Workers around France have walked out to demand better pay amid swirling warnings of a tough winter ahead in Europe. Many on the continent are struggling with record inflation and an energy crisis.
Here’s
what to know about the strikes that have snowballed in France:
How did
the French strikes start?
They
began weeks ago with refinery workers who went on strike to demand higher
salaries, partly arguing that oil and gas companies have raked in profits from
Europe’s soaring energy prices — a trend being driven by Russia’s war in
Ukraine.
The
strikes led to fuel shortages and lines at stations around France as some pumps
ran dry. Nearly a third of the country’s gas stations were out of some type of
fuel by Sunday.
But the
walkouts also reflect broader discontent and worries over how to afford
mounting household bills this winter.
Who went
on strike?
Beginning
with refinery and oil depot workers — who have extended their walkout —
protests spread to other industries. The strikes also affected French nuclear
power plants, where workers want higher wages.
On
Tuesday, thousands of people, including railway workers and high school
students, joined a nationwide strike for the day that caused some transit
disruptions. That action followed a large march in Paris on Sunday that was
promoted by opposition politicians and was focused on the rising cost of living.
Unions
have pledged more action. One of country’s largest unions that is helping lead
the strikes, the CGT, reported over 180 protests around the country Tuesday,
with 70,000 people in the capital, Paris.
The
Interior Ministry, however, gave a lower estimate of about 107,000
demonstrators, including 13,000 in Paris. It said that 11 people were arrested
and eight law enforcement officers lightly wounded in clashes with protesters
on Tuesday.
Is
inflation driving the protests?
Hit by
inflation, purchasing power ranked far ahead as a main concern for the French,
who cited that point of worry three times more than immigration and crime in a
survey published this month.
The
government has spent billions subsidizing gasoline prices and energy bills, but
the prices of many supermarket basics still have risen.
While
France has taken bolder steps than many countries to contain the impact of
Europe’s energy crisis and curb inflation, the show of frustration has raised
questions about whether that will be enough in the long run. It has also drawn
comparisons with the 2018 yellow vest movement, which was sparked by proposed
tax increases but widened over weeks to include grievances about social
inequality.
How is
France addressing the cost of living crisis?
This
time, as the conflict in Ukraine propelled the energy supply crunch in Europe,
natural gas prices have been capped at fall 2021 levels and increases in energy
prices limited to 4 percent.
The
caps, set to rise next year, are expected to remain lower than in many European
countries, and the French government is giving vulnerable households a
short-term relief payment of up to $195, which critics say will not offset the
levels of inflation hitting poorer communities.
The
simmering anger is turning into a challenge in French President Emmanuel
Macron’s second term. In Parliament on Tuesday, Prime Minister Élisabeth Borne
said it was “unacceptable that a minority continues to block the country” and
said it was time to get back to work.
Still,
the country’s interior minister, Gérald Darmanin, acknowledged “a salary
problem” in France, urging employers “to increase pay when possible.”
***Rick
Noack contributed to this report.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/markets/inflation-triggers-strikes-across-france-what-to-know-about-the-protests/ar-AA139bwF