Demonstration of May 1st in Toulouse: the time of union
This Sunday morning, more than 3,500 people attended the traditional May Day parade in Toulouse. The unions have called for unity in view of the legislative elections.
Noisy awakening in Toulouse this Sunday morning. More than 3,500 people, according to the prefecture, took part in the traditional May Day parade, which left Esquirol at 10 a.m. At the start of the procession, the three organizing unions of the demonstration, the CGT, the FSU and Solidaires, formed the head banner, before a group of yellow vests stood in front of them. For the first time, the unions were joined by the CFDT departmental union. “We are all marching together for a better future. We will only obtain it in unity. It is a strong message that we send to our politicians, ”slips Claude, a CGT activist.
Purchasing power, in particular the increase in wages, and the retirement age were at the heart of the demands. Jean Fort, member of the executive committee of the trade union of retirees of Haute-Garonne, ensures that offering retirement at 60 “is not a decoy”, it is simply “poorly presented”. “Citizens must be able to receive a full pension at age 60. It’s possible. The pension reform that Emmanuel Macron wants to undertake is dangerous. It promises our young people a life of hard work. For us, it will lead to blockages in the increase of the pension, which are already below the increase in the cost of living”, castigates the retiree.
Legislation in sight
In the procession, the left-wing political parties will campaign for the next legislative elections. Hundreds of activists from Jean-Luc Mélenchon’s Union Populaire pounded the pavement. François Piquemal, the party’s prospective candidate in the 4th constituency of Haute-Garonne, recalled: “The presidential sequence is not over. The measures we offer are those in favor of workers. We want to respond to people’s expectation that Macron’s power will be counterbalanced. »
Around 12:15 p.m., the demonstration arrived at Arnaud-Bernard. Cédric Caubère, secretary general of CGT 31, took the floor to advocate unity. I call for reunification, unity. I’m going to give the floor to the Union Populaire, which is a friend. All those who are here are friends,” he assured. At 12:30 p.m., the crowd dispersed after singing the Internationale with raised fists. Some of the demonstrators joined the Place de la Bourse, where the CGT offered merguez and sausages.