France

Immigrants lead Paris Labour Day protests

Article published on the 2008-05-01 Latest update 2008-12-12 17:29 TU

Immigrant workers demonstrating near Paris
Photo: AFP

For the first time in four years France's major labour unions have put aside their quarrelling to march together in the traditional Labour Day demonstrations, which are underway from Le Havre in the north, to Nantes in the east, in Paris and in the southern city of Marseilles. In Paris undocumented immigrants, many of whom have been working in France for years and have been on strike since 15 April, are leading the main march.

The striking workers won their first battle on Thursday when authorities granted three of them working papers. They have been employed in the service sector, mostly in restaurants and on construction sites, some of them for years, often paying social charges and taxes. The CGT, France's largest union, which has taken up their cause, says that some of the employers support their legalisation.

The Labour Day marches mark the first day in a series of demonstrations scheduled for the whole month to pressure President Nicolas Sarkozy’s government to back down on plans to up the retirement age and cut the number of civil servants and teachers nationwide. 

"We have to make ourselves heard by the government, so that there are alternative proposals on the table," said Bernard Thibault, Secretary General of the CGT, on RTL radio.

"The government is trying to sew things up on the retirement issue," warned François Chérèque, Secretary General of the CFDT union, on the radio station France Inter. 

At the other end of the political spectrum, the extreme right-wing National Front (FN) party, headed by Jean-Marie Le Pen, 80, is holding its traditional demonstration in Paris in honour of Joan of Arc, against a background of internal division.