“The united intersyndicale” will meet Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne on April 5, at the invitation of the government, “to demand the withdrawal of the reform” from pensions, announced Friday the new general secretary of the CGT, Sophie Binet.
“We will go, the whole inter-union, united, to demand the withdrawal of this reform in a firm, determined way”, declared Sophie Binet, who was speaking at the podium of the CGT congress, where she has just been elected. to succeed Philippe Martinez.
The employers’ organizations also received
The main employers’ organizations announced on Friday that they would be received on Wednesday at Matignon, where Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne invited the unions opposed to the pension reform.
Asked about the presence of the Medef in Matignon, the president of the Medef Geoffroy Roux de Bézieux replied “yes, a priori with the other employers’ organizations. I don’t know if we’ll go before or after, but we’ll go on Wednesday. “It’s quite normal, because whatever the subjects discussed, whether we’re talking about pensions or talking about work, employers have an opinion on the issue”, he justified.
The Confederation of SMEs (CPME) for its part welcomes in a press release “to have been invited to a meeting of the three national interprofessional organizations representing companies” among which is also the Union of local businesses (U2P), which represents craftsmen and the liberal professions.
“No reason not to talk about pensions”
The CPME deems it “important not to limit the discussion with the social partners, to the only trade union organizations of employees”.
For this organization, “the social crisis that is shaking our country is not without consequences for economic activity” and “the overflows noted recently, the blockages or the wild cuts of electricity only fuel a growing exasperation of those who want to continue working.
Geoffroy Roux de Bézieux for his part said that he saw “no reason not to talk about pensions”, when it is not certain that this subject will be addressed by the Prime Minister during these consultations.
Put more “trust in the social partners”
Geoffroy Roux de Bézieux reiterated his support for the reform, the flagship measure of which is raising the retirement age from 62 to 64. “It’s difficult, it’s unpopular, it’s painful, all the other countries have done it. It is voted and for us it is time to move on, to try to find other topics for negotiation, perhaps to change the method, “said the president of Medef.
Geoffroy Roux de Bézieux said he wanted the government to have more “trust in the social partners”, taking the example of the agreement on the sharing of value in business signed by four out of five unions, with the exception of the CGT, and that the government has undertaken to transcribe it into a legislative text.
Between the Medef and the trade unions, “the thread has never been cut, we saw each other again this week with Laurent Berger and with others”, indicated the president of the Medef.
An 11th day of union mobilization against the pension reform is scheduled for Thursday, April 6.