The European Transport Workers’ Federation expresses its total solidarity with French affiliates striking today (September 18th) against the French government’s proposed austerity budget. Once again, working people are being forced to pay the price of the government’s own mismanagement. The removal of two days of public holidays, more cuts to public services, freezing of social benefits and public sector pay, among many other questionable measures, will hurt the well-being of French workers and will not lead to lower debt.
French unions have long warned that the anti-worker attitude of the past governments has led to an explosion of inequality and in-work poverty. Hundreds of billions of Euros in public money have been spent in subsidising industry without any obligation that the employers who receive these subsidies improve job quality and engage in social dialogue. All the while, the obvious solution to the fiscal crisis – taxing the ultra-wealthy – remains taboo for the government.
ETF and its affiliated unions stand in absolute solidarity with our French colleagues fighting against this brutal attack on French workers.
