Thursday: Millions march in France against pension cuts

[Hannah Bell]

Millions of workers and students took to the streets across France Thursday to protest final approval by the National Assembly of President Nicolas Sarkozy’s pension “reform” bill. The French economy was still crippled by gasoline shortages due to ongoing refinery and port strikes...

The demonstration had overwhelming popular support, with 65 percent of the population approving it, according to the most recent Le Parisien poll. The Sarkozy government, on the other hand, has fallen in recent polls to a record low 29 percent approval rating...

Both private- and public-sector workers struck. Strikes hit air transport, with 50 percent of flights cancelled at Paris Orly Airport and 30 percent cancelled at the remaining metropolitan airports. Public transit was also affected by the strike movement. Workers at the national railway company (SNCF) and the Paris region railway system (RATP) walked out. According to company figures, four in ten regional trains did not run.

The CGT-Energy union said striking workers at France’s electricity monopoly EDF cut energy production by roughly 6,250 megawatts. It suggested strike action would continue, stating: “The two methane terminals at Fos are still out of operation… There is no doubt that, whatever form they decide on, workers will continue to mobilize against the pension bill. On many sites, plans to continue action are already organized.”

Workers at four of the country’s twelve refineries continue to block fuel shipments, and five of the six domestic refineries of French oil firm Total remain on strike.


http://www.wsws.org/articles/2010/oct2010/fran-o29.shtml

[sabrina 1]

1. Love the French. They won't stop until that rightwing moron

who is beholden to his Global masters, is gone. The next Government there will be a Liberal government and his laws will be rescinded.

They take their democracy seriously.

The head of the EU had the nerve to tell leaders of European countries that they 'should not listen to their people regarding 'austerity' programs. THAT has incensed the people of every country there and there are now calls for countries to get out of the EU.

The EU is attacking Social Programs just as is about to happen here, AFTER the election because our cowardly representatives didn't have the guts to do it before.

I hope Europe continues to show their treasonous rulers who they work for. It seems that in many Democracies, the leaders have had a lapse of memory regarding how Democracy works. Thanks to the French, Icelanders, Greeks and the people of Spain among others, they are being reminded.

Here of course, we make excuses for the destruction of Democracy depending on which team is doing it.

[WinkyDink]

3. The EU is another attempt at Fascism and dissolving the social programs of the West.

And some people still don't believe there is a cabal at the top.

[blindpig]

2. Back from the grave....

The Left lives!

[maryf]

4. Yay!!

K&R