The people vs. capital: French unions continue fight against Macron's pension reforms

On Feb. 7, France's eight largest unions turned out for the third strike of the year against Emanuel Macron's deeply unpopular pension reforms. This video is part of a special Workers of the World series on the cost of living crisis in Europe.
Producer, Videographer, Editor: Brandon Jourdan
Associate Producer, Translation: Nicolas Lee
Audio Post-Production: Tommy Harron
Read the transcript: therealnews.com/the-people-vs...
This story, with the support of the Bertha Foundation, is part of The Real News Network’s Workers of the World series, telling the stories of workers around the globe building collective power and redefining the future of work on their own terms: therealnews.com/workers-of-th...
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[@justinmcneil659]

I love the French people. We need this in the US.

[@bpuppin]

They’d be canceled and arrested and paved by CNN as white national terrorists

[@Cuban20]

Yes we do!

[@acetate909]

That's what I was thinking. But our media and government work to keep the public divided because they're terrified of exactly what's happening in France. America could learn a lot about working class solidarity from France..

[@beesmonk]

​@@acetate909it's not only ur media the French media is bull💩as well look for the independents tarnis news etc

[@ioiwut4874]

good luck

[@garyneal4717]

Pension age of 60! I'm 60 in four weeks and still have 7 years to wait. I don't remember any protests when they raised the pension age in the UK. That's why we get treated like shit. Because we let the government walk all over us.

[@tiamatsmirnov938]

It's not 60 but 62 and Don't think that its for everybody. Its the earliest you can be retired, mainly depending when you started to work. My father is 72 and still working

[@veroniquendambo3242]

@@tiamatsmirnov938 I hope he is working for his own businesse. If not, he has snatched the job to a youngster who is unemployed. Isn't that unfair ?

[@tiamatsmirnov938]

​@@veroniquendambo3242 If I do agree usually with this statement for retired people with BIG pensions... my father does it because is pension is barely above 1000€.

[@Rich-yj4ub]

Same in America. People are pansies here in the USA 🇺🇸.

[@GabrielHellborne]

Yeah, the French know how to get irate better than the British.

[@nickxcore74]

Solidarity with the workers and freedom loving people of France 🇫🇷 ✊🏽

[@appropriate-channelname3049]

nah man there going to shoot themselves in the foot if they get what they want. Without pension reform France will end up like Greece

[@Huxtee7]

Revolutiooon! The French are great and organizing and demonstrating peacefully against their gov. it's a beautiful thing to see.

[@SB-ok3xc]

We need to protest against exploitation of workers everywhere in the world and every day! ✊🏾

[@edwardsmith-mf1co]

That smacks of communism

[@dawnneptuneadams]

Je l’aime! Solidarité toujours.

[@richardrichard9953]

Mainstream media isn’t covering any of this

[@peoplenewstoday]

For a reason. Over 100 billion to the Ukraine and counting.

[@ericp0012]

It’s on France 24 news.

[@ChrisJu3]

They're busy making lies about China.

[@captainpawpawchannel]

They don't even cover what's happening in usa, for example Palestine train wreck...

[@tompham637]

Solidarity with French people !

[@cheri238]

Support strikers here in America and all over our world 🌎 ❤️ Chanson des rues

[@frankpeeler4278]

This should happen over here with these morons over here trying to stop what we paid for over the years

[@jackredking]

Solidarity from Canada we support our brave brothers and sisters in France. We need this kind of revolutionary spirit to hold power in our hands. The governments must know they can't abuse the power we give them or they will fall

[@wissambarakat6466]

get back to work. the french are the laziest in Europe. lowest amount of hours per week worked and if you actually live here, you would know they also have the highest work leave in all of Europe. Lazy

[@phillmccracken4219]

You guys have your own clown to deal with.

[@wesleyverhaegen9513]

Vive la france

[@ericp0012]

Vive le peuple.

[@googlepigs7027]

👏🇫🇷GO !!! PEOPLE OF FRANCE !!!🇫🇷👏

[@theshunzun]

I wish this would happen in the US. Imagine if all the major unions and the general public marched into DC and Wall Street.

[@johnblack6161]

The difference with your unions in the US, theyve all been bought off like everything else in corrupt america, you,ve even bought off the UN.

[@robina.1456]

CIA stops all forms of organizing at it’s root. The police here are known for severely harming and killing protesters (“peaceful” protests or not) lol.. americans will go down with their country sadly

[@mywifesboyfriend5558]

They would laugh and send in drones, the police, spies, the feds, etc. You gave them all the power. You lost. No replies will be seen or read

[@slavkagough3023]

The population needs to say NO TO WAR! NO TO NATO! POWER to PEOPLE!

[@artnodulot1525]

say no to war to poutine first.slava ukraine

[@ericp0012]

Je souhaite le meilleur pour les Français et soutiens le Rassemblement National.

[@jean-mmartin8563]

Je leur souhaite tout sauf le rassemblement national

[@imperfectxennial3008]

“People shouldn’t be afraid of their governments, governments should be afraid of their people”, V

[@mikedonnarumma5337]

GO YOU HEROES !!

[@funkmanone]

It is wonderful to see such solidarity. This seems inconceivable here in the states. The division is sewn to prevent this exact scenario.

[@hassanal-mosawi4235]

Well said!

[@kmena05]

we need this in the US every job here is contracted out a lot of Workers don't have any rights and the Employers walk all over us.

[@mywifesboyfriend5558]

I agree.

[@lizarosa156]

Thank you France for loving your countrymen and people. ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤Stand up for safety nets and your ancestors legacy. Respect your elderly , special needs and all empathetic defenceless beings .Stand up speak out.

[@nellaselby6093]

Makron, go away!!! Step down!!!

[@darinsingleton3553]

Happy to have been a sustaining donor to TRNN since Paul Jay & Co. Keep the Faith.

[@raymundogonzalez6450]

They elected that guy! Now it is the gnashingof theeth . Any bad desiciones bring consecuenses

[@tiamatsmirnov938]

He was mostly elected by people over 65 and got his best score with people over 70. Boomers namely. In EVERY other segments of the population he was in minority. That's the population voting the most. No wonder why he did what he did during covid... spending Billions to protect mainly people over 70 and why his solution for pension is to push curent workers to work more, in order for curent retirees to keep their advantages. It's 30 years that everybody knows a prbm with pension was about to rise because of natality boom after WW2. In France pensions are ONLY paid through taxes taken from people who work... to pay pensions to people who are retired. 50 years ago, there were 4 workers for 1 retiree Today we have 1,4 worker for 1 retiree. It's just not viable the way it is now.

[@captainpawpawchannel]

Only 20% of the population have voted for him, the system is anti-democratic, that's why the gilets jaunes asked for a real democracy (citizen referendums)

[@kyasonkaylor6807]

@@captainpawpawchannelwell ofc 80%-100% of the population of a country isn’t gonna be involved because a lot of them are kids or people who don’t care about politics enough to vote

[@captainpawpawchannel]

@@kyasonkaylor6807 people feel concerned, the problem is that France is a very flawed democracy, Macron with only 25% of the voters and less of 20% of the population had a majority of 55% of the parliament in 2017, because of the legislatives mechanism, this makes no sense, it's not what i call a democracy

[@UnityFromDiversity]

Everyone's tongue drips with rage of "rights". Nobody wants the responsibilities.

[@mywifesboyfriend5558]

It's all big talk behind the safety of a keyboard.

[@UnityFromDiversity]

@@mywifesboyfriend5558 There is no need for violence. Just answer the question.

[@leebruce4697]

Time to take out all our so called leaders...... who needs them....we can all think for ourselves

[@mywifesboyfriend5558]

Nice fedpost.

[@sonnyeastham]

......Let them eat cake...

[@sonnyeastham]

Plandemic...planrevolution.....planwar....planned population destruction. Period.

[@pauldorschner5449]

All countries in the world need to do that. People are more powerful than their own governments

[@komodo4925]

Le 7 Mars en France Grève générale et illimitée pour l'avenir de nos enfants et des générations à venir ..Macron Destitution, frexit 💪

[@singmiracles7518]

Frexit, bien joué! Bien joué!

[@publicdomain1103]

Yes

[@roninnotasheeplikeyou.2631]

This is the ripple effect of France signing on with America's failing sanctions & failing proxy war. It's torpedoed their economy. Same thing is happening in other EU countries. I'm surprised this video is still up.

[@zinocrb]

Well done to all French people The Souverainetés belongs to you The people politicians comes and go But the people still there..unie all for Your freedom and Souverainetés.

[@unwantedend4294]

Sadly this is what the elites wanted. Destabilize.

[@Rich-yj4ub]

People in America 🇺🇸 are to big of sissies. They just lay back & take it.

[@jancoley9051]

What happened? It is pathetic. It's like our spirit has been crushed. This WH guy is a dick-tater. Obummer 3rd term

[@mywifesboyfriend5558]

Is that why you keep kissing our ass? Remember, unlike the French, we don't surrender. 🇺🇸😄🖕 No replies will be seen or read

[@jerrywilliams9208]

Protest should be held in front of leaders homes they will. Not come outside while you are standing there after a week being stuck at home they'll be ready to listen when you're not in front of them they don't care you have to apply pressure and that can only be done face-to-face

[@firecracker3911]

✊✊✊

[@smoothtrappa]

Le pen would not have done this. You get what you vote for!

[@kokorico06]

Macron should leave France

[@tomassoyweyvon4902]

I wonder if Canada is taking notes

[@jakelong5931]

Violent insurrection? Or peaceful protest? 🤔

[@capoman1]

Hey America! You wanna see HOW TO PROTEST? Look at how and when France protests. YOU MUST PROTEST HARDER THAN this small country!!!!

[@GroovyVideo2]

VICTORY

[@joecombs7468]

🏆

[@derek6579]

But you can’t afford it anymore

[@cheesepuff455]

🤘✊💚🔥💃

[@ekat80]

France is not ruled by macron, it is ruled by US world monetary fund. If they say to raise pension age , macron will do it.

[@jancoley9051]

Never knew that. The US really does stick their nose everywhere.

[@malihehsaraj1588]

Frans keeps going, Makaron can't change the low he mess-up with Ukraine war

[@jancoley9051]

He can't change the law?

[@idaniamorales6058]

👍👏👏👏👏🇺🇸

[@kelleyaynne]

Glad the French have spines!

[@yahoo547]

just keep on working for your elected officials benefits😂😂😂

[@ZeynalliS]

Makron 🐖

[@marcpadilla1094]

What fools. You elected this guy and have to resort to this to get your own money. LA Pen is against immigration but that was a deal breaker. She would have protected citizens' rights and privileges, but they wanted to vote their conscience and for altruism and could not get the same consideration from Macron. Serves them right.

[@captainpawpawchannel]

Only 20% have voted for him, and MLP is a pro-capitalist as well, pro-euro, pro-richest, pro-elites

[@marcpadilla1094]

@Captain Pawpaw OH. I don't believe she would alienate you worse than Macron. She's a Nationalist. The population increase has undoubtedly had an impact of resources and the rights and privileges of French citizens. I don't think MLP would alienate her countrymen so flagrantly.

[@PURENT]

@@marcpadilla1094 Government based pension programs function similarly to ponzi schemes. The current retirees are paid for by the current workforce's taxes. When the workforce is small, the tax revenue is lower, lower tax revenue makes it harder to pay for a large population of retirees. That all only works if the population pyramid is stable. Two ways to do that without increasing retirement age, immigration or births. Western countries use immigration, works for the most part. Japan is trying the births route and is heavily anti-immigration. They're struggling to get young couples to have children, despite the country declining in population and reducing resource use.

[@thirdchild469]

Visit the politicians at their homes.

[@mywifesboyfriend5558]

And get wrecked by police, drones, the media, the military, etc? Nah. No replies will be seen or read

[@thirdchild469]

@@mywifesboyfriend5558 teenie, weenie thinking. Excellent. Bow down, obey.

[@335m5]

This looked more like a parade than protest with the people singing and dancing. As the average life expectancy increases so will the amount of years you have to work.

[@acetate909]

After 2021 average life expectancy has been dropping. But it doesn't matter. The people paid social security through taxes and were promised they would get their benefits at age 60. Its not the citizens fault that their government raided social security to bail out banks and fund wars. These people should be out in the streets protesting because they've been lied to and taken advantage of. These politicians are despicable and deserve to be ousted.

[@captainpawpawchannel]

No you don't need to work more, because productivity increases, and also people live longer because they work less, if you make them work more, they'll die sooner

[@mywifesboyfriend5558]

​@@captainpawpawchannel Only the people who don't invest wisely will work more. The poor are pretty much screwed.

[@cdpcullman]

Big Gov Socialism in full view !!!

[@user-td6rh6rj7r]

Vive le communisme. Vive le grand Lénine

[@captainpawpawchannel]

Vive le communisme mais pas le communisme soviétique

[@jancoley9051]

Not in America. Hell no. It has never worked anywhere successfully.

[@jancoley9051]

Lenin is dead

[@mywifesboyfriend5558]

Communism is dead. You lost, and Lenin is a tourist attraction. America, capitalism, and freedom forever. 🇺🇸 No replies will be seen or read.

[@captainpawpawchannel]

@@jancoley9051 well, public services and co-ops are communism and they work pretty well, on the opposite see how capitalism works...

[@71518]

Spoiler: Macron wins

[@danielmarek4609]

I'll bet they want to raise the age because there just isn't the money to continue to afford it. Unfortunately you won't get much sympathy from US workers as our retirement age is climbing above 65, and never was 60.

[@captainpawpawchannel]

Of course France can afford the pension at 60, but the elites don't want it because they want to privatize pensions, shrink the salaries and get more profits, it's basic class struggle

[@johnblack6161]

There,s plenty of money Its just that its all in the wrong hands,and as far as your support who needs it just keep enjoying your sleep and going to the work like good little sheep.

[@jamesrecknor6752]

At least we had a 85 billion dollar going away gift for Taliban

[@jancoley9051]

$100 billion to Ukraine. Imagine what that could do for Social Security recipients.

[@mywifesboyfriend5558]

​@@johnblack6161 So says the sheep. 🐑 You are in no position to criticize others, son. Now get back to work, those burgers won't flip themselves.😄 No replies will be seen or read