Thousands of people in France demonstrated against the high cost of living and inaction against climate change

Thousands of people demonstrated in Paris Sunday vs. high cost of livingin full social tension after a three-week strike at oil refineries that caused a shortage of gasoline in the country.

The demonstration was called by left-wing parties and supported by hundreds of associations seeking to keep up the tensions created by the strike at oil refineries owned by the TotalEnergies group.

The main aim was to draw attention to the plight of workers facing rising costs of living (inflation was 5.6% y/y in September) and to criticize the lack of political action against changing of the climate.

“We’re going to have a week that you don’t see that often,” Jean-Luc Mélenchon, leader of the radical leftist La France Insumisa party, said.

Several unions declared a national day of strike on Tuesday, which is expected to affect road and rail transport, as well as the public sector.

“Everything fits. We started with this march, which is a huge success,” Mélenchon said with satisfaction.

According to the organizers, 140,000 people took part in the demonstration. The police, on the other hand, estimated that there were 30,000 people there.

Some protesters wore yellow vests, a symbol of the 2018 anti-government protests that challenged President Emmanuel Macron’s government.

According to a journalist from AFPthe rally proceeded without major clashes, although there were scuffles between the demonstrators and the police.

“Unacceptably”

The protest comes two days after French energy giant TotalEnergies announced an agreement to raise wages (7% plus bonuses) with the two largest unions representing the workforce of its four oil refineries in France.

But the CGT union, known for its militancy, refused to accept him, demanding a 10 percent surcharge, and its members continue to picket.

Public Accounts Minister Gabriel Attal assured on Sunday that the continuation of the strike, which caused fuel shortages across the country, was “unacceptable”.

“Obviously there is the right to strike, but at some point the country has to be able to function,” he said in an interview with various French media outlets.

This week the strike was called off at two refineries of the Esso-ExxonMobil group in Francethanks to a wage deal reached on Tuesday and under pressure from an executive determined to take control of the factories so activities can resume.

About a third of gas stations in the country suffer from supply problems, especially around Paris and in the north of the country.

Many companies have cut travel and delivery, and even emergency vehicles are facing supply issues.

huge benefits

TotalEnergies made over $10 billion in profits in the first half of 2022, thanks in part to rising energy prices.

Many French people sympathize with workers calling for higher wages, but according to a poll released on Friday, only 37% of French people support strikes.

Nobel Prize in Literature 2022, Frenchwoman Annie Ernault and 60 other public figures from the world of art and culture called to join the Sunday march in a joint letter.

The scale of protests and strikes in the coming months could affect the government’s ability to push through the controversial pension reform.

Macron, who was re-elected in April, wants to raise the retirement age, which is currently 62, to bring France into line with other European countries. But trade unions and left parties are categorically against this change.

(According to AFP)