In the Paris procession, everyone hopes that the mobilization will continue, even if they do not believe in the censorship of the text by the Constitutional Council.
Only one option could satisfy Xavier. “It would be the pure and simple withdrawal by the Constitutional Council for dysfunction of democracy”asks this EDF engineer. “Otherwise, we will continue to be in the struggle.” On the eve of the decision of the Elders on the constitutionality of the pension reform, franceinfo went to meet the demonstrators in the Parisian procession. Despite these twelve days of pounding the pavement, they do not plan to give up.
Clear eyes and a black cap on his head, Xavier assures us that he is not exhausted by these three months of mobilization: “Fatigue is having to work two more years.” At 62, he is not affected by the reform, but that does not prevent him “to be part of all demonstrations”. Twelve so far, and as many days less wages.
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“We won’t let go, we’ve lost too many strike days to give up now.”
Xavier, engineer at EDFat franceinfo
Unionized at the CGT, he still fears a division of the inter-union. “Next week, the CFDT may no longer be with us, but that will not prevent us from taking action”he promises.
>> Pension reform: why the decision of the Constitutional Council will not put an end to the mobilization
For Camille, 20, it’s also time for a change of method. “All that is non-violent does not work, the government is doing everything to bring us to radicality”, regrets the young woman. Mobilized since the beginning of January, she recognizes that the movement is losing momentum. “But the decision of the Constitutional Council will breathe new life into mobilization, as with 43.9”, wants to believe this student. “In any case, I don’t intend to stop there!”
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“I think the people will resign themselves”
For Sylvie, who came to demonstrate with colleagues, the chances that the Constitutional Council will reject the entire reform are low. “Given its composition, we do not expect much”, launches this hospital worker in intensive care at the Villeneuve-Saint-Georges hospital (Val-de-Marne). In charge of cleaning the operating rooms, she claims to be exhausted by her work: “With the lack of staff, the beds closing, I don’t see myself working until I’m 64.” Within a few months, this 58-year-old brunette could have escaped the reform. “I have to retire in 3 years, but with the reform, I should do 2 more years, it’s out of the question.”
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“If we still have to be months and months on the street, we’ll go.”
Sylvie, hospital workerat franceinfo
To be able to come and demonstrate this Thursday, she exchanged a day in the planning with a colleague. “As a hospital worker, if I go on strike, I am requisitioned so it has less impact”, she explains. She also thinks of those who “cannot come because the strike weighs too much on their salary”.
Despite her 16 years, Sofia is also aware of the financial difficulties of the strikers. “Even our teachers told us: ‘We went on strike again and again, but we can’t anymore’. I understand them, they also have a family to feed.” The high school student, who has just blocked her establishment with trash cans, before “shift in demonstration” with his comrades, has little hope. “The government should have already acted long before, there, I think the people will resign themselves”she regrets.
“We need a real crisis situation”
Mikaty, 70 and retired, still wants to believe in it, for his children, grandchildren and for everyone else, he says. “If I tell you that today is the last big demonstration, that means that I am giving up, and it is not in my habits”says this former IT executive. “But, indeed, we will have to find other means.” He hopes to see a country at a standstill soon. “We need a real crisis situation, blockagesbelieves this former “yellow vest”. There, there are people who go shopping at Opéra without being affected by the demonstration right next door.”
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Accustomed to long strikes, Ledge, a worker in air conditioning at the SNCF, does not see the movement dying out after the decision of the Constitutional Council tomorrow. “The government hopes this is the last big demonstration”, he analyzes. Came to demonstrate this Thursday with colleagues, he assures him, he is still ready for the general strike.
“Tomorrow, we will see that the Constitutional Council will censor the text at the margin and suddenly, we will remain unhappy. At the next drop of water it will overflow again, for example if they do not authorize the RIP .”
Ledge, 52, worker at the SNCFat franceinfo
If validated, the request for a shared initiative referendum (RIP), which aims to submit to a national consultation a bill so that the retirement age cannot exceed 62 years, must gather at least 4.8 million signatures. “All means of action are good, we must use the slightest opportunity to discuss and mobilize against the reform”, believes Ledge. Like him, most of the demonstrators interviewed by franceinfo have no intention of giving up. Xavier, met at the beginning of the afternoon, promises that he will not lose hope: “The easiest thing in life is to give up. And that’s not in my nature.”