They denounced the decline in living conditions caused by elites promoting war.

On Thursday, International Workers’ Day, thousands of people around the world took to the streets to demand labor rights and denounce the genocide in Gaza.

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FRANCE: International Workers’ Day was marred by police repression in Paris, where citizens were attacked with batons and tear gas. Videos posted on social media showed displays of police brutality during the arrests.

“We are mobilized for peace and social justice. We are also mobilized to say that we want to put workers at the center of the debate,” said Sophie Binet, secretary of France’s General Confederation of Labor (CGT). “Since Trump arrived at the White House, all we hear about is war, debt, immigration, and social issues have been completely ignored,” she added.

Binet and Esther Lynch, secretary of the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC), led the march in Paris, which was the main event among the 269 demonstrations recorded throughout France.

Over the past week, French left-wing parties have demanded that President Emmanuel Macron’s government intervene in the steel group ArcelorMittal, which announced the elimination of 636 jobs in France.

GERMANY: Around 310,000 people took to the streets in different cities to demand wage increases and better working conditions, according to the German Trade Union Confederation, which brings together 5.6 million members.

Europe’s largest economy has been in recession for two years, with GDP contractions in 2023 and 2024, and the country’s authorities forecast stagnation for 2025, largely due to the effects of the trade war triggered by U.S. President Donald Trump.

SPAIN: Thousands of people poured into the streets to demand the reduction of the workweek to 37.5 hours, a proposal that will be presented to the Congress of Deputies next week.

The two main unions, the General Union of Workers (UGT) and Workers’ Commissions (CCOO), are calling on the various political parties to respect a project that was shaped through social dialogue with the government.

On international affairs, UGT and CCOO urged President Pedro Sanchez’s government “to turn its attention to the greatest reactionary threat faced by Spain, Europe, and the world since the end of World War II.”

BELGIUM: In Geneva, hundreds of workers from United Nations agencies staged a protest to denounce the staff cuts affecting many international organizations, which have been exacerbated by the withdrawal of a large portion of funding from their main contributor—the U.S. government.

“We are in a very difficult and unfortunate situation in which not only are the world’s governments under attack, but also the UN and its agencies,” said Daniel Bertossa, secretary of Public Services International (PSI).

ITALY: Major unions held demonstrations across the country to demand that Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni implement policies that ensure greater workplace safety.

They also condemned the “slaughter” in workplaces, as 1,090 workers died on the job in 2024. That figure represents a 5% increase compared to 2023 and an average of nearly three work-related deaths per day.

GREECE: Unions opted for a 24-hour strike to demand better wages and working conditions, leading to disruptions in rail and maritime transport during a time when hundreds of thousands of tourists are visiting the country. About 7,000 people participated in the demonstration in Athens organized by the main public and private sector unions, GSEE and ADEDY, to call for wage increases that would allow citizens to “live with dignity” amid an unprecedented rise in the cost of basic goods.

teleSUR/ JF

Source: EFE

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