Vol. 73/No. 13      April 6, 2009

Eight national union confederations billed the March 19 action as a “national day of protest” rather than a general strike, unlike the call for a one-day strike in January. Nevertheless, millions of workers responded by striking March 19, including railroad, gas and electric, and hospital workers, as well as teachers and civil servants. Some 30 percent of Air France flights out of Orly Airport were cancelled. High-speed rail traffic was cut by 50 percent on most lines.

As many as 3 million people, or 5 percent of the population, participated in the 213 protest actions held across the country, reported the International Herald Tribune and the unions. Public opinion polls show 78 percent of the population supported the day of action. Police put the number of participants at 1.2 million, still larger than the 1.1 million they reported for protests in January.

Large contingents of high school and college students joined teachers and professors to protest cuts in education. One banner carried by university professors protesting cutbacks in the research budget announced, “Physicists in struggle!” Big contingents of hospital workers protested similar cuts in medical-care funding and services. Many workers in transportation and public services also participated. Workers at auto plants such as Peugeot and Renault organized contingents.

The struggle at the Continental tire factory in Clairoix north of Paris attracted a great deal of attention in the days leading up to the national action. In September 2007 the 1,120 workers at the plant agreed to an increase in the workweek from 35 hours to 40 without an increase in pay. In return the company promised to not close the plant.

In spite of this, Continental bosses announced March 11 that the plant would be closing within a year. This would force the closure of a host of smaller subcontracting plants, putting an estimated 4,000 workers in all out of work. Workers went on strike March 11, chased management out of the plant, and refused to allow the bosses back in until an agreement was signed March 23.

Responding to the March 19 protests, French president Nicolas Sarkozy said, "The demonstrations were large and we have to take that into account, but the country wasn't paralyzed."

After the first national day of action in January, Sarkozy announced a series of measures, including tax reductions for low-income families, amounting to 2.6 billion euros (1 euro = US$1.37). This time, Prime Minister François Fillon said that there would be no further relief measures from the government.
 
 
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