Unions mobilize in Reunion

Several days before November 5, multiple unions in Reunion called for mobilization throughout the island, citing concerns over budget announcements not meeting expectations, weakening of public services, and housing issues. Following several Saturdays of demonstrations led by the youth, the island has now moved into strike mode.

Strike plans and union participation

On Thursday, November 5, the CFDT, CGT, FO, UNSA, and FSU called for a national strike day and interprofessional demonstrations. In Reunion, the inter-union plans two gatherings, in Saint-Denis and Saint-Pierre. According to Zinfo974, the inter-union includes the CGTR, CFTC, CFDT, FO, Solidaires, UNSA, FSU, SAIPER, and the Union étudiante 974. Each union brings its own demands.

FSU Territoriale criticizes government measures

The FSU Territoriale denounced a "social massacre game" and transmitted the strike notice submitted by the FSU Territoriale, addressed on October 28 to the Minister of Action and Public Accounts, David Amiel. The strike notice covers all agents of the territorial public service, every day from November 5 to November 30. The union described the Prime Minister's announcements as "scandalous," citing deindexing of pensions, freezing of APL, and non-cumulation of AAH and ASS.

FSU demands and concerns about public service

The union stated that these measures "once again spare the richest and hit the majority." The freezing of the index point for 2027 "amounts to a new provocation," according to the FSU. Without revaluation, more than 850,000 agents have seen their indicative salary "fall below the minimum wage since June 1." The union also highlighted that "weakening the public service and social protection particularly affects women, who are the majority in the public service and more exposed to precariousness."

SAP-974 CGTR calls for home care workers' rights

The SAP-974 CGTR union called "all home care workers and employees in the sector" to gather on Thursday at 8 am in front of the Departmental Council. Its general secretary, Linda Diblar, denounces "essential jobs" that "remain among the most precarious: insufficient wages, forced part-time, permanent travel with personal vehicles, and unrecognized hardship." The union demands: the creation of a real public service for autonomy and home care, better structuring of the sector to anticipate population aging, an ambitious recruitment and training plan for employees, the end of forced part-time, immediate salary increases, real coverage of travel costs and vehicle wear, and effective recognition of the hardship of their jobs.

CGTR-BTP focuses on housing crisis

The CGTR-BTP union put housing on the table, starting with an image: "The photo published in the press of a worker forced to sleep in his car deeply concerns us." Its general secretary, Maximin Hoarau, asks: "How can we accept that in Reunion, women and men who work cannot even live in dignity anymore?" The union reminds that "more than 50,000 housing requests are pending." The decrease in funding for the Single Budget Line (LBU) "raises serious concerns."

CGTR-BTP demands for housing and employment

In a sector already in difficulty, "less investment in housing means the risk of fewer construction sites, weakening companies, and threatening jobs." Because "the purchasing power is not just the salary: it also depends on our ability to pay rent, feed our children, and live with dignity." The CGTR-BTP demands: funding matching needs, acceleration of the construction of social and very social housing, emergency solutions for homeless people and families with children, and maintaining investments necessary for employment in the construction sector. The union refuses that "workers pay twice the price of this crisis: first by the difficulties in housing, then by the consequences of a decrease in activity and employment."

Mobilizations on November 5

Finally, on November 5, we will see the extent of the mobilizations in Reunion, which so far does not shout as loudly as in the mainland.