(Paris) The long-awaited meeting between Elisabeth Borne and the inter-union to end the pension dispute ended on Wednesday in a “failure” according to the unions, who see a “democratic crisis” in the Prime Minister’s refusal to withdraw reform.
Despite this disagreement, the head of government assured that she “did not plan to move forward without the social partners” on other work-related topics.
The employers’ organizations Medef, CPME and U2P, received in the afternoon, reiterated their support for the text and asked Ms. Borne to “better take into account” the bilateral negotiations between unions and employers, citing the agreement on the sharing of value, which the government intends to include in a law.
On the eve of an 11th day of mobilization, the leaders of the eight trade union organizations, who arrived at Matignon shortly after 10 a.m., together and on foot, came out after an hour. The boss of the CFTC, Cyril Chabanier read a text from the inter-union on the steps.
“We have a social crisis that is turning into a democratic crisis,” said CFDT leader Laurent Berger, like the other unions, while the new boss of the CGT Sophie Binet affirmed that “the government will not be able to govern the country as long as that this reform will not be withdrawn”.
Emmanuel Macron’s entourage, currently on the move in China, vigorously disputed this analysis and claimed that the pension project had been “carried, explained and assumed” by the president.
“No social and political force, of opposition” “wanted to enter into a compromise and carry another project”, it was added.
The Minister of Labor Olivier Dussopt reiterated before the Senate “the conviction of the government on the necessity” of the reform.
The unionists had warned that they would leave the meeting if Elisabeth Borne refused to talk about raising the retirement age to 64, which crystallizes the anger.
This is the first time they have been received at Matignon since the presentation on January 10 of the reform.
Laurent Berger said he relied on “the wisdom of the Constitutional Council” which must render its decision on April 14, and called on “a maximum of workers to join the processions” on Thursday.
“We chose to end this pointless meeting when the Prime Minister told us that she would continue to govern against the country,” said Sophie Binet, recalling that the draft First Job Contract (CPE) had been withdrawn a month after its adoption.
“The inter-union will be united until the end,” she assured.
No one had any illusions about the outcome of the meeting. It was “already written”, according to a senior minister, who expected a “dead end”.
Laurent Escure for Unsa pointed to “a huge responsibility in the hands of the President of the Republic” and called on him not to promulgate the law.
Emmanuel Macron will make “contacts” to see the unions after the decision of the Constitutional Council, according to his entourage.
Health Minister François Braun spoke on France Bleu of other meetings “in the coming days to find a way out”, without further details.
The reform generated an unprecedented almost weekly mobilization of up to 1.3 million people in the street on March 7 (according to the authorities), more than during previous pension crises. These demonstrations experienced renewed tension after the adoption without a vote of the reform in Parliament, via article 49.3.
At the call of the CGT, employees of the cultural sector on Wednesday installed a large banner at the top of the Arc de Triomphe in Paris where one could read “64 is no! », resulting in the closure of the building for an hour.
Strongly disrupted since the beginning of March by social movements, waste collection has however resumed in the metropolises of Rennes and Nantes.
For Thursday, “around 20%” of primary school teachers will be on strike, predicts the Snuipp-FSU union, a lower estimate than that of March 28. SNCF plans to run 3 out of 4 TGVs and 1 out of 2 TERs, a marked improvement in traffic compared to previous mobilization days.
