MARIGOT–At least three unions in St. Martin will be supporting today what is expected to be a massive mobilisation in France of State civil and territorial servants to protest a planned pension reform on the back of a widespread transportation strike.
Public and private employees in St. Martin have been summoned by their unions to gather on the waterfront at 7:00am, today, Thursday, for a rally and march, but it is not known how well the national strike will be supported here locally. Some traffic disruption could be expected in Marigot.
Albert Blake of union Uni-T.978 said his union is not participating, as it is busy with organising elections within companies in St. Martin, but would issue a press release to coincide with the strike.
Patrick Thomas of the St. Martin (Collectivité) section of Union Nationale Syndicats Autonomes (UNSA) confirmed to The Daily Herald that his union is participating along with two other unnamed unions. UNSA represents the majority of civil servants. A march is planned from the waterfront to the Préfecture.
According to website France 24, President Emmanuel Macron’s new pension system will introduce a “points system” for retirement. Those who oppose it say it will threaten both the age of retirement and the financial compensation at the time of retirement.
Public sector workers’ pensions are at present calculated on the salary they earned for the last six months of working life – normally the highest for most people – and an assessment of the best 25 years of their career.
Opponents say the new pension plan specifically targets rail workers, who are united in their response to fighting for retention of their pension rights.
Source: The Daily Herald https://www.thedailyherald.sx/islands/93026-local-union-branches-supporting-national-strike-over-pension-reform
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