BEIJING, Feb. 2 -- France's first nationwide strike since the eruption of financial crisis occurred on January 29, or last Thursday. Hundreds of thousands of angry and fearful workers took to the streets to voice concern and worries for their sagging living standards and great dissatisfaction with the government bailout plans.
Interviews in the French media with representatives in the protesting areas show that people have been saddened by President Sarkozy's performance during his 20-month presidency. "The majority of people in France are disappointed with the way Nicolas Sarkozy has handled his duties at the Elysee Palace," according to a poll by LH2 published in the "Liberation".
Eight big French unions had called for the general strike, which had halted virtually all services. Relevant statistics indicate that more than 200 protests or demonstrations took place in France on January 29, and union leaders said approximately 2.5 million people took to the streets on that day.
All French trade unions held a general strike to defend jobs, reduce inequality, retain buying power and called for equality public services. Protestors came from public transportation, school, hospital and mail serves as well as from banks, courts, museums and theaters, and employees from private firms also pitched in. Moreover, retirees and old workers joined the youth to show up signs or slogans in their opposition to the government.
Why could such a large-scale strike take place in France? As the financial crisis has worsening the socio-economic environment in France, citizens are seized with panic and their pessimism spreads far and wide across the nation, according to public opinions. A more profound, in-depth reason is that many French have turned uneasy and dissatisfied with Sarkozy's reform program "seeking to break out of the institutional impasse."
Objectively, global financial crisis has indeed produced an immense, negative impact on the French real economy, and quite a number of enterprises in France have cut their employment and some of them even gone bankrupt. A total of those unemployed came to 2.068 million by the end of November 2008, according to statistics issued by late last Nov. An economic forecast slated to be released by the European Commission in mid February predicts France's economic growth could fall to -1.8 percent in 2009, and estimates the nation's unemployment rate at 9.8 percent this year and 10.6 percent next year.
Nevertheless, it seams that the French government is so focused on the bank bailouts and the auto industry bailout to the neglect of the "work, employment and purchasing power," which have much to do with people's livelihood.
On the other hand, new (reform) deals carried out ever since Sarkozy came into power almost two years ago have failed to let people see any hopes. Instead, they are attempted to undermine the state welfare system and deprive French citizens of their vested interests. So, critics say that French nationals have felt wary of or disappointed with Sarkozy's hasty reform measures. Hence, a kind of intrinsic, "anti-Sarkozy" sentiments have brewed and come to the fore.
In the face of strong dissatisfaction let off by millions of ordinary citizens during protests, the French government cannot remain unmoved or impassive. To placate angry protestors, Sarkozy voiced his readiness to listen to them and have "dialogue" with them. However, he neither "lost his taste for reform," nor would retreat from it. The president's office disclosed last Thursday that Sarkozy was expected to have a televised address on February 5th concerning the economic crisis and government actions to respond to it. He was also said to confer possibly with union leaders on the economic vitalization plan and reform policies for implementation in 2009. The plan was worked out previously by both sides rather than temporary arrangements made afterwards due to the recent surging strike.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Francois Fillon would call a meeting of 23 ministers and the cabinet secretary on Tuesday to discuss an economic vitalization plan formulated in December 2008. And Patrick Devedjian, the newly-appointed French minister for Implementation of Economic Recovery Plan, disclosed that 1,000 projects covered by the plan would be launched shortly, and they are mainly related to infrastructures and industries to uplift the competitive power of enterprises.
Although the trade unions expressed their willingness to sit down and talk to the government, Bernard Thibault, the current secretary of the Confederation Generale du Travail (CGT), a French workers' union, nevertheless warned that another general strike cannot possibly be ruled out if the government does not work out substantial proposals and resort to concrete actions.
At the time when the French economy is plunged into a grave recession and complaints or resentment among people have soared to record levels, analysts acknowledged, strikes or protests can spread and even be turned into cases like recent "Greek youth violence" or "youth violence along Greek patterns", provided the French government does not take firm, resolute actions and communicate efficiently and effectively with common people.
By People's Daily Online and its author is PD resident reporter in France Li Yan
(Source: Peopledaily.com)
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment