While young people have mobilized massively against the reform, trade union organizations are betting on this storm to give new impetus to the various movements.
Massive presence in processions, blocked universities, participation in workers’ pickets… Since the beginning of the mobilization against the pension reform, and particularly since the use of 49.3 to pass the text to the Assembly mid- March, young people are on all fronts. No less than 500,000 students and high school students beat the pavement on March 23, according to trade unions. Five days later, the Student Union claimed on Telegram that 85 schools and universities were “mobilized”while 450 high schools were blocked.
The image of new “depoliticized” generations takes for its rank. Behind the scenes, the student unions have helped to rejuvenate the troops by increasing calls for commitment and by structuring mobilization. Above all, they were generally united in this fight against the decline in the legal age to 64 years. Among them, three appear as leaders: la Fage (the most reformist, which claims 300,000 members), theNational Union of Students of France (UNEF, the historic union) and the Student Union (the new kid on the block).
The latter, created a few weeks ago, is more radical. Symbol of a change that has taken place in recent months, it brings together the Alternative, founded six years ago, and fifteen dissident sections of the UNEF, undermined by internal struggles. A survey of World (article for subscribers) revealed at the beginning of April that part of the national office denounces violence and a management withdrawn into itself.
“We want to capitalize on the social conflict”
More than two weeks after the promulgation of the pension reform, the main student union organizations, questioned by franceinfo, want to believe that the movement will not run out of steam, starting with the big meeting on May 1. “We are calling for a surge. We want it to be a strong date on the student side”warns Eléonore Schmitt, spokesperson for the Student Union. “It’s important for us to be present because we are the workers of tomorrow”, recalls Imane Ouelhadj, president of Unef. The spokesperson for Fage, Félix Sosso, for his part, affirms that he wants “to mark the hit” and also wishes to take advantage of Labor Day to put the subject of scholarships back at the heart of the debate.
Government announcements in favor of education do nothing. An envelope of 500 million euros was released at the end of March by the Minister of Higher Education for the start of the school year in September, but consultations must continue until the summer for a structural reform of the student aid system. “This advert was made just after 49.3 and while we were on the streets a lot… By continuing to be present in the processions, we are keeping up the pressure” on the subject, judge Imane Ouelhadj.
Beyond pensions and the imminent expiry of scholarships, the major forces of student unionism see further. “We want to capitalize on the social conflict and give an outlet to this anger”, argues Eléonore Schmitt. Between now and the start of the next school year, the Student Union will launch a major unionization campaign to inspire young people to make a long-term commitment. Dn the side of Unef and Fage, we can already see an increase in membership.
“There are also cities, like Perpignan, where Unef is reborn from its ashes. Students are starting to recreate local sections when they have not been active for years.”
Imane Ouelhadj, president of Unefat franceinfo
In addition to the figures, the sequence of retreats will have, in spite of itself, made it possible to give “a positive image of trade unionism among young people”Judge Felix Sosso. “During the Covid-19, there was also a big break between the students and the university. By dint of staying at home, some no longer identified the structures present on campus”explains the spokesperson for the Fage.
A “mechanism of solidarity”
If this is obviously not the first time that students have invested in the social field, a shift took place in this social conflict when the 49.3 was drawn by the government. “There were major mobilizations during the recent movements on pensions, or even the labor law. But it was indeed less striking”notes Robi Morder, political scientist and president of the Study and research group on the student movement (Germe).
“Since the 19th century, this dimension has been constant among students: as soon as, in their view, democracy and freedoms are undermined, they rise up.”
Robi Morder, student movement specialistat franceinfo
The proliferation of direct links with the workers around the pickets constitutes the other particularity of the current student mobilization, which is reminiscent of May-68. “Today there is greater porosity between these two groups. At university, the children of employees are more and more numerous. The mechanism of solidarity is not only ideological, it responds to extremely concrete social phenomena. “analyzes Robi Morder.
Students, but also precarious workers
According to the latest survey of student living conditions, carried out in 2020 by the National Observatory of Student Life, 40% of students carry out a remunerated activity alongside their courses during the academic year. Imane Ouelhadj explains that, since the beginning of the demonstrations in January, these young “take part in student parades during the week and parade with their professional union on Saturdays”.
This student job is described as more precarious and less protective than in the past. “Before, we worked as a supervisor in a college, it was adapted to the schedule and even counted for retirement. Today, it is the delivery platforms that employ an educated workforce, with self-employed status”, details Robi Morder.
Consequently, these young people take part more quickly in the trade-union battles, what to cause a form of disenchantment also precocious. “When we look at the testimonies of students in the 1950s and 1960s, they were convinced that making sacrifices during their youth would offer them a better tomorrow, says the political scientist. From now on, the majority feeling is that the future is not assured”.
Disagreements over the method
In this context, student unions have every interest in forming a common front to present themselves as the most legitimate representatives of youth possible. But the social conflict around pensions also illustrates discrepancies, particularly on the modes of action. “It is no longer the principle of student unionism that is rejected but the ‘how’?”notes Robi Morder.
“A few days before 49.3, we were calling for radicalism and blockages in the universities. Unef felt that we had to be creative. In my opinion, this was an admission of weakness on their part, we are in a moment where strong political markers are needed”, insists Eléonore Schmitt. On the Fage side, Félix Sosso does not see blocking as a solution: “Let’s avoid racing towards radicality.”
“We saw in the National Assembly that the ‘bordélisation’ of certain LFI deputies had its limits.”
Félix Sosso, spokesperson for Fageat franceinfo
“There is a need in student unionism to have unity. This is what we tried to do during this reform, even if we did not agree on everything”, recalls the president of the Unef, for whom the scattering will never be beneficial. “We still need a majority union that is able to influence public policy, supports her, the spokesperson for the Student Union. We have a vocation to become the first union and go beyond Fage, which defends an apoliticism that we do not understand.
Despite the differences in points of view, student unionism retains its common fundamental objectives: to fight for dignified living conditions and to position itself on the subjects of tomorrow, such as pensions. For Robi Morder, “we come back to the charter of Amiens [adoptée en 1906 par la CGT] and the double task of the trade union movement: the daily life and the future”.