and cities. Noel Kouici, demonstrating in Marseilles, said protesters had a 
"grudge" against the government. "Of course we are angry against the government 
when you see the way they serve the banks and leave the people starving and 
losing their jobs," he said.

 But the deputy mayor of Marseille, Roland Blum, told the BBC the government 
had done a lot to help people. "Of course I understand the distress of people 
who've lost or are going to lose their jobs, but what I think is necessary is 
that we all work together," he said. There protests were largely peaceful but 
minor scuffles were reported in several cities later in the evening. In Paris, 
police used tear gas to disperse small groups of youths who were setting fire 
to rubbish bins and throwing bottles. 

It is the second time in two months that major demonstrations have been held, 
following a similar display in January which drew about a million protesters.

 The strikes began on Wednesday evening on transport networks.   French 
commuters face a limited rail service because of the strike The national rail 
operator, SNCF, cancelled 40% of high-speed trains and half of regional 
services. A third of flights out of Paris's Orly airport have been cancelled, 
while a tenth of France's electricity output has been shut down with workers on 
strike. 

However, buses and the Metro rail system in Paris were running normally, thanks 
to a new law enforcing a minimum transport service during strikes,. But with 
many schools and public buildings shut for the day, the number of workers 
travelling into the capital was reduced. Private-sector firms were also 
expecting a depleted workforce, with staff from the beleaguered car industry, 
oil and retail sectors taking part in the strike. Rising unemployment The 
unions say the 26bn euro ($35bn; £24.5bn) stimulus package for France's 
struggling economy, unveiled by Mr Sarkozy in December, does not go far enough. 
   
FRENCH UNIONS vs GOVERNMENT  

Union demands Increase minimum wage Reverse 50% cap on income tax Suspend 
public sector job cuts Measures to protect employment  Government stimulus plan 
11bn euros to help businesses improve cashflows 11bn euros of direct state 
investment 4bn euros of investment by state-owned firms in modernisation 2.65bn 
euros of tax breaks, and increases in family welfare and short-term 
unemployment benefits  A further 2.4bn euros ($3.2bn; £2.3bn) of measures, 
including tax breaks and social benefits, presented by Mr Sarkozy after 
January's strike has failed to placate them. They want him to increase the 
minimum wage and scrap his plans to cut public-sector jobs. 

Recent polls show three-quarters of French people support the strikers. Many 
commuters on Thursday said they backed the action, but hoped it would be 
short-lived. "Fundamentally I agree, but too much is too much," one was quoted 
as saying. "There are strikes in the transport sector too often and we have to 
put up with them." Mr Sarkozy said on Wednesday that he "understands the 
concerns of the French people" but has ruled out plans for further measures. 

Unemployment is likely to shoot up to 10% in the next 12 months with a further 
350,000 lay-offs expected by the end of this year. Many people are angry that 
big companies like the oil giant Total is making staff redundant while 
simultaneously announcing record profits, the BBC's Emma Jane Kirby in Paris 
says. 
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