Historian Stéphane Sirot posits that labor unions could potentially spark a provocative momentum by inciting public discourse.
In a series of events that started on September 10th, France's labor organizations have shown their resilience and mobilization capabilities, rekindling the spirit demonstrated in the first half of 2023 against the Retirement Reform Bill. This resurgence led to the interunion action day on September 18th, which is considered a continuation of the September 10th events, despite some reservations from confederations like the CFDT.
The events on September 10th, initially a response to the "Block Everything" call that originated on social media, gathered a larger-than-predicted crowd. If we take the high estimate given by the supporting unions, the figures were comparable to those of the "Yellow Vests" movement. The call to "block everything" on September 10th, despite not initially being a mass movement, provided a starting point for the events on September 18th.
The interunion, which includes eight organizations (CGT, Solidaires, FSU, FO, etc.), advanced its action due to the buzz around September 10th. The then Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau, however, predicted that the call to "block everything" would be a failure. Contrary to his prediction, over 500,000 protesters are expected to participate in the interunion action day on September 18th, according to the Ministry of the Interior. Twice that number is expected to participate, according to the CGT.
The call to "block everything" on September 10th contributed to the success of the events on September 18th. On both days, an exceptional law enforcement maintenance device was used. France was not completely blocked on September 10th, but the disruption caused by the "Septemberist" movement disrupted the initial timeline of the interunion, which was leaning towards mobilization later in September or early October.
Several professional and territorial structures of organizations such as the CGT, Solidaires, FSU, and FO decided to occupy the digital public space on both September 10th and September 18th. The interunion action day on September 18th is different from the previous mobilization against the Retirement Reform Bill in many ways, but the persistent opposition to the Retirement Reform Bill remains.
Despite not achieving success in the past, the labor organizations are still mobilizing, suggesting a persistent opposition to the Retirement Reform Bill. The interunion action day on September 18th is considered as a continuation of the events from September 10th, despite some reservations from confederations like the CFDT. The events on September 18th are a testament to the resilience and determination of France's labor organizations in their fight against the Retirement Reform Bill.
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