2021 French labor protests

Protest and strikes of the CGT union 2021
Part of protests against Emmanuel Macron
Date19 January – 6 February 2021
Location
 France
Caused byFrench pension reform proposal
Economic and employment impacts of COVID-19
Proposed laws granting police greater powers and restricting civil liberties
GoalsLabor rights
Civil liberties
Methods
  • Strike action
  • Protest
  • Barricades
  • Blocking traffic
  • Disabling traffic
  • Offering free service
Parties
Lead figures

Jean-Luc Mélenchon
Left Party politician

Emmanuel Macron
President of France

The 2021 French labor protests were a series of protests and strikes organized by the General Confederation of Labour (France) (CGT), other trade unions, and French citizens dissatisfied with the country's economic and employment conditions in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. These were followed by protests against proposed laws that would give greater powers to police.[citation needed]

Three student unions – the National Union of Secondary Students, Mouvement national lycéen [fr], and Fédération indépendante et démocratique lycéenne [fr] – gathered [when?] to announce protests against the government's handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the resulting health, economic, and social consequences.[1][not specific enough to verify] They accused the government of making decisions which had negative impacts on employment and youth. Trade unions and other activist organizations decided to mobilize for protests in January and early February to call for job security, especially in the public service.[citation needed]

The first of these protests took place on Tuesday, 19 January 2021, in Marseille. Theatre actors gathered, expressing dissatisfaction with the month-long closure of theatres due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[2] On 20 January 2021, students from various parts of France gathered in Paris and several other cities chanting the slogan: "Defend living conditions and studies."[3] In Paris, on 21 January 2021, hundreds of people demonstrated in front of the Ministry of Health, waving posters that read: "Our struggle, your health", "Increase our salaries", and "Money for the hospital, not the capital". They pointed out the poor working conditions of "all medical, social, health and sanitation workers". Staff of hospitals and nursing homes were offered a salary increase of 183 Euros net minimum as part of the Ségur de la santé [fr] consultations with some health professionals, while other workers in the sector were "forgotten" even though "we have equivalent diplomas."[4]

On 23 January, workers from CGT and other worker unions, as well as workers at companies including Sanofi, Cargill, SKF, and General Electric, protested against layoffs; members of the yellow vests movement, along with left-wing parliamentarians including Left Party leader Jean-Luc Mélenchon, attended this protest.[5]

At the invitation of several yellow vests collectives and as part of mobilizations against proposed laws threatening civil liberties – the global security law proposal and the law enforcing respect for the principles of the republic [fr] (also known as the law "against separatism") – a united march for freedom was scheduled for Saturday, 23 January 2021, in Paris. The meeting began at 11:00 a.m. in front of the State Council and ended at noon at the Place du Palais-Royal. The convergence took place at 2:00 p.m. in front of the National Assembly.[citation needed]

On 31 January 2021, several thousand members of student associations and the LGBTQ community gathered in Paris to protest against poor educational and social conditions.[6]

The main rally organized by the CGT took place on 4 February 2021 in Paris and other cities across France. Participants came from across all social classes and industries.[7][1][not specific enough to verify] In Paris, protests by higher education unions, activists, and teachers saw minor incidents between police and protesters.[8]

Unions in Bordeaux chose 6 February 2021 for their own protest and national strike to demand pension reform. Several hundred people gathered on this occasion.[9]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b "Syndicat CGT du Conseil Départemental des Bouches-du-Rhône" (in French). Archived from the original on 22 January 2021. Retrieved 24 January 2021.
  2. ^ "Marseille : paroles de comédiens, à la rue la détresse du monde de la culture" [Marseille: words of actors taking to the streets, the cultural world in distress]. France 3 Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur (in French). 20 January 2021. Archived from the original on 31 January 2021. Retrieved 31 January 2021.
  3. ^ "Les étudiants appelés à manifester ce 20 janvier pour "défendre les conditions de vie et d'études"" [Students called to protest on 20 January to defend living conditions and studies]. Sortir à Paris (in French). 20 January 2021. Archived from the original on 20 January 2021. Retrieved 24 January 2021.
  4. ^ "Des milliers de professionnels de la santé dans la rue pour dénoncer leurs conditions de travail" [Thousands of health professionals take to the streets to denounce their working conditions]. France 24 (in French). 21 January 2021. Archived from the original on 3 February 2021. Retrieved 31 January 2021.
  5. ^ "Entre l'Assemblée nationale et le Medef, manifestation à Paris contre les licenciements" [Between the National Assembly and MEDEF, protest in Paris against layoffs]. France 24 (in French). 23 January 2021. Archived from the original on 29 January 2021. Retrieved 31 January 2021.
  6. ^ "Week-end de tensions en France entre les militants de l'égalité des droits et la Manif pour tous - TÊTU". tetu.com/ (in French). Retrieved 17 February 2022.
  7. ^ Federal Union of State Trade Unions (Union Fédérale des Syndicats de l'Etat) (1 February 2021). "Le 04 février : toutes et tous, ensemble, mobilisé-es" [4 February: everyone, together, mobilise!] (in French). Archived from the original on 3 February 2021. Retrieved 31 January 2021.
  8. ^ "Grève dans l'éducation nationale : " Il y a une vraie colère qui monte "". Le Monde.fr (in French). 26 January 2021. Retrieved 17 February 2022.
  9. ^ "Grève et manifestation à Bordeaux : Le point sur la journée du 6 février" [Strike and protest in Bordeaux: 6 February update]. Sud Ouest (in French). 6 February 2020. Archived from the original on 6 February 2021. Retrieved 7 February 2021.