Pensions: strike in refineries, among dock workers and electricians from this Thursday

The idea is to attract even more people. Ahead of the national day on January 31 against pension reform, the CGT is calling for a resumption of the strike this Thursday at refineries, power plants, and ports and docks.

Emmanuel Macron’s reform, which is opposed by all trade unions and which will go to parliament on Monday, will lead to the abolition of special regimes in the EDF or Engie (ex-GDF Suez). Their employees, for example, will also have to wait 64 years in the long run to retire.

On January 31, at the call of all trade unions, the strike will affect all sectors: schools, civil servants, transport, services … But in the energy sector, the CGT wants to show its muscles and organize additional strikes.

Among electricity and gas producers, production cuts from nuclear power plants and dams should be expected from this Thursday, Fabrice Coudour, federal secretary of the FNME-CGT, warned. But they should not cause interruptions in the power supply of the population, as they are under the supervision of the dispatcher of high and extra high voltage lines RTE.

Positive actions and blocking

“Positive” actions are also planned on the menu for these two days of mobilization, a la Robin de Bois: expect free, price cuts, a shorter working day and the restoration of electricity for cut down households to offset the reproaches raised after the announcement of “targeted cuts” , in particular elected officials who support the reform.

However, as of Wednesday wind and solar power plants in the Montlucon sector have seen cutbacks, according to the CGT. As always, Enedis will file a complaint. “We don’t want (any) lockdowns that would punish all French people and we won’t accept any threats,” Labor Secretary Olivier Dussaud told the Senate Wednesday, speaking of “crime” more than “political or militant action.” “.

CGT Oil, for its part, wants “a little tougher move,” said Thierry Defresne, CGT committee secretary for TotalEnergies Europe. “I don’t like the term ‘lockdown’, but we think a general strike is necessary to affect the economy,” he added, adding that he sees it as the only way to “roll back the government,” as opposed to a 24-hour movement stretched out over time. At refineries, plant shutdowns are not on the agenda, but, as with the January 19 strike, fuel supplies to depots will be blocked with the usual slogan: “nothing in, nothing out.” .

“Recruit More Strikers”

Oil companies are also planning local actions with port infrastructure workers, with whom joint events can be organized. The CGT Federation of Ports and Docks did indeed call for a 24-hour strike this Thursday, during which it “calls on dock workers and dock workers to step up their methods of action.” Otherwise, CGT Petrole indicates a new day of action, which will be tied to January 31, the day before or the day after tomorrow.

The CGT wants to “engage even more strikers (…) and show that we own the working tool,” commented Fabrice Coudour, Federal Secretary of the FNME-CGT. “This is a dynamic that we need and that the union does not offer at the moment, we are in the process of creating it,” said Thierry Defrain from the TotalEnergies Europe committee, who hopes employees will follow this momentum.