STRIKES AND DEMONSTRATIONS FOR A LIVABLE FRANCE
October 16, 2022 -Durt Fibo

Strikers protesting exorbitant profiteering in the midst of a Europe-wide fear of coming winter hardships were supported today by approximately 140,000 demonstrators marching through Paris.

The strikes broke out 3 weeks ago and have virtually shut down 4 of France’s 7 refineries and one fuel depot owned by the French multinational fuel behemoth TotalEnergies, Two other strikes at refineries run by the American-owned Esso-ExxonMobil ended this week when the workers finally accepted management concessions.

The labor actions are being overseen by the CGT (Confédération Générale du Travail; General Confederation of Labor), the nation’s largest trade union. The CGT, founded in 1895, announced today that it will continue the shutdowns.

Logically connecting the race for price gouging with the imminent threats to environmental and mere daily existence, a pool of common interest was formed by Jean-Luc Mélenchon’s La France Insoumise (LFI; France Unbowed), and the Nupes alliance (Nouvelle Union populaire écologique et sociale; New Ecological and Social People’s Union) which poured out into a mass demonstration in support of the striking workers and a more rational world.