BLACK THURSDAY

Thursday 29th January, a large national movement took place in Lille and in the whole France in order to protest against the government's way of doing politics and also the way he is trying to deeply change the France society with all the measures voted by the parliement. Indeed, most of French Trade Unions called their employees in National Train Company, from the Ministry of National Education and employees from public and private company... to strike on the 29th January 2009.

Their demands are :

• to defend the public and private employment,
• to fight against precariousness, social and economical problems,
• to ask for some political measures guaranting a level of salary which is enough for employees, retired and students to afford the cost of life,
• to defend the National Health System,
• to improve the quality of Public Services which is necessary to answer to social needs and the lack of solidarity.

I was demonstrating on Thursday, I think it is necessary to react now against how the government is shaping our society. If we are not able to unite and have the same demands, we are going to lose some of our social gains and I am afraid to say goodbye to our Welfare State which is an important security for solidarity in France and to say hello to a State based on the economic liberalism doctrine.

Here is a video of the demonstrations with two small subtitled interviews

You can find here an article from the Times, to have a view of Thursday's strike from abroad.


Here are some figures from the French newspaper Le Monde of the number of people in the streets :

• France : 1 million from police, 2,5 million from Trade Unions;
• Paris : 65 000 from police, 300 000 from Trade Unions;
• Lille : 26 000 from police, 35 000 from Trade Unions.

Just click here for more figures...

As a student I feel concerned by some reforms of this government because they are directly changing the Education field in which I want to work in the near future. Competitive examinations rules are changed, for example you need to have a Master 1 today in order to be a teacher in secondary education but I think this only the first steps to deeper reforms in the way the State will recruit future teachers.
Many things can be said about those State measures but they are all leading to the establishment of a new French model which is good for the country as the government says...

BUT IS CHANGING NECESSARILY POSITIVE ?