If about Emmanuel Macron he believed that universal time would become his ally and bring him a quick victory over them. unions in the great battle for reform in pensionyesterday’s snapshots from the array demonstrations in dozens of French cities, they must have disappointed him. Hundreds of thousands of citizens took to the streets on the second day of the strike since January 19, when more than a million protesters demanded the cancellation of the government’s plan to raise the retirement age from 62 to 64 while extending the Social Security payment period. contributions.

Public transport, refineries, energy companies, schools, hospitals and state media were the areas where the impact of the strike was felt the most. Yesterday, only one in three high-speed trains (TGV) and even fewer suburban and regional trains were running, while the picture was similar in the Paris Metro. Total Energies has announced that 55% of morning shift workers are on strike, and unions have reported that one in two teachers is out of work.

Despite government expectations, the wave of strikes continues to support all trade unions, from the most moderate to the most radical, the CGT. According to Laurent Berger, head of the largest trade union federation CFDT, the turnout of yesterday’s strikes and demonstrations was “as good if not better than January 19, a clear signal to the government.” Various components of the Left also came out on a common front in yesterday’s demonstrations, with Defiant France leader Jean-Luc Mélenchon declaring from Marseille, where he took part in a local strike demonstration, that “this is a historic day, a form of citizen revolt” and to announce the introduction proposals to the National Assembly to hold a referendum.

According to public opinion polls, the majority of French citizens support strikes and oppose raising the retirement age from 62 to 64 years.

On Monday, the French president appeared determined to press ahead with the reform, calling it “essential” to save a welfare system that is under pressure from rising life expectancy and an aging population. The government of Prime Minister Elizabeth Bourne calculated that the wave of strikes would not last long as the opportunities for workers to lose wages diminished in the face of rising inflation and that public opinion would grow impatient with the impact of strikes on the daily lives of citizens. . However, opinion polls show that the majority of French people continue to reject the reform and support the strikes.

bra de fer with trade unions is becoming even more difficult for Emmanuel Macron, since after last year’s elections he no longer has a majority in the National Assembly, where the largest opposition groups – the left “Popular Unity” Mélenchon and the far-right National Coalition of Marine Le Pen – they reject reforms . The ruling faction hopes to pass the controversial bill with the votes of the center-right Republican Party, which, however, have not yet announced this. The government estimates that by raising the retirement age and extending the contribution period, it will raise an additional €17.7 billion annually, the amount needed to save the pension system. However, unions oppose other ways to cover the deficit, such as taxing wealth and increasing contributions from employers and highly paid workers.