GERMAN RAIL WORKERS STRIKE

RMTnews :: november 2007 :: www.rmt.org.uk 24 A ll eight unions representing France’s rail workers have launched massive strike action against the right-wing government’s plan to abolish retirement provisions, writes Jeff Apter in Paris. The latest action is even more powerful than the first 24-hour stoppage in October. National rail traffic and urban transport networks in Paris and cities and towns throughout France have been brought to a standstill. The seven transport unions at the Paris city transport system (RATP) called the action “unprecedented” as it involved all grades of operational, administrative and managerial staff. Reiterating their opposition to the plan, they resolved to “organise a longer dispute” if the government did not step back. Metro, tram, gas, electricity and workers in other industries benefiting from threatened retirement provisions also strongly supported the action. Hundreds of demonstrations have taken place all over France bringing together over 300,000 people. Employees in several industries working in dangerous jobs and or having to work unsocial hours benefit from the longstanding retirement arrangements in place since the end of World War Two. On the railways, train drivers can retire on full pension at 50 and other rail workers at 55 as long as they have made national insurance contributions for 37.5 years. The government is seeking to raise the number of years of contributions for a full pension to 41 years by 2012, sparking the country’s biggest strike movement for 12 years. It is President Nicolas Sarkozy’s first major confrontation with the trade unions since being elected in May. In 1995, France was paralysed by a three-week rail union-led stoppage that compelled the then President Jacques Chirac to withdraw similar pensions cuts. After the latest strike, Minister of Labour Xavier Bertrand offered to meet the unions again but said the government would not change its plans. CGT trade union federation general secretary Bernard Thibault, formerly general secretary of the CGT rail workers’ union who famously led the successful 1995 transport strike, questioned what was the point of a new meeting if the government planned to make the cuts. A meeting of all eight unions decided unanimously on a further day of action “in mid-November” if no significant movement from the government is forthcoming. CGT rail general secretary Didier Le Reste confirmed the unions’ continuing anger and hostility to the government’s measures. “More than three-quarters of all rail employees stopped work in the strike – six per cent more than in the spontaneous movement in 1995. “We are resolved to continue the fight against the government’s intention to increase in the number of years of national insurance payments to be able to retire on a full pension and against indexing pensions to price rises rather than to salary increases”, he said. He reiterated the CGT rail union’s demand for a round table conference bringing together the government, employers and all unions affected by the cuts. Seven civil and public servants’ unions also held a day of action on November 20 over low pay and job cuts. FRENCH RAIL WORKERS’ STRIKE FOR PENSION RIGHTS CONFRONTATION: French President Nicolas Sarkozy confronted by a CGT union representative during a surprise visit in a maintenance site of the national rail operator SNCF in Saint-Denis, north of Paris, following strikes against pension cuts.