PARIS, Nov 10, Anastasia Ivanova In Paris on Thursday an intersectoral demonstration is underway to call on trade unions to demand higher wages, a correspondent reports from the scene.
Throughout France on November 10, at the call of the leading French trade union, the General Confederation of Labor (CGT), interprofessional strikes are taking place demanding higher wages and their indexation to inflation. Other trade unions also participate — Workers' Power (FO), the Unitary Federation of Trade Unions (FSU), the National Union of Autonomous Trade Unions (Unsa) and Solidarity (Solidaires). Against the backdrop of strikes, mass demonstrations are taking place in Paris and other French cities. In connection with the strike on Thursday, the work of the metropolitan metro and surface transport was severely disrupted, as well as disruptions are observed in the work of suburban and regional trains. .
According to the correspondent's observation, workers of various types of transport, energy, food industry, trade, education and healthcare, representatives of various trade unions and associations, pensioners, supporters of the «yellow vests» movement and student organizations are participating in the demonstration. The protesters are demanding higher wages and pensions amid rampant inflation.
The demonstration is under strict police control.
«Our main demand is higher wages and a reassessment of the minimum wage and pensions. As for fighting the crisis, to date, all the government has done is allocate money to companies and shareholders. However, no one has indexed wages for ordinary workers due to high inflation. We really need these allowances, «said a representative of the CGT trade union in a conversation with A representative of one of the student organizations told the agency that students also need social benefits, as they «have nothing to buy food, pay rent for an apartment and pay electricity bills, while the authorities are doing nothing.»