Vol.65/No.43
November 12, 2001
French unions strike against layoffs; bosses squeal about 'lack of patriotism'
BY NAT LONDON
PARIS--More than 40,000 workers, according to police estimates, demonstrated in Paris and other French cities October 16 against layoffs and attacks on the social wage. The national day of action was called by four of the principal French union confederations: the General Confederation of Labor (CGT), Workers Force (FO), the General Confederation of Administrative and Technical Employees (CGC), and the French Confederation of Christian Workers (CFTC). Railroad workers struck for 24 hours throughout the country, as did bus, subway, and tramway workers in many cities. Mass transit was completely tied up in Marseille, Lyon, Lille, and several other major cities.
Only one union confederation, the French Democratic Labor Federation (CFDT), did not join the action, saying that it was inappropriate considering the "current international crisis." Calling the action "indecent," the Movement of French Enterprises, the employers federation, attacked the unions for their lack of "social patriotism" and demanded a new law to limit public service workers' right to strike.
Bernard Thibault, leader of the CGT, said that there "would not be any moratorium on strikes since there was no moratorium on layoffs."
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