French movement against pension reform loses steam

Christophe Hiou, a worker of French oil giant Total and CGT labour union representative, shouts slogans during a demonstration over pension reforms with private and public sector workers in Saint-Nazaire October 28, 2010.

France recorded Saturday much fewer participants in its eighth day of nationwide action against the near-law pension reform bill in two months, reflecting a possible end of the massive public movement by unions.

Trade unions estimated 1.2 million protesters in the one-day demonstrations across the country, while the police numbered only 375,000, both fewer than last national action on October 28, when police recorded around 560,000 people and the union claimed a figure of 2 million.

Over 240 protests took place in major French cities on the day, according to local media. In Paris, the reportedly biggest rally mobilized around 28,000 people, while labor union reported 90,000 people, also less mobilized than previous protests.

The strongest influx of previous national protesting movement has once recorded a million demonstrators, or between 2 and 3.5 million according to union leaders.

However, given the adoption of the controversial pension reform bill by both parliament houses, even some union leaders admitted the power of this kind of fight was loosing momentum.

Actually, the general sentiment for massive protesting against the reform already observed evidently lower level in last nationwide action on October 28 after parallel strikes in backbone sectors like oil industry ended.

For the weekend, the pension protest has lost dominant positions in a number of local newspapers. Libration and la R publique du Centre, just pointed out the decreasing support of the unions' public weapon.