Thousands of French postal workers and customers took to the streets on Saturday to protest atplans to privatise La Poste.
Some 12,000 people turned out at the main rally in Paris, while there were 2,200 protestorsin Toulouse, 1,000 in Marseille and 500 in Lyon, according to union officials. French police putthe numbers in Paris at just 2,000. The protests were organised in major French cities by the fivepostal unions CGT-Fapt, Sud-PTT, CFDT-F3C, FO-Com and CFTC Poste.
Union leaders reiterated their opposition to the plans of La Poste president Jean-Paul Baillyto restructure the postal operator into a limited company and then sell a minority holding tofinance the future growth plans.
Referring to recent comments by French government officials that privatisation was no longeran option, CGT secretary general Bernard Thibault stated: “We have to remain mobilised as long asthere is not a clear official government position.”
A government commission is due to present its report on the future of La Poste on December15.
