FRANCE: Trade Unions join forces for traditional May Day demonstrations in Paris

Record ID: 699629

  • Title: FRANCE: Trade Unions join forces for traditional May Day demonstrations in Paris
  • Date: 2nd May 2010
  • Summary: (SOUNDBITE) (French) RETIRED DEMONSTRATOR SAYING: "I am lucky to be retired already, that is for sure, but I am complaining with all my heart for those who will retire later, because the attacks against us are to such a degree, as you can see in the rest of Europe, that they want to achieve retirement at 67, or even 70 officially, because they are looking already at a law envisaging that. So we can see what is waiting for the next generation." CROWD OF PROTESTERS MARCHING (SOUNDBITE) (French) DEMONSTRATOR SAYING: "To defend workers' rights. To defend the rights of those without papers and to defend proper social rights for French workers."
  • Embargoed: 17th May 2010 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: France
  • Country: France
  • Topics: Domestic Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVAA5W3YILOPJOYA15L8DKP43D4O
  • Story Text: With a lot of noise and a lot of colour, the major French trade unions joined forces for traditional May 1 rallies in Paris on Saturday under a barrage of flags, banners and whistles.
    The workers' unions were looking to turn the traditional workers' day into a nationwide protest against pensions reform and unemployment.
    One retired man said he was marching to defend the rights of future generations.
    "I am lucky to be retired already, that is for sure, but I am complaining with all my heart for those who will retire later, because the attacks against us are to such a degree, as you can see in the rest of Europe, that they want to achieve retirement at 67, or even 70 officially, because they are looking already at a law envisaging that. So we can see what is waiting for the next generation," he said.
    The French government will be looking carefully at the turnout across France to try to gauge the public mood.
    Sarkozy's centre-right UMP party was badly beaten in regional elections in March, punished by voters for a weak economy and rising unemployment, which has topped 10 percent.
    While France has actually fared better than most of its neighbours in the economic downturn, the government has failed to sell that message amid internal strife and bickering over flagship policies such as tax and pension reform.
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