French strikes leave both unions and government claiming victory

[pampango]

Source: The Guardian



Estimates from public sector put attendance at 3 million while interior ministry claims 997,000 people took to the streets.

At the end of a day in which transport links and public services throughout the country were disrupted by demonstrations against plans to raise the retirement age from 60 to 62, the biggest CGT union declared that 3 million people had turned out to vent their wrath at Sarkozy's pensions system shake-up. Their allies at the CFDT, meanwhile, put the figure at 2.9 million.

According to several opinion polls, the strike is supported by the majority of the French public, with a Viavoice poll published in Libération today showing 63% of respondents declaring themselves to be "on the side" of the protests. More generally, the poll said 45% of people were "revolted" by France's current socio-economic situation.

Some observers have said many protesters are turning out to voice their anger at a rightwing government perceived as pandering to the rich and too willing to make the poor suffer the consequences of a recession brought on by banking excesses.

Read more: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/sep/23/france-strikes-unions-government-victory

[Mass]

1. As usual, However, all numbers I have seen in the French media show that French people oppose

massively the reform.