BY NAT LONDON AND RAFIK ZAIGOUCHE

PARIS - Nearly two million public workers struck and some 200,000 demonstrated throughout France against government austerity measures on October 17. Some 35 percent of the nearly 5.5 million civil servants and public service workers struck that day, according to government figures.

Thousands of schools were closed across the country as 45 percent of workers in the national education system walked out.

Between 40 and 45 percent of rail workers were on strike and only one third of the trains functioned that day. Many workers at Air France and Air France Europe (formerly Air Inter) struck, as did the air traffic controllers, canceling 85 percent of domestic flights. The day before the action, newspapers did not appear as journalists struck against a government tax reform measure aimed at them.

Demonstrations were held in cities throughout France and drew large contingents of teachers, hospital workers and smaller numbers of rail, gas and electric and postal workers.

In the days preceding the national day of action, tens of thousands of defense plant workers, journalists, doctors and ambulance drivers and others engaged in similar actions.

The International Herald Tribune, an English-language daily published in Paris but jointly owned by the New York Times and Washington Post, warned U.S. investors to steer clear of France. "U.S. investors are keen on almost all of Europe" ran their front page headline. However, France, they warned, was the "one country in the European Union" where "there are so many vested interests that resist the kind of restructuring which is taking place in other parts of Europe." The French rulers are under pressure to push through austerity measures in order to enter the European Monetary Union on par with their German rivals.

France is in the midst of a worsening economic crisis. Economic activity has declined in three of the last five quarters and dropped 0.4 percent in the second quarter of this year. Official unemployment is 12.5 percent and still rising. Unions have pointed out that if those on temporary government training programs, early retirement programs to avoid layoffs, and other such schemes are added to the 3.3 million officially unemployed, the figure would be 5.7 million or around 20 percent of the workforce.

The press is filled with comparisons between the October 17 action and a National Day of Action held on October 10 last year. While this year's demonstrations were somewhat larger than in 1995, the strikes were somewhat smaller.

In the days leading up to last year's action the government of Prime Minister Alaine Juppé announced a wage freeze for all public workers and an attack on their retirement age. Instead of intimidating workers this gave the action momentum. It became the largest one day action in recent memory and kicked off an explosive movement of strikes in November and December.

This year the government announced an end to the wage freeze and the opening of wage negotiations just before the strike day. Following the strike, government representatives and some newspapers announced triumphantly that the strike wave was declining since participation in this year's strike was less than last year's 57 percent. It was, nevertheless, one of the largest such actions in France in the last 15 years.

The government has also announced a reduction in the number of teaching jobs.

Many teachers with annual contracts found themselves without jobs as the new school year started. This means a work overload for the remaining teachers. "Create 45,000 teaching jobs - it's better than 800,000 hours of overtime", read the banner of one of the demonstrating teachers unions.

Three unions called for a strike by the 120,000 doctors who are general practitioners with private practices to protest Juppé's proposed reforms of the Social Security system. A fourth union called for applying a part of the Juppé plan, but also took part in the day's action.

Medical workers made up large contingents in the demonstrations. "There's too much work in the hospital - there's too much unemployment outside - hire, hire the unemployed," shouted the demonstrating hospital workers over a loud bullhorn, while postal workers chanted, "no, no layoffs, one more postal worker equals one less unemployed."

The demonstration in Paris was joined by 50 Air France workers who work at Narita Airport in Japan. "Liberty and Human Rights for the Japanese personnel of Air France" read their banner in French. They held up colorful banners written in Japanese. Koki Umeki, a leader of the Association of Japanese Workers at Air France Against all Discrimination, said they had come to protest union busting activity by Air France management at Narita Airport in Japan.

They were welcomed by a CGT contingent of Air France workers from Charles De Gaulle Airport and demonstrated together.

One of the contingents which received the most applause from the sidelines was made up of several hundred undocumented workers and their supporters. They have been struggling since March demanding regular residency papers.

Derek Jeffers contributed to this article.  
 
 
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