The opponents of the pension reform do not give up. While the government's bill received the green light from the Senate on Saturday, new days of protests are planned this week. Especially in the ports of France where the CGT called Monday for three days of work stoppage with a day "dead ports" in conclusion Thursday.

"We are not here to block the economy, we are here to obtain the withdrawal of the project," said Serge Coutouris, deputy secretary general of the CGT national federation of ports and docks, at a press conference in Martigues, near Marseille. "Thursday, throughout the day, nothing comes in and nothing leaves" the ports, he said, recalling that the CGT was in the majority in all the ports of France except Dunkirk.

Amplification of the fight

At his side, several representatives of the CGT of Bouches-du-Rhône, and in particular the general secretary of the union in the department, Olivier Mateu, promised an "amplification" and a "diversification" of the movement against the pension reform, especially if the government used article 49.3 of the Constitution to have it adopted. "It is up to the government to keep things in a republican and democratic framework, if there is 49.3, inevitably it will change the conditions of the conflict," said Olivier Mateu: "If the government uses 49.3, there will be no rule for anyone."

Olivier Mateu also welcomed the "renewable strike of employees" of Fluxel, operators of the Fos and Lavéra, oil terminals, which provide the connection between oil tankers and their customers at the port. "If we had one piece of advice for the government, it would be to withdraw the reform as soon as possible, and if we had one piece of advice to give to comrades who get up in the morning to go to work, it is to refuel, because it will not last forever," he said.


The government is chasing votes in the Assembly to succeed in passing its bill without recourse to section 49.3 of the Constitution. The negotiations will continue on Wednesday, a new day of mobilization in the streets, in a joint committee (7 deputies and 7 senators), in the hope that the National Assembly and Senate will fall on an agreement, which will then have to be validated Thursday.

  • Pension reform 2023
  • Strike
  • Society
  • Port
  • CGT