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  • Page 1 — “There is clearly a class struggle”
  • Page 2 — “Our system may not be best in world, but it has proven itself”

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    Time Online: Mr Martinez, against DieArbeitsmarktreformen of President Emmanuel Macron, so far only wenigeMenschen have gone to streets. Are you out of your air?

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    Philippe Martinez: The dissatisfaction in safety is very great. They cannot be measured only at Teilnehmerzahlenvon major events. There are daily small strike actions taking place in companies. We need to bundle se labour disputes. Then we can show denArbeitnehmern that you’re not alone.

    Philippe Martinez has been secretary general of Union Confédération Générale du Travail (CGT) since February 2015. © Lisa Lous/Time Online

    Time Online: Some more than one million people participated in demonstrations against reforms of predecessor government. On 16 November, according to police, only 80,000 people were on street.

    Martinez: This is not comparable. New government has only been in office for six months. Normally, re are beiuns a period of up to one year. This time people went straight to street – re is seldom such a thing in France. According to surveys, up to 65 percent of French were dissatisfied with reforms sind60. We just have to make it to se Unzufriedenendurchzudringen.

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    Time Online: MacronsArbeitsgesetze are already in force. Aren’t you late?

    Martinez: There have already been laws that have entered into force and which have been changed later.

    Time Online: Perhaps many French people have also seen: country needs reforms.

    Martinez: Dassehen we do same. AberMacrons plans are not reforms, se are backward steps. The abolition of DerVermögenssteuer, for example, only benefits wealthy. What we need are reforms, dieGeringverdienern help – people who are unable to afford an apartment in spite of ir work. Macron, on or hand, wants to reduce social charges for entrepreneurs.

    Time Online: Macronhat has tried to involve unions in reform process from outset.

    Martinez: There is a proverb in France: Cause toujours tu m ‘ intéresses. I’m going to whati. Talking to each or isn’t enough. One also has to take or zuhörenund his proposals seriously. That didn’t happen. The government hatallerhöchstens a few of its measures.

    Time Online: France must change, abolish old sinecure to remain wettbewerbsfähigzu in globalized economy. Most economists agree.

    Martinez: France is fünftgrößteWirtschaft of world – yet re are nine million arms. That’s not normal. There are many ories about economy and how y funktionierensoll. Many say we have no money. And at one time journalists find out that billions of euros are hidden in tax havens. Funny, isn’t it?

    Time Online: Anor reality is France’s sovereign debt. Which is almost as high wiedas gross domestic product.

    Martinez: Yes, and why? Because state gives big companies too much money. They get millions of shots and tax breaks every year. And many unemployed UndGeringverdiener in France also mean less taxes for state.

    Time Online: FrankreichsStaatsausgaben are already as high as in no or OECD country.

    Martinez: DasProblem are revenue, not expenses. An industrial nation brauchteinen good health and education sector. We need to increase social security contributions and remove tax breaks for businesses.

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