The General strike on Tuesday will raise the protests of the yellow West to a new Level. For the first time, the trade unions involved in the walkout. Lisa Louis from Paris.
For nearly three months, the yellow block West, in France, the roundabout, and demonstrate every Saturday in cities across the country. But on Tuesday, the protests will get a new Dimension, through a General strike, the protesters will organize jointly with the trade unions. Could authorize either the country more radical, or all of the parties to the negotiating table.
Sassat Lerat since November in all of the Demos in Paris
The radical left-wing trade Union Confederation, the CGT, has called together with the yellow West to the strike. Other unions, such as FSU and solidaires have connected. In the Transport, health and education, the work is likely to come to a Standstill. The strike is designed for a period of 24 hours, the strike can, however, renew it. In addition, numerous demonstrations all over France are planned.
Ludovic Laplanche has strong hopes on the General strike
Now the workers ‘ organisations in the protests, is happy a lot of Yellow jackets. How Sassat Lerat, who participates since November in all of the Demos in Paris. “We can use all the support – finally, something Historic is happening here. This strike is a peaceful way to have our demands met,” says the 46-year-old kindergarten teacher from a Parisian suburb to the DW. Ludovic Laplanche, 32-year-old street sweeper in Troyes in northeast France, agrees. “In may 1968, the things have included only with the General strike travel – it’s all participate so that we achieve what we want.”
Not all unions do
The demands of the Yellow jackets are many and varied, and sometimes contradictory, as well as the political orientation of the protesters. But the change, believes Fabrice Angei, a Board member of the CGT. “The movement is now much more uniform than at the beginning. And they want to Interview the Same as we, for example, a higher minimum wage, higher pensions and an Expansion of unemployment insurance,” he explains in a DW. The joint strike action show that the yellow West need the trade unions to the workers.
Protests of the yellow West is in Nîmes
However, not all unions feel that they are in the yellow vests welcome. The CFDT, France’s largest employers ‘ organisation, is absent from the strike. The unions don’t answer to subpoenas, Mylène Jacquot, General Secretary of the CFDT-division for public service. “The yellow West, are demonstrating against the institutions of representative democracy, and to which we belong,” she says. “A protester wrote to me the other day: ‘We don’t like unions, but it is still your task to support us in this fight’. Since we don’t do that.” In addition, radical to the yellow West grew increasingly, and thus, the CGT wished to have nothing to do.
The protests of the yellow West roles since mid-November by France
Revolution or back to the traditional democracy?
In which direction is it due to the strike could go, observers are divided. Stephane Wahnich, a political scientist and head of the survey Institute, SCP Communications, thinks the strike could exacerbate the Situation. “The yellow West, which are now still left, are increasingly from the left – or right-wing corner. You can tell the mood at the demonstrations, which is extremely negative,” he says Interview at the DW. “If the radical left-wing CGT now associate with radical right-wing elements, could escalate even further with this and really dangerous for the French democracy, and the President of Emmanuel Macron.” Finally, many of the yellow called for the West to dissolve the Parliament and thus, the System to overturn.
Politi Lodge Stephane Wahnich sees the yellow the West, in the radicalism of drift
Bruno Cautrès, a political scientist at the research Institute Cevipof at the University of Science Po in Paris, believes, however, that the strike reduces the probability of a Revolution. The unconventional yellow West would find their way back to the traditional forms of expression of representative democracy, so in this case, to negotiate using the unions.
The have already emerged since a few weeks – also due to the fact that the yellow vests were increasingly organized on a traditional, for example, by a private security service in the demonstrations. “Now, when many participate in the strike, will calm down the Situation,” he says to DW.
In a the researchers, however, agree. The protests of the yellow West have been shattered and now the institutions of the French Republic to its foundations. And that will leave a mark. “It will be a before and an after the yellow West,” says Cautrès.