Version imprimableOnce again, Emmanuel Macron made his total contempt for the working classes clear in his speech. he started by saying “Is this reform accepted? Obviously not.”
But obviously he has no problem treating this refusal with contempt, against all democratic evidence, and spouting off about other subjects: talking about health when he has contributed to destroying the health system, about price rises when he refuses to increase incomes at the samle level as inflation, about unemployment when he is destroying unemployment insurance, about sharing wealth when under his reign inequalities have continued to increase and the CAC 40 to gorge itself. And of course, as all illegitimate governments do, he talks about insecurity, immigration, and strengthens the repressive forces. Elected with a minority of votes, a minority in the Assembly, a minority in public opinion, this government makes full use of police repression to push through its policies.
But we are not fooled. Tens of thousands of people demonstrated or made noise this Monday night against Macron and his pension reform. [1] And of course, repression is already underway to try to silence spontaneous demonstrations tonight.
It is the anger of the world of work that we are hearing. We have to keep it alive. In the coming days, we will continue to be active, to fight against Macron and his pension reform. Like the railway workers’ organizations who are calling for a strike on Thursday 20 April, we encourage all the initiatives that go in this direction, but also all the struggles that could take advantage of the weakening of power to win local or sectoral victories, on wages, hiring, etc.
We also welcome the fact that Attac has called a meeting of all the organisztions of the social and labour movement, unions, associations and parties. For our part, we will propose a big march towards the Elysée, on 1 May or on another date, against Macron and his counter-reform, and for another society.
Montreuil, Monday 17 April 2023
