Pension reform: which sectors are affected by the general strike of March 23?

Last Thursday, March 16, Elisabeth Borne mobilized article 49.3 of the Constitution to definitively adopt the pension reform without a vote of the Assembly. While the reform still has to go through the Constitutional Council, a new day of mobilization is organized on Thursday, March 23. This new episode of demonstration was scheduled following the Prime Minister’s announcement. Indeed, Catherine Perret, confederal secretary of the CGT, spoke about future mobilizations. Broadcast live by BFMTV, Catherine Perret announced that the inter-union “calls for local union rallies this weekend” and a new day of national mobilization on Thursday March 23. Many public sector unions therefore remain mobilized.

On the weekend of March 18, in addition to local mobilizations, some sectors were already renewing the strike. The TotalEnergies refinery in Normandy, the largest in the territory, was blocked from Saturday to challenge the pension reform and the successive decisions of the government. Other departmental refineries were also blocked. These blockages since March 7, the sixth day of mobilization, have led to a visible fuel shortage in several departments, particularly in the Bouches-du-Rhône. Consult our slideshow below to find out which ones continue to be mobilized.

Since March 7, all sectors have joined the strike and protest movement against the pension reform. Among them, we find rail and air transport, refineries, and garbage collectors. While the two motions of censure tabled in the Assembly in response to the eleventh use of 49.3 were rejected, the unions remain hopeful. They intend to mobilize until the deletion of the text. But, what is the government’s response?

Tuesday, March 21, Emmanuel Macron brought together the parliamentarians of his camp at the Elysée Palace. According to the comments reported by FranceInfo from a participant in this meeting, the president would have mentioned the protest movements. “The crowd that demonstrates has no legitimacy in the face of the people who express themselves through their elected officials” he would have pronounced. Moreover, many sectors will still be well mobilized tomorrow.

Discover in our slideshow below the sectors concerned by this ninth day of general strike.