The demonstration was already planned before, but recent events at LSI give it a different twist. About 150 people marched in the streets of La Souterraine this Saturday, January 18 to demand more social justice, defend public services … but also LSI employees, whose future is uncertain.
Put on the GM&S jacket
In the procession, between the red chasubles of the CGT, there are several gray jackets with fluorescent stripes. On the reverse, an acronym: GM&S. Xavier works today at LSI, he put back his old overalls for the demonstration. The 50-year-old worries about his job: “if we are made redundant, what awaits us is retraining but I’m 57 years old, retraining at this age is not easy. “
Others are elders. Patrice was fired from GM&S four years ago, he put the jacket back on to support his old colleagues. “I spent 38 years and 8 months at GM&S, the guys who are there, I know them. And they will surely without delay live what we lived. “
Citizen support
A little further in the procession, we find Renée. Sostranian for 30 years, she has made several demonstrations for GM&S. Today she is worried not only for the employees of LSI, but also for her city: “if there are a lot of layoffs, these people will leave the underground. And that nobody needs“, she is alarmed.
According to the unions, LSI employees have not had any feedback from their employer regarding the future of the Souterraine site.