Jan. 19, 2023 (EIRNS)—An estimated one million French citizens took to the streets today to protest the Macron government’s proposed pension reform, which, among other provisions, would raise the retirement age from 62 to 64. The strike paralyzed public services, transportation, and railroads, and shut down schools in cities and towns across France.
Today’s action is only the first of several planned for coming days, with the backing of all eight of France’s union federations. Another strike has been announced for Jan. 31, but there is talk of protests before then, on Jan. 23, when the pension reform is to be presented to the Council of Ministers. Oil refinery workers also are planning a strike, either at the end of January or the beginning of February.
In the U.K., tens of thousands of nurses, affecting 55 National Health Service (NHS) hospitals across the country, began a 48-hour strike yesterday to demand higher pay. On Feb. 6, nurses will strike again, this time with ambulance drivers. The Royal College of Nurses (RCN) has been demanding a 17.9% wage increase to compensate for the fact that the salary of an experienced nurse has collapsed by 20% since 2010.
Hospitals are understaffed already, and many nurses are leaving the profession, due to the terrible working conditions. But the government of conservative Prime Minister Rishi Sunak demands that nurses accept an April 2022 deal of a 1,400-pound annual pay increase, which amounts to about a 4% pay hike—while inflation stands at 14%.
As a sign of good will, the RCN recently lowered its pay increase proposal to just 10% to urge the government to come to the negotiating table. Health Secretary Steve Barclay responded that there is no money for any additional pay increase, but then proposed to audit the NHS’s already bare bones budget to see what might be cut to come up with 2-3 billion pounds to cover a 2022-2023 salary deal. The Sunak government is also moving forward with draconian anti-strike legislation. [crr]
