Demonstrations on Tuesday for wages and pensions

"It's a return match against the pension reform," assured CGT leader Sophie Binet this week. "We can obtain its repeal, that's what Michel Barnier's statement shows, the balance of power is on our side," she judged on France Info.

In his first television interview a week ago, the Prime Minister said he was ready to "improve" the highly controversial reform that raised the retirement age to 64.

The CGT, the second largest union in France, had called at the end of August to join the mobilization initiated by the inter-union of retirees to demand in particular "the repeal of the pension reform, the increase of salaries and pensions, equality between women and men, the financing of our public services".

The Paris demonstration, which will start from Place Denfert-Rochereau at 14:00 p.m. towards the Bastille, was initially due to coincide with the presentation of the budget to the Assembly, which was ultimately postponed.

It will take place just before the Prime Minister's general policy speech at 15:00 p.m., which will set the course for his policy while many social issues (unemployment insurance, employment of seniors, in particular) have remained pending.

Low mobilization?

This first mobilization of the new school year could, however, prove to be quite weak, a union source confided to AFP on condition of anonymity, referring to "feedback from the field (which) is not good."

On Sunday, the CGT counted 179 gathering places (for comparison, the union counted more than 200 on May 1st and 250 during the last day of mobilization against the pension reform in June). CGT and Sud Rail (Solidaires) are calling on railway workers to strike.

SNCF announced on Sunday "normal" traffic for TGVs and slight disruptions for certain regional and Intercités trains.

In an interview published Sunday evening by Le Parisien, Sophie Binet estimated that "there is enormous democratic and social anger in the country, with the feeling of having been cheated in the last elections."

"Worried" after her meeting with Michel Barnier, the union leader told the press on Wednesday that she had "had no response on social issues".

Solidaires (non-representative) also joins the marches in "concrete reaction to the result of the European and legislative elections". To combat the extreme right, it is necessary to respond to "social anger that has persisted for years", argues co-delegate Murielle Guilbert.

Several youth organisations, including the Student Union, UNEF, FIDL and the High School Union will also be mobilised.

The fact remains that the union front is no longer united this time: unlike the mobilisation for purchasing power last year or the united battle against pension reform, the CFDT, FO, CGE-CGC, CFTC and Unsa refused to join the mobilisation on Tuesday.

"It is not the CFDT's habit to say 'because there is a return to school, there is a mobilization'," argued the organization's number 2, Yvan Ricordeau.

Before a major demonstration, "we need to manage to mobilise companies and administrations between the Prime Minister's general policy statement and before the parliamentary debate on pensions (on 31 October, Editor's note)", believes FO leader Frédéric Souillot, interviewed by AFP.

"Demonstrating on the day the Prime Minister makes his general policy speech is still a little complicated," CFTC leader Cyril Chabanier said on France Info on Monday evening. "We will listen (...) and if we see that things are not going in the right direction, we will not rule out the possibility of mobilizing," he warned.