March 23 Strike: Schools, Refineries and Transport Disrupted… What to Expect?

STRIKE 23 MARCH. The protest against the pension reform has regained strength and the strike of March 23 promises to be very popular. What are the disruptions to be expected for this 9th day of mobilization?

[Updated March 22, 10:51 AM] The March 23 strike is to be a “new show of force”. These are the words of the secretary general of the CGT, Philippe Martinez in an interview with Le Monde on the eve of the ninth day of mobilization against the pension reform. Organized after the use of 49.3 and the rejection of motions of censure, this interprofessional strike “is important to show that we are not being impressed”. The inter-union dares to hope for a “very strong mobilization”, given the renewed strength of the protest movements in recent days.

Several sectors faithful to the days of mobilization since the beginning of the social movement have confirmed their participation in the strike of March 23, the SNCF and the RATP in the lead, alongside the refineries. However, the latter did not wait for the ninth act of the protest to move up a gear with, in particular, the shutdown of the TotalEnergie site in Gonfreville-l’Orcher, in Seine-Maritime, while all the other refineries have , at a minimum, suspended fuel deliveries. No improvements to be expected therefore this Thursday but on the contrary an extension of the blockages. National Education professionals should also be numerous to join the movement. What disturbances should we expect?

The renewable strike in the transport sector is entering its third week, but over the days the disturbances have become fewer and less disabling. The strike of March 23, however, will reconnect with real difficulties in getting around by train or public transport in cities. SNCF has warned that traffic will be “severely disrupted” in the Paris region and on the Transiliens lines without giving more details, but it’s a safe bet that the main lines will also be heavily affected. Train traffic forecasts are to be released this Wednesday at 5 p.m.

Same old story from the RATP, which announced on Tuesday that “very disrupted” traffic was to be expected for the day of March 23. Other regional transport networks could also be affected. In Nice, the Ligne d’Azur network is also announcing disruptions this Thursday and other companies could follow this example.

Airline, ports and truckers on strike on March 23?

In the transport sector, rail will not be the only area affected. In the air sector, too, disruptions are to be expected at airports since the USAC CGT union, which represents the staff of the General Directorate of Civil Aviation (DGAC) and air traffic controllers, filed a strike notice running from 20 to March 23. Two days before the mobilization, the DGAC requested the cancellation of 30% of flights at Orly and 20% at the airports of Lyon, Marseille and Toulouse.

On the port side, it was the CGT des Ports et Docks which called for a 3-day mobilization, between March 21 and 23. Finally, on the roads also motorists could be slowed down by blockages or snail operations. The CFDT FGTE but also the SUD-SOLIDAIRES Transports Routiers federation and the FO Transports and Logistics federation called for a strike on March 23.

The six metropolitan refineries have been on strike for several weeks, but several have hardened the mobilizations last weekend or at the start of the week. All have suspended fuel deliveries, but another lever can still be triggered and the TotalEnergie site in Gonfreville-l’Orcher (Seine-Maritime) passed this stage on March 21: the shutdown of production. Esso-ExxonMobil’s Normandy refinery is also close to shutting down production.

Prolonged refinery strikes are beginning to have visible effects on the supply of service stations with 12% of stations running out of at least one fuel. Because the refineries are not the only ones to see their functioning disrupted, the fuel depots are also taken hostage by the strikes and the expeditions are, for the most part, prevented.

Several education unions, including the main federations, the Snuipp-FSU and the Snes-FSU, have called for a strike this Thursday, March 23. It is very likely that teachers will join the movement, but in what proportion? Will schools be closed? In Paris, SNUipp-FSU said on Tuesday that at least 140 of the capital’s 645 primary schools will be closed. According to the first union of primary school teachers, 70% of teachers at the Paris Academy are expected to be on strike on Thursday March 23.

Teachers being forced to declare themselves strikers in primary schools at least two days in advance, parents of students will be able to make their arrangements, but the surprise will be total in colleges and high schools. In addition to classroom lessons, other school and extracurricular services such as the canteen, daycare center or crèches could also be affected this Thursday.

On Tuesday, the CGT Public Services voted to extend the strike until Monday, March 27. “The entire waste sector of the city of Paris: garbage collectors who are civil servants of the city of Paris, garbage collectors in the private sector and employees of incineration plants”, is concerned, specified the secretary general of the CGT federation of public services. , Natacha Pommet, which Le Figaro echoes. A decision which led to the activation, also on Tuesday, of a daily crisis unit by the mayor of Paris.