Tens of thousands of protesters marched in Paris on Friday against a bill that would allow bakeries and florists to open on Labor Day, while demanding wage increases and denouncing inflation exacerbated by tensions in the Middle East.
Earlier this week, the French government presented a bill allowing bakeries and flower shops to stay open on May 1, or Labor Day, a public holiday across France, with implementation planned from 2027. The proposal still needs parliamentary approval.
The government describes such shops as being "indispensable" to social life during the holiday, while labor unions argue that the bill could place relevant staff in a situation where they are pressured by employers to volunteer to work.
"Today, a large majority of workers like their jobs, but they want more recognition, better wages, guarantee of purchasing power, improved working conditions, and to feel protected at work. So, we have three key points regarding wages. First, there must be wage negotiations so that people can live with dignity from their work. The second point is that occupational health and working conditions are of vital importance. Now many employees are physically and mentally damaged due to work and are unable to continue working. Third, employees need to have a say in their work, participate in decision-making, promote sincere dialogue, and be ensured that employers don't make decisions unilaterally," said Marylise Leon, general secretary of leading union French Democratic Confederation of Labour (CFDT).
"In fact, all labor unions in France are opposed to the bill, which seeks to cancel the paid holiday of May 1. It is a very important day for us, because it's the International Workers' Day. The French government is once again trampling on the social rights of workers in this country. And so we are pleased to see that all the labor unions in France will be fighting today to oppose this bill, which is a step backward with regard to the rights of workers," said Caroline Viau, a member of the General Confederation of Labour (CGT).
In addition to rejecting the bill, the protesters demanded wage increases to protect their purchasing power, while countering high inflation exacerbated by the war on Iran.
"I've worked as a postman for 25 years, and my salary has been the same for 12 years. I need a 400-euro raise. My net monthly income is 1,600 euros, and it's hard to make ends meet in a big city like Paris. And obviously, we must oppose this dirty imperialist war, because it's heading towards a world war driven solely by capitalist interests, and it has a direct impact on our purchasing power," said Sebastien Baroux, a member of labor union Sud Poste 92.
Tens of thousands of workers demonstrate in Paris to make demands heard
