| French Workers Strike against Cuts |
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| Written by Charles Frederick |
| Monday, 29 March 2010 06:03 |
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PARIS, France, Mar. 24 — Nearly 650,000 workers once again took to the streets to protest attempts by the conservative government of Nicolas Sarkozy to impose massive job cuts and “reform” of the retirement pension system. This came three days after Sarkozy’s UMP party was handily beaten in local elections by the Socialists, and five days after nearly 3 million workers walked out in protest across France. The four main unions in France are demanding that the government abandon plans to both lengthen the time it takes to receive a full pension and reduce the overall amount. This “reform” would reduce pensions by between 20 and 25 percent for future retirees. The unions are also demanding that job cuts through attrition be ended immediately. Finally, the striking unions are also asking for direct government assistance for workers to survive the current economic crisis in France. The French economy is following in the footsteps of the U.S., with falling production and spiraling unemployment resulting from banking speculation over the last decade. |
United Communist Press Association