Faced with the requisitions drawn up by the government to counter the strike in the oil industry, the CGT is preparing to fight back and is betting on an extension of the movement in favour of wage increases, despite the discontent of part of public opinion.
“There are many conflicts in this country (…), we call on employees (…) to go on strike and amplify the mobilizations in the coming days,” said Wednesday evening the secretary general of the CGT, Philippe Martinez, who came to support the striking employees of ExxonMobil in Notre-Dame-de-Gravenchon (Seine-Maritime).
The leader of France’s second largest trade union announced the filing on Thursday of a summary appeal against the requisition of four employees in this refinery.
According to Céline Verzeletti, Confederal Secretary of the CGT, a national interprofessional strike day could be announced on Thursday and take place “as early as next week”.
A meeting of federation leaders was held Wednesday afternoon at CGT headquarters to coordinate the CGT response, followed Thursday morning by a meeting with all departmental unions.
Philippe Martinez referred Wednesday evening to the ongoing strike of employees responsible for maintenance in nuclear power plants and added that the railway workers were “discussing modalities.
He also welcomed the fact that FO, the fourth largest union among TotalEnergies refining employees, had joined the strike.
“This strike must spread,” said Emmanuel Lépine, secretary general of the Fnic-CGT (national federation of chemical industries) on social networks.
“The requisitions put the fire to the powder,” said Benoît Martin (CGT Paris), during a rally that brought together Wednesday evening on the square of the City Hall of CGT, FO, Solidaires and many political leaders of the left including Jean-Luc Mélenchon.
– The opinion, divided –
On the other hand, there is little chance that the CFDT or the CFTC will join the movement, both of which disassociated themselves this weekend from the strikes at TotalEnergies, which they described as “preventive”.
Reformist” trade union officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, emphasize the internal issues underlying the conflict, the Federation of Chemistry, opposed to the line of Philippe Martinez, having at heart, according to them, to score points with the militants a few months before the Congress of the CGT, scheduled for 2023.
“This movement has been driven by the workers. I would dream that there is a button where we press to trigger the strikes,” sweeps Amar Lagha, of the CGT Commerces.
If the Montreuil plant did not start or even see the movement coming – “maybe we didn’t think it would take off like that”, says Mrs. Verzeletti-, it is now determined to mount the horse and go into battle.
“We’re going to accelerate our mobilization process,” the union leader says.
Many union activists will be present, as she is, at the demonstration “against the high cost of living” organized by the Nupes on Sunday, before perhaps the organization of a joint day of the left-wing parties and the unions, later.
Doesn’t the CGT fear that these strikes and demonstrations will alienate the French people, many of whom are fed up with the difficulties of filling up? “Of course when you stand in line for an hour at the gas station you’re pissed. But the question of wealth sharing is on everyone’s mind
world”, answers Mrs. Verzeletti.
According to an Elabe poll for BFMTV, a small majority of French people approve of the mobilization of TotalEnergies and ExxonMobil employees (42% approve, 40% disapprove, 18% are indifferent).
For the political scientist Dominique Andolfatto, the CGT “knows that it cliques”. But she is “probably making the calculation that this is pretty positive for her”, especially “with respect to her base and supporters”.
A minister sees the CGT playing a “political game” with regard to Sunday’s demonstration. She does not “participate” but “thinks that in the social climate, it is good to light wicks”.
