De Gaulle Attacks Labour Leaders

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 31936, 13 March 1969, Page 13

De Gaulle Attacks Labour Leaders

(N.Z.P.A.-Reuter—Copyright)

PARIS, March 12.

France today faced increased social and political tension after a day of nation-wide strikes marked by a tough speech from President de Gaulle and violent police-student clashes.

Political observers felt the general’s strong attack on labour leaders during a radio and television broadcast last night probably would produce equally strong reactions from the Leftwing.

Among the first to reply to the general was Mr Georges Seguy, leader of the powerful Communist-led C.G.T. trade union confederation. He said that though the unions were still willing to continue wage negotiations with the Government “the Head of State is hurling illwilled and gratuitous accusations” against them.

Mr Andre Jeanson. leader of the militant C.F.D.T. union grouping, said in a communique that President de Gaulle had “dramatised' events to such an outrageous degree as to take away any credibility.” ‘A Beginning' The C.F.D.T.’s position is that yesterday’s strikes were only a beginning. The C.F.D.T. has said further action will be called for but has not; specified what form it will take or when.

The 24-hour strike paralysed almost every branch of the nation’s industry, reduced public transport to skeleton services and closed many Government offices. There were huge demonstrations for better wages by tens of thousands of workers in provincial cities while in Paris some 200,000 workers marched through the streets to the Place de la Bastille.

The workers dispersed without incident but about 5000 students then occupied the square and began hurling bottles and stones at riot police.

Riot police lashed into demonstrating students, bringing blood to the faces of men and women.

Swinging their compressed rubber batons, they set on any lone stragglers with a force not seen here since the riots of last May and June. About 24 students were lined up against a wall with their hands behind their heads, blood streaming from (their noses, for the sake of I press photographers. Among them was a middle-aged .woman, her face a mass of

blood, being supported by two students.

About 200,000 demonstrators, largely composed of trade unionists, flooded into the Place de la Bastille for more than two hours, accompanied by some 4000 or 5000 chanting students. The students, ignoring union pleas to break up the demonstration, converged on waiting police in the side streets round the square. Adding To Drama In his speech, General de Gaulle appeared to be quite consciously adding to the drama of the social situation. Rather than gloss over the wave of labour unrest in France, the President devoted much of his speech to stressing the dangers the country faced and linked the present situation with last summer’s riots. Without naming them, the 78-year-old French leader i accused Left-wing leaders of threatening “the currency, the economy and the repub-! lie”—but all three of these would be firmly defended, he assured his radio and television audience. Observers saw the President’s emphasis on the “totalitarian” threat to the country in the context of the national referendum on Senate and regional reform planned for the end of next month. ‘Mass Apathy’ This might be a way of stirring up public interest in a vote which the Governiment sees as being threatened more by mass apathy) than opposition, observers! felt.

j They recalled that the Gaullists swept to an unprecedentedly easy victory in last June’s post-crisis election on the platform of defending the country against a totalitarian take-over.

Political circles thought General de Gaulle would probably make another radio and television speech in the weeks before the referendum.

Although the general’s broadcast did not link his own political future with the referendum’s success, the vote !on the reform proposals is iexpected to be an important test of his popularity. The climate in which the vote takes place will depend to a large extent on how the trade unions decide to follow up yesterday’s work stoppage. All indications are that they will keep to traditional means of protest—strikes and orderly demonstrations —and will remain well away from extremist students and other i elements.

But after yesterday’s strikes, the unions are likely to find it difficult to retreat from a militant position which, while largely concerned with economic matters has also taken on a political colouring.