LABOUR-FRANCE: Unions Protest Against Privatisation

By Julio Godoy Reprint | | Print |

Julio Godoy

PARIS, Oct 3 2002 (IPS) - An estimated 60,000 people demonstrated Thursday afternoon in Paris to protest against privatisation policies of the new right-wing government.

Many of the workers from state-owned companies carried banners that read: "French public services are not for sale." The demonstration by leading French marked the "reopening" of the autumn political season.

Many analysts say the new season will be marked by strikes and protests against what unions and opposition leaders call "reactionary" policies.

"Premier Round", ran a headline in the daily Libération as it announced the demonstration on Thursday. The newspaper suggested that this autumn will be the season for a boxing match between the government and unions.

Among the enterprises the French government says it wants to privatise are Gaz de France (GdF) and Electricité de France (EdF), the two monopoly gas and electricity companies, Air France and the railway company Société Nationale des Chemins de Fer (SNCF).

Unions and opposition leaders particularly oppose privatisation of GdF, EdF and SNCF, saying these enterprises are excellent public services.

"We don’t just sell electricity, we really help consumers in the whole country," said Karen, an operator working for both EdF and GdF. When consumers are in difficulty "we take care not to push people further into misery," she said.

Opposition leaders point out that 80 per cent of electricity consumed in France is generated by 57 nuclear power stations. "It is beyond belief that the security of 57 nuclear power stations can be placed in the hands of private enterprises," said Henry Emmanuelli of the Socialist Party.

Strong arguments were made at the demonstration also against privatisation of the SNCF. "When you see the miserable results of the privatisation of train transport in the United Kingdom, the numerous fatal accidents, you must agree that such a service must be held in public hands," said Henri Célie, regional leader of the union SUD Rail. The protest against privatisation was a reminder of the huge demonstrations in the autumn of 1995 that paralysed France for weeks, and forced the right-wing government then to abandon plans to reduce social services and change the state pension system.

Fear of provoking a similar crisis has led the new government to be cautious with its privatisation plans. Minister for the Economy Francis Mer met union representatives Thursday and told them that privatisation would be "at most a minor opening to private capital in the state enterprises." The state, he said, "will remain the major shareholder."

Prime minister Jean-Pierre Rafarin said Thursday his government "will manage the privatisation of state-owned enterprises at a pace that will not block French society." Rafarin called the demonstration "legitimate". Officials stressed that Rafarin and the minister for social affairs Francois Fillon have so far conducted a policy of dialogue with the unions to avoid 1995-style confrontations.

Such statements have not placated the unions and the opposition. Francois Hollande, leader of the Socialist Party, condemned government plans to increase the weekly working hours from 35 to 39. According to government’s plans, French workers will receive a 10 per cent supplementary payment for the four extra hours, instead of the 25 per cent set by labour laws valid until 1999.

"The government wants that French citizens work longer than before, but does not want that they earn more money in correspondence with their working hours," Hollande said.

The former Socialist-led government had reduced the weekly working hours from 39 to 35 and banned supplementary working hours in an attempt to force enterprises to hire more workers. Economists say that scheme created 200,000 new jobs.

The new government has also announced that it will not pursue the Socialist policy of state jobs for youth with low qualifications. That scheme introduced in 1997 by the former socialist government had created another 200,000 jobs. The two schemes brought unemployment down from around 12 per cent to 9 per cent.

Hollande says reversal of these policies would be economically counterproductive and socially irresponsible. "France is now suffering from the global economic downturn," he said. "At such a time the national government should push up local consumption to counter the negative effects of the global recession. What the French government does instead is to blindly follow an ideological position, regardless of consequences."

Unions have said they will not accept a longer working week. "The 35-hour working week is a social achievement," said Bernard Thibault, leader of the Confederation Générale des Travailleurs, the biggest French union. "We will fight to defend it."

LABOUR-FRANCE: Unions Protest Against Privatisation

By Julio Godoy Reprint | | Print |

Julio Godoy

PARIS, Oct 3 2002 (IPS) - An estimated 60,000 people demonstrated Thursday afternoon in Paris to protest against privatisation policies of the new right-wing government.
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