France: EDF workers strike against restructuring of energy company

W/S Unions strike
M/S Unions strike
C/U Unions flags
M/S Unions strike
C/U Unions flags
SOT Clarisse Delalondre, FNME-CGT (French): "All the EDF's employees, we’re on national strike today about a project called Hercule, a project of the dismantlement of EDF, the public electric company. Macron, when he was a minister under [former French President Francois] Hollande, he wanted to divide it in pieces already, to privatise it and his government is going to do it with the help of the direction. For that reason, we are demonstrating all together; all unions attended the rally - and it’s very important - to show our opposition to the project Hercule."
C/U Unions strike; policemen
W/S Unions strike
C/U Banner
M/S Unions strike
M/S Unions strike
W/S Unions strike
SOT Alexandre Grillat, CFE-CGC (French): "Today all EDF’s employers are on strike to defend the company against the risk of disorganisation and dismantlement because the first point is that considering global warming, electricity is the best energy without coal and the challenge is taking care of the electric system. The fact of splitting EDF in two, dismantling and disorganising it, doesn't respond to the defence of public services in the long term. To defend public services, we need to invest in it."
C/U Union worker with sticker [Hercule? No, thanks]
M/S Unions strike
M/S Unions strike
M/S Unions strike
C/U Union’s sign
SOT Eric Lemoine, FC-CFDT (French): "We organised a demonstration today because Macron’s government decided to split in two, or more pieces, the EDF Group, while nowadays the integral company permits a full supply and an energetic independence, as well."
C/U Unions flags
M/S Unions strike and policeman
M/S Banner of unions strike
C/U Union’s hot air balloon
W/S Unions strike
SCRIPT
Unions of EDF, the biggest French electricity supplier, called a national strike in Paris on Thursday, to protest against a plan to restructure the heavily indebted state-controlled utility known as 'Project Hercule.'
According to a draft of the proposal presented to unions in June, the restructuring, requested by President Emmanuel Macron, could split the Group in two. Four unions covering a majority of France’s energy sector workers wanted to push the group to delay talks around the project.