PARIS Striking public service workers staged their biggestprotest yet across France on Tuesday, but Prime Minister Alain Juppesaid his bitterly disputed welfare reforms would go ahead.
Trade unions said between 1.7 million and 2 million protestersmarched throughout France to demand that Juppe, a conservative,abandon a plan for new taxes and health cost controls to wipe outdebt in the social security system. The government says the changesare vital to prepare France for single European currency in 1999.
The Interior Ministry, whose figures are traditionally on thelow end, said the crowds totaled 985,000.
Railway workers voted to continue a 19-day strike for at least24 hours to demand more concessions, despite Juppe's pledge topreserve a generous pension scheme for rail workers.
The Communist-led CGT union called for another day of massprotest Saturday to demand Juppe scrap his welfare reforms.
In the streets, demonstrators chanted "Juppe resign," "Scrapthe Juppe plan" and "Juppe, make the bosses pay."
CGT leader Louis Viannet told reporters at a Paris march: "Theonly aim now is the withdrawal of the Juppe plan."
Police said 100,000 people marched in the Mediterranean port ofMarseille. There were at least 50,000 in Bordeaux and Toulouse,piled high with garbage after sanitation workers joined the strike,and tens of thousands in Rouen, Rennes, Caen and Nice.
For the 19th day, there were no trains nationwide. Publictransport was at a standstill in Paris and provincial towns. Trafficjams clogged all roads to the capital.
Комментариев нет:
Отправить комментарий