PARIS — It started several weeks ago in refineries. Then it spread to nuclear power plants. And finally, on Tuesday, railway and postal workers, nurses, some teachers and even high school students across France, at least for the day, joined in a snowball strike that has become the biggest test of the second term so far. of President Emmanuel Macron.
The widening of the strike follows a major march against the rising cost of living held in Paris on Sunday, and it increases the pressure on Mr Macon’s government, which is already beleaguered in Parliament, where the opposition parties refuse to vote the budget.
Mr Macron is now working to quell the anger on three different fronts – in the factories, on the streets and in Parliament – before it turns into major social unrest. It could threaten his agenda, including controversial pension overhaul plans, as he seeks direction for his new term.
“It’s been five years since we faced cuts to our welfare system,” said Annie Dally, a 55-year-old schoolteacher, amid a loud and colorful union march that stretched for miles. meandering through Paris’ Left Bank on Tuesday.
Pointing to protesting student groups, immigrant groups, gay teachers, pensioners and workers from various unions, Ms Dally, wearing stickers demanding pay rises and early retirement, said: ‘We are all in the same fight.”
Initial strikes at refineries across the country left about a quarter of pumps across the country completely or partially dry. As Mr Macron promised the situation would return to normal this week, with his government issuing back-to-work orders and pushing unions and gas companies to negotiate, queues at petrol stations around Paris continued on Tuesday, adding to driver frustration. and other commuters.
Hotel owners have complained about canceled bookings and feared that if the strike continues any longer they will lose more bookings during the two-week All Saints holiday, which begins this weekend.
Oil workers’ initial call for wage increases to deal with rising inflation captured underlying concerns about the country’s economic inequality and rising bills for working families.
Mr Macon’s government has spent nearly 100 billion euros ($98 billion) since November to subsidize household and business energy bills, but inflation has driven up the costs of many basic goods in French supermarkets, from frozen meat to handkerchiefs.
Government officials have also given mixed messages about the strikes. While Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne told parliament Tuesday that “it is unacceptable that a minority continues to block the country”, declared the Minister of the Interior, Gérald Darmanin. recognized on the same day “a wage problem” in France and demanded wage increases.
The General Confederation of Labour, France’s second largest union, which led the strikes, said more than 150 protests took place across France on Tuesday. Many leftist politicians, wearing their red, white and blue sashes, joined them, seeking to exploit the social unrest to increase pressure on the government.
“A strike, a march, a demonstration,” said Alma Dufour, an MP from the far-left France Unbowed party, as she marched among protesters in Paris. “We have to maintain the momentum.”
Ms Dufour, who represents an area of Normandy where several refineries have been hit by strikes, said her party was considering contributing strike pay and organizing another march to keep the momentum going.
While striking left-wing politicians and union leaders have called for mass mobilization and said rising anger in the country reflects an “autumn of discontent”, Tuesday’s strike has caused less disruption in the capital than previously reported. didn’t fear him.
Many bus and train journeys were cancelled, but the scene at the bustling Saint-Lazare station in Paris did not seem more hectic than usual. On the contrary, the train staff available to answer questions outnumbered the commuters.
Bruno Verlay left his home three hours earlier than usual to make sure he was on time for his job as a security guard in the city’s financial district. But in the end, he found the trip uneventful.
“I’m so used to strikes,” said Mr. Verlay, 58, “I’m immune.”
Many high school students joined the protests, with students from Hélène Boucher high school in the east of the capital barricading themselves behind large green bins and holding signs decrying recent changes in education policy, warning that student lives have become more precarious or protesting police violence.
“More teachers, less cops!” they chanted Tuesday morning.
Tuesday’s strikes coincided with efforts this week by Mr Macron’s government to push its budget through parliament. The last legislative elections in June left Mr. Macron short of an absolute majority in the National Assembly, the lower and most powerful house of parliament.
Lawmakers are threatening to reject the spending bill. Mr Macron’s government is therefore likely to use special constitutional powers to push it through without a vote. Olivier Véran, the government spokesman, said he would “probably” do so on Wednesday.
Étienne Ollion, a sociologist at the Polytechnique engineering school and a specialist in French parliamentary life, said the mechanism, authorized by the 1958 French Constitution, was “a bit authoritarian”. Although the mechanism had been used 60 times since its introduction, he said, Mr Macron’s lack of a parliamentary majority and the current climate of social unrest could make it a trickier decision.
“It could have an effect on mobilisations,” Mr Ollion said, referring to strikes and protests, adding that protesters could see the use of the budget mechanism as “an attempt to avoid facing the reality of the situation”.
Using these constitutional powers would also allow opposition members to table motions of no confidence, which left and far-right groups in parliament have already promised to do.
But Mr Ollion said the risk of the government collapsing “is relatively limited” as the main centre-right opposition appear reluctant to join in and the left and far right appear unwilling to join. support each other.
The unions are also treading a fine line in their confrontation with the government. Polls suggest support for the strikes is falling, with growing numbers of French people across the country frustrated by their consequences, particularly drivers and people working in the hospitality industry.
Laurent Duc’s hotel in Lyon was down to 20% occupancy on Tuesday due to last-minute cancellations as people feared they wouldn’t be able to refuel or get there by train, he said .
“We have suffered so much in our industry over the past two years – we have been forced to close,” said Duc, who represents the country’s largest hotel association, including owners of hotels, restaurants, bars and cafes across the country.
“These people got all their salaries,” he said of the refinery workers. “I don’t know how I’m going to pay my staff.
Tom Nouvian contributed reporting from Paris.