Unionists resist French gov’t attack on pension age

Vol. 87/No. 12 - March 27, 2023
Paris demonstration, part of March 7 national protests against Macron government proposal to raise retirement age. CGT union banner says, “Decontaminate society of capitalist virus.”

PARIS — French President Emmanuel Macron’s push to raise the retirement age from 62 to 64 continues to meet mass resistance by workers across the country. March 7 was the sixth day of strikes and protests since mid-January, with at…


Workers in France strike over attempt to raise retirement age

Vol. 87/No. 5 - February 6, 2023

PARIS — Striking workers led over a million people at some 220 demonstrations across the country Jan. 19 to protest President Emmanuel Macron’s attempt to raise the retirement age. Protests were accompanied by strikes of gas, electrical and rail workers,…


Protests in France hit racist cop attack, repressive law

Vol. 84/No. 49 - December 14, 2020

ALES, France — Over 130,000 people took to the streets of Paris and cities across the country Nov. 28, protesting the cop beating of Michel Zecler, a music producer who is black, and a draft “security” law. The law would…


French workers continue protest against Macron’s pension assault

Vol. 84/No. 7 - February 24, 2020
Sailors march in Marseille, France, Jan. 29 as part of a national day of protest against government plans to raise retirement age from 62 to 64 and to cut back workers’ pensions.

PARIS — Sizable union-led protests have continued against French President Emmanuel Macron’s attack on workers’ pensions, despite the end of a six-week national rail strike Jan. 29 called to oppose the assaults. The strike was joined by workers walking out…


French workers strike, protest government attacks on pensions

Vol. 84/No. 3 - January 27, 2020

PARIS — Sizable demonstrations by the General Confederation of Workers (CGT) and other unions continue in France against the assault on pensions by the government of President Emmanuel Macron. Tens of thousands took to the streets Jan. 11 in a…


French public hospital workers protest government cutbacks

Vol. 83/No. 47 - December 23, 2019

PARIS — Some 10,000 public hospital workers conducted a one-day strike and march here Nov. 14 to defend the country’s public hospitals. For the first time, members of all medical professions — from nursing assistants to doctors — acted together.…


French protests say ‘Hands off our pensions’!

Vol. 83/No. 47 - December 23, 2019

PARIS — Unionists and other working people across France carried out a one-day strike Dec. 5 and mounted sizable demonstrations in defense of their pensions. The actions were centered among public service sector workers in transportation, schools and public hospitals.…


Yellow vests demand halt to cop attacks on protests

Vol. 83/No. 7 - February 18, 2019
Feb. 2 yellow vest protests in Paris against police attacks on marchers. Inset, cop aiming at demonstrators with weapon police use to target protesters’ eyes, causing serious injury.

PARIS — Over 60,000 workers, small proprietors and farmers marched throughout France Feb. 2 in the 12th weekly Saturday protest of the yellow vest movement. Over 13,000 marched here, triple that of the week before.  The march was to protest…


France: Rail workers strike against government attacks

Vol. 82/No. 17 - April 30, 2018

PARIS — An eerie silence settled over the deserted Gare de l’Est train terminal here April 9, replacing the noisy hum of the hundreds of thousands of passengers who normally crisscross the station daily. In a wave of rolling strikes,…


Rail, public sector workers protest gov’t attacks in France

Vol. 82/No. 14 - April 9, 2018
Hundreds of thousands of rail and public workers rallied in Paris and around France March 22 against government attacks on unions and two-tier system proposed for new hires in rail.

PARIS — Hundreds of thousands of rail and other government workers took to the streets in 180 cities across France March 22. Close to 25,000 rail workers — almost one-quarter of the workforce at the state-run SNCF (French National Railway…